Intake painting

[Dave Williams]

Looking for tips on painting the intakes of the Hasegawa 1/32 Skyhawk.  As you may know, the kit intakes are one piece with the splitter plate/inboard wall molded with the intake, and the normal paint scheme has a red lip that extends a little into the intake, as well as going down the splitter.  I’m aware of the “pouring paint down the intake” method, but not sure how well it would work.  I assume the red lip area would be painted first, and then the paint poured down the intake to the correct height.  My concerns are:

 

• precisely controlling the pour, so that I don’t get paint on the lip or splitter plate as I’m pouring
• the white paint not covering the red overspray deeper down the intake from where the color demarcation is
• and finally, there being a noticeable edge between the sprayed on red paint and the thicker poured in white paint.

 

I’ve thought about cutting the intake into two parts, but that would have to be a fairly precise cut.  Any ideas welcomed.  TIA.

[Starfighter]

Paint intake white with your airbrush, let dry, then dip the the intake lip into the appropriate colour. 

 

 

 

[jenshb]

Make the demarcation line inside and out with red decal film and let dry.  Then paint the rest of the lip red, overlapping the decal, but not going beyond the edge to the white.  If there is a step, micromesh to level the paint and  touch up if necessary.