WnW Bristol F.2b Fighter

[BigBlue]

Quick update:

I have stripped and repainted the PC10 on the offending wing and aileron, and additionally painted the fuselage using the same process that I have previously described.  I decided not to mask off any of the fuselage's underlying structure as I didn't find any reference photos (either current or historical) in which the frame can be seen in the surface finish.

I have also begun the process of re-painting the wing roundel and starting the fuselage markings:



Keeping the white bars on the fuselage square was a bit of a challenge, but I think I am pretty close.  I am waiting for the white to dry before continuing to mask the other roundel colors, but since the bars are finished, I removed some of the masking to take a look (stabilizer in place for the picture):



That's all for now,

Chris

[Des]

This is coming along extremely well Chris.

Des.

[Ernie]

The fuselage bars came out beautifully, Chris.  Continuing
excellence in your work, my friend.

Cheers,
Ernie

[RAGIII]

The fuselage bars came out beautifully, Chris.  Continuing
excellence in your work, my friend.

Cheers,
Ernie

I agree with my old friend Ernie completely!
RAGIII

[moustique]

excellent work

[BigBlue]

Des, Ernie, Rick and moustique: thanks to all of you for your kind comments.  Your generosity is sincerely appreciated. 

Here is where she currently stands:



Tail fin and scarff ring are just there for the picture.  The roundels have a... um... handcrafted feel to them; I am hoping that the finished product will look like a model of a subject with slight irregularities rather than a just a poorly executed executed model, but that remains to be seen.  At the moment, I am telling myself that the fact that the roundels are not perfect is a positive thing because it looks like they were, in fact, painted.  There is, however, a strong possibility that this is simply justification after the fact. 

Despite seeing this effect on every build I've done so far, I was a still bit surprised when removing the various masks at how the subtle variations in tone that were at one point visible in the PC10 largely vanish under a coat of semi-gloss and when presented against the bright whites of the markings.  (The flash seems to have brought them back a bit.)  On the other hand, the Battleship Grey of the cowling, which was painted prior to the rest of the fuselage and subsequently covered with masking tape, appears to be a slightly darker shade than the metal framing below.  I'll have to attend to that.

At this point, (ignoring the assorted touchups), the upper surfaces are basically painted and await clear coats, sundry decals, and weathering.  Which means.... I will soon be applying the Aviattic linen decals to the lower surfaces.  Fingers very much crossed.

Thanks for checking in,

Chris

[Ernie]

Chris, your painted-on markings are a real success in my estimation!  You
are completely right thinking that the little variations are a positive thing. 
Decals are great, but your efforts far out-class them.  The work you have
done up to now is superb and I look forward to the start of the undersides.
Very well done, my old friend!

Cheers,
Ernie

[Gisbod]

Nice one Chris,

You can't beat painted insignia!

Guy

[RAGIII]

Chris,
I really like your rib tape painting. Not overly done and looks realistic. The variations in the PC 10 overall finish are also terrific. As for the markings I like them. Something I will have to try in the future.  Only you can decide if they are up to your standards.
RAGIII

[BigBlue]

Ernie, thank you for the comments.  As always, you are a such a supportive presence on these forums and I am glad that you are riding along on this build.

Guy, I sure hope that the results wind up adding to rather than distracting from the finished result!  I am glad to see you checking in here as your successful foray into salt-masking had me undertake another round of experiments with the technique.  I am now of the opinion that the white staining was due to my use of isopropyl alcohol as my thinner; the issue seems to have disappeared when I switched to Mr. Leveling Thinner.  I have plans to put the technique to use on this aircraft as the TVAL photos show a similar effect on their Brisfit.

Rick, thanks for the nice comments.  With a bit of touch up here and there, I think the markings will fall somewhere into the "just a bit less than I had hoped for" to "I can live with these" zone.  It is all part of the learning process, and I have been enjoying figuring it out.

Thanks again to you all,

Chris

[BigBlue]

Linen time:



I gave the lower surfaces a couple of coats of Alclad Aqua Gloss and let them cure over night.  I am using Aviattic RFC Clear Doped Linen decals cut on the Silhouette.  Application was very easy: warm water (with a few drops of dish soap) for 45 seconds to loosen the decal, placed on the gloss surfaced and nestled into place with a flat brush.  Once in place, I applied pressure with a folded up bit of paper towel, and worked out any trapped air bubbles with the brush.  The only other treatment was a bit of Micro Sol around the hardware fittings to help conform to the irregular surface.  The upper center wing piece needed a tiny bit of extra attention due to the unusual shape with the compass mount and additional hardware, but it settled in fine.  Really very simple, and the decals couldn't be easier to work with.

That is not so say the process went perfectly smoothly, however... After cutting the first wing separately as a pre-caution (I was nervous about the fit, but my patterns turned out to be fine), I let the cutter run through the rest of the pieces while I stepped away.  When I returned to my desk, it seems that the carrier mat, which is tacky and holds the work piece in place, somehow lost its grip on the decal sheet and had the sheet was a bit of a mess.  Consequently, I had a handful of pieces that did not cut properly, and a Aviattic sheet that looked like it been through the war.  Fortunately, I was able to find enough undamaged space to cut the missing sections, but now had no extra material in case of error.  Oh, and speaking of error...



Yes, in an inspired bit of brilliance, I cut the wrong piece, and thus my linen process has resulted in this:



Facepalm. 

Well, the upside is an opportunity to show a nice before and after comparison to anyone wondering how much shows through the Aviattic decals:



So, it looks like I will be ordering some more of the very fine Aviattic decals, and I may be on hold for a bit.  Sharp eyed viewers may have noticed in the 2nd photo that rotating the cut decal 90° clockwise is very close to the unfinished wing shape, so I could attempt a salvage operation.  I'd need to fill in the hardware indentations which would be along the trailing edge, and the rounded corner is not a perfect match for the wings' curve.  Some of that will be over painted by the wrap-around PC10, but I'm guessing that the fudged areas will not be invisible.

Anyway, thanks for checking in; comments, questions and suggestions are welcome.

Chris

[lcarroll]

Chris,
    Fantastic results! I can admit to being able to "feel your pain" regarding the reversed pattern last piece of decal, I've done the same more often then I'll freely admit on ailerons.......bottom surface/top surface reversal, so easy to do!
    Beautiful results so far, I hope your order from Richard happens quickly and you can continue progress on this beautiful Build!
Cheers,
Lance

[Borsos]

Hello Chris,
please don't worry too much about the wrongly cut decal. Your progresses - especially regarding the linen effect - are outstanding! That one becomes a wonderful Brisfit and I'll watch and learn till the day I'll build mine.
Best wishes
Borsos

[boggie]

Ups and downs not withstanding Big Blue, your build is courageous and inspiring.

This is better than the local picture show's Saturday Matinee serials I saw as a kid.

Can't wait to see what happens next week! 

[RAGIII]

Looking great Chris! Like the others I have done my share of reverse cut decals 
RAGIII