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Revell Bell X-1 Finished.


ericg

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Nice one Steve, I was looking to do the same scheme on mine but opted for the more simpler of the two. Did you have a WIP thread on yours mate?

 

Glad you guys following are liking this build. I am certainly enjoying finishing the older less loved kits out there.

 

Eric.

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The big question with this model is how to give it depth such that it looks like a scaled down version of the real thing. It is a hard task with solid colour models to break up the surface and provide interest in an otherwise bland scheme. I feel that modellers are overusing pre and post shading on models to follow trends these days and I am steering clear of that with this build. Given the fact that this model is all over white AND glossy, any mess ups will stand out from a long way away. Hopefully the hard yards that I put in to rescribe and engrave detail plus attention paid to the surface before laying down the coat of paint and subsequent clear coats will pay off.

 

Careful examination of reference pics shows the actual aircraft to have some panel line detail that I felt needed to be recreated using a wash. I use the Flory clay based washes as I find them to be very easy to manipulate. As black was going to contrast to greatly with the white scheme I added the white wash to the black to give a very dark grey fro around the control surfaces, added some more white to the mix to give a medium grey for the access panels and then added even more white for the not so noticeable panel lines. Even this has come out a little dark but I am thinking a few steps ahead in each part of this build. I am always more concerned with how the model will look from 2 feet away rather than under a macro lense on a 19 inch monitor. 

 

I still have a few areas to tighten up and as this is a WIP there is still some patches of wash that need to be cleaned off. Let me know what you think!

 

After I finished the decals, I masked off and sprayed the wheel well interiors, the wing walkways and the rocket nozzles. I then sanded the whole model with very fine grit wet and dry, and then a thorough clean with testors plastic prep.

 

It was then back into the spray booth to get yet another coat of Tamiya clear. 

 

IMG_3577_zpsa59983db.jpg

 

After the clear had dried, it was onto the wash.

 

IMG_3580_zpsf66971c8.jpg

 

IMG_3582_zps84a3f19a.jpg

 

IMG_3584_zpsa4618a13.jpg

 

IMG_3585_zps6e7f1f99.jpg

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Looks superb mate! Though perhaps the panel lines are still a little too stark. As you say, it may be that they're less so to the naked eye.

 

A couple of questions for you! Firstly, where did you get your plastic prep from? I've heard good things about it, but haven't come across any so far. Secondly, what's your impression of the Tamiya rattle can clears? It certainly looks like they do the job!

 

Kev

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I got the Plastic Prep from Stanbridges hobbies in Perth, great product but it was five years ago that I purchased it and I have now run out.

 

The Tamiya clear is great but I wouldn't do it over acrylic paints. Goes on nice and smooth, dries pretty quickly and is quite tough.

 

Eric.

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Eric, I think I did have a thread going of my X-1 a few years ago.

 

Here is the link over at Zone-Five: http://www.zone-five.net/showthread.php?t=19765&highlight=stevee671

Yours looks really good. The camera has a way of changing what we see with our eyes. When I was researching mine, I noticed that they seemed to get pretty dirty and the panels were noticeable in some photos. Personally, if it looks right to you, I wouldn't change it.

Edited by SteveV22FE
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Hello, I would like to ask you, if you are going to modify the inner side of the entrance hatch. Model part is rather flat, and from the small pictures I have, I can see there some raised details, I can't really recognize. This coul be a significant detail of the model.

Thank you!

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