Special Hobby Bristol M1C

[radio]

Very good beginning Graham.
Martin

[GrahamB]

Hi,

just a quick update - but slow progress on painting roundels. Why do I bother? Still, I'm just hoping there are not too many touch-ups to do after masking them off for top coats of camouflage colours. I used Phoenix-Precision enamels for the blue and red - they do a very nice Bright Roundel Blue and Bright Roundel Red (and equivalent Dull shades) that I toned down with complementary colours (a light brown for the blue and a green for the red). The red ended up practically the same as the kit's decals but the painted blue was a better ultramarine.



On the way I have added some nice rivet decals to the back of the spinner (Archer Fine Transfers), drilled out the control wire apertures and added a brownish PC12 (or late PC10) to the undersurface wrap-arounds and the 'pick-up-here' stencil at rear of fuselage. This follows the suggestion made elsewhere that some of these M1Cs were originally finished PC10/PC12 then had the brick-red topcoat.

Just sprayed the light blue undersides - was going to use the Precision Roundel Blue enamel but decided to go with Vallejo primer white with some drops of Ultramarine (839) and a spot of Vallejo Modelair 035 Light Brown to tone it down. The final product that I was happy with turns out to be, coincidentally,  a damned good match to the colour shown in the SH instructions!

Cheers,

GrahamB

[radio]

Looks very beautiful Graham.
Martin

[WarrenD]

Really nice Graham, wish I could order those paints, but they can't be mailed.

Warren

[RAGIII]

Your painted roundels are awesome! I think this is turning into a very stunning build!
RAGIII

[GrahamB]

Really nice Graham, wish I could order those paints, but they can't be mailed.

Warren

Hi Warren,

Yes it's a pain with all these restrictions on solvent-based paints. I had these when I came to NZ some years ago and managed to order a few before the postal clampdown came along. Precision were originally mostly (British) railway paints but they started to introduce a few aviation colours. Still, if you want a really, really good late PC10 (brownish variant) then their railway colour  P960 Frame Dirt (matt) is awesome - used it on the M1C. If you can get it by hook or crook I recommend it.

I'd like to know if the new 'Drooling Bulldog' colours (I guess they are laquer-based?) are going to be available in NZ too.

Thanks for all the positive comments. If it wasn't for the roundel painting it would be finished now. There is something very appealing about the shape of this aircraft, and Special Hobby's effort - the fuselage especially - is very fine. If I was to do another I would probably sand down all the rib tapes and patches though and replace with decal strips.

Cheers,

GrahamB

[Des]

Beautiful job with the roundel painting Graham, the colours look very convincing.

Des.

[Ernie]

Beautiful job with the roundel painting Graham, the colours look very convincing.

Des.

I couldn't agree more, Graham.  Wonderful job!
Continuing to follow your very interesting build.

Cheers,
Ernie

[GrahamB]

Just another update. Most of the component parts are painted up and ready to be assembled. I'll probably add the rigging attachment points first though - small, short 'Bob's Buckles' types that are not prototypical but reasonably 'scale' in size.

The reddish camo colour is a little too bright in this photo and the roundel blue too cold. I am trying to wean myself off enamel paints but some of those I still have are simply too useful to ignore. This red-brown (iron oxide) is an excellent WEM paint: WEMCC ARIT 04 Rosso Ruggine - a WW2 Italian armour colour (Fiat-Ansaldo), darkened slightly with WEMCC ACLW08 Dunkelbraun RLM61. This first coat - somewhat patchy- was then lightly oversprayed with neat Rosso Ruggine. I might risk some light drybrushing with another (slightly lighter-brighter) paint from the colour-group - Precision M121 Dull Roundel Red - to pop out the fuselage ribs and other protruding elements.

Not far now.

Cheers,
GrahamB

[Des]

That is looking extremely good Graham, the colour seems right to me, looking forward to seeing all those bits and pieces joined up.

Des.

[lcarroll]

   Beautiful paintwork, Graham, and a very attractive scheme. This is looking like a really exceptional Build.
Cheers,
Lance

[RAGIII]

Gorgeous work Graham! Once all of those components are together it will be a showstopper!
RAGIII

[WarrenD]

You ended up with a great color there Graham, those WEM paints are great, aren't they?  I do hope they find a distributor here in the U.S. for them.

Warren

[radio]

Very beautiful painted and great work Graham.
Martin

[Alexis]

Shaping up very nicely !



Terri