Phoenix Spitfire

[co-pilot (no longer)]

Hi all,

 

I am buying a second hand phoenix models spitfire.The covering is very shiny and not very spitfire-ish.

 

My question is if i decide to recover the plane,what covering do i use to create that matt finish "proper" warbird look?

 

Thanks

Ben

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

A cheap and cheerful solution...You can buy some stuff called "Matting Spray" - you get it from Arts and Crafts shops. Trouble is its Acryllic so not fuel proof. No problem if its an electric powered model though! Much less work than recovering.

 

Alternatively, if its glow powered, you could use a matt polyurethene varnish - which to save weight you'd have to spray it really. Don't know if it comes in spray cans - otherwise you'll need a spray gun - or a mate with one!

 

You can buy matt covering films - or something like Solartex - but you'd have to paint it then as well.  It quite a lot of work.

 

BEB

[co-pilot (no longer)]

I only really fancy doing it as a project because when winter comes i am going to buy a brian taylor plan from traplet of either a corsair or mustang so i will have to cover that as well.Dont want to mess that up so it would be good to practice warbird covering on the cheaper phoenix spitfire.

 

Is there anyway i can dull down the shiny covering i have?

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

As I say, to dull down what you have, use either the Matting spray or matt polurethane varnish - applied thin!

 

BEB

 

PS Just thought - you could gently rub it down with a bit of wire wool!

Edited By Biggles' Elder Brother on 20/09/2010 14:44:57

[Shaun K]

You could try giving it a rub down with a kitchen scrubbing pad (not the steel wool variety).

 

I've done this to key a film surface for painting. It's not an entirely matt finish, but  it's enough to dull the surface without scratching it. Takes a long time in areas of open framework where you can't put much pressure on it though...

 

 

Shaun.

[Phil 9]

if you have not built any scale before then recover the spitfire and paint it it will be alot of work but the lessions learned will help with the new build. cover in solartex and paint or do as TN does and use silver solarfilm and paint over that.

[Phil 9]

or shauns idea looks good

[Ed Darter]

Leave the covering on, then Prymol the entire surface, then buy some warbirds matt laquer. This option gives you the opportunity to weather it up a bit with Tamiya / Revel plastic model acrylics before you spray / brush the laquer on.

[Terence Lynock]

For spraying you can buy an airbrush for a tenner on eBay and use a spare car wheel as an air supply, just inflate it to 40 psi max and fit a Shrader fitting to the end of the brush pipe.

Not exactly 'clean air' but good enough to do the job, thin the matt varnish with pure Terpentine not terps substitute which is more oiley, pure Terpentine evaporates much quicker too.

[winchweight]

Spectra matt clear works. Fuelproof too.