USS United States carrier in US flag dazzle camouflage.

[seadude]

Boy, have I come up with a wacky camouflage scheme! And for a carrier no less! 
I had the crazy idea for a future model project to take my TAMIYA 1/350 scale USS Enterprise aircraft carrier, heavily modify it to a 21st century future carrier, but name it the USS United States after the failed CVA-58 carrier of the same name. Then paint it in a red, white, and blue US flag dazzle camouflage scheme similar to what's shown in either of the pics below.
But........I'm not familiar with dazzle camouflage schemes. Never attempted painting them before.
Do I paint the white stripes first, then the red and blue? And I don't have an airbrush either and can't use one for various reasons which would take too long to explain.
Which do you think would be easier to do or look nicer: Straight red and white stripes, or curvy red and white stripes?
The stars on the blue field would most likely be decals if I can find some. But then, once I apply them, I'd have to make sure they are all evenly spaced apart just like on a real American flag. How would I go about doing that?

[scooter]

Do I paint the white stripes first, then the red and blue? And I don't have an airbrush either and can't use one for various reasons which would take too long to explain.

Gotta love the wacky schemes in WoWS.

My suggestion - start with a nice, neutral primer, then white, then red and blue. 

[kerick]

First, I think this idea is awesome!
Second, I would paint the white first over the entire model then paint the red and blue. Primary colors paint on and look so much better over white.
Third, the stars size wouldn't matter very much because you are not showing the entire blue field and fifty stars. Spacing can be done with a compass.
Personally, I would go with straight stripes as I've seen many pictures of dazzle camo using the straight line pattern like your first pic. Don't forget the fake bow wake!

[Old Wombat]

Considering I'm playing WoWS at the moment, due to a temporary case of "Builder's Block", I would suggest going with the WoWS scheme.

If you can, spray the whole ship with a good white primer (Tamiya is good but there are other, generic/non-modelling, brands that are at least as good), then do the red stripes, followed by the blue.

For the stars, if you can get the stickers that they used to use in schools when (if) you did good, they should do the trick as masks (just paint over, then remove them). If they're a little too large, then it's easy enough to trim them to size before you stick them on, as they're already the correct proportions.

[NARSES2]

Got to agree with the rest of the lads : white primer from a spray can, then red, then blue with straight demarcations  You could always use red and blue automotive spray paints ? Given the size of the Enterprise that's probably what I'd do as I don't use an airbrush either.

As for the white stars ? As they are on the blue background how about getting some WWII period USN/USAAF/USMC national markings which were simply the white star in a blue circle ? Save a lot of masking hassle ?

[Dizzyfugu]

There are aftermarket decal sheets out there with small generic white stars, e. g. from TL Modellbau (https://tl-modellbau.de/WK-II-USA-Sterne-187). I used them successfully on a somewhat similar project a while ago:


1:72 Cornell/Jackson Special "American Spirit" (Bu. No. N5032Q/#12) Air Speed Record/Reno Unlimited Class Racer, 1998 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[Joe C-P]

Are you planning to modernize or what-if the build as well?  Add or modify some features?  Enterprise is a unique design, of course.

I do want to see this.
You might mix straight and curved lines, as dazzle camouflage were sometimes the one, sometimes the other, sometimes both.

JoeCP

[seadude]

As far as red and white lines go, I'm just not sure yet whether to have straight or curvy stripes. Haven't decided yet. TAMIYA makes a white masking tape for doing curves, so I might try using that if I do curvy stripes. As for the width of the stripes, I'm not sure on that either?
I have found white star decals. Mostly WWII era like the stars you see on American jeeps, trucks, and tanks. Just the star only. Not in a circle.
I'm most likely going to heavily (And I do mean HEAVILY.) modernize my carrier and make it into a future stealthy early or mid 21st century aircraft carrier.

[Old Wombat]

Radar stealthy, as opposed to visual stealthy, obviously!

Personally, I think the straight lines look better, but that is a very personal thing.

[sandiego89]

Concur with a good primer (white or gray) and then a white rattle can.  If you do dark first the white may not cover it. White is a tough color, and this will have lots of it.   

Frankly, this is going to be a monster job, and if you don't airbrush rattle can is your next best bet.  Will require lots of masking and could be done, but best to have many days between colors so you don't get paint pull off with the tape removal.  I can't imagine brush painting something that size.  Yes, some folks have the skill for it, I surely don't. 

I finally suggest a sacrificial model to test your technique before you even attempt the build to see if you really want to take it on.  That is a pricy model, and I fear such an intricate paint job might look great in the renderings, but could be quite tough to pull off.  Not trying to be a downer, just realistic.  I have tried a few dazzle ships that looked great in my head, but looked gaudy and terrible in the end, but again that is likely due to my limited skills.       

[Rheged]

Slightly off-topic, but Union Jack dazzle painting might be interesting.

[seadude]

Yeah, I get what everybody is saying, especially from sandiego89. This will be a monster build that will take time to do it right.
As for the "look" of the ship itself without the painting, like I said, I am going to heavily modernize it into a early to mid 21st century stealthy carrier. A brand new futuristic USS United States CVN-90. Stealthy by means of angled island structure, new flight deck catwalks, and so much more. My model will NOT be a trimaran carrier as seen in the below pics. These are pics I found that are simply giving me ideas as to how I may modify the island superstructure plus other odds and ends.

[Captain Canada]

This will be crazy cool ! Good luck !

[PR19_Kit]

With deck-edge lifts that rotate lengthwise into their stealthy positions, like the carrier in the middle pic, how long will it take before someone presses the wrong button and slings an F-18 into the hanger ballistically? 

[Rheged]

With deck-edge lifts that rotate lengthwise into their stealthy positions, like the carrier in the middle pic, how long will it take before someone presses the wrong button and slings an F-18 into the hanger ballistically? 

Agreed.  Murphy is alive and well and living in all sorts of mechanical/hydraulic/electronic devices.  I'd be interested to see form A25 after the event     http://bypoetlines.blogspot.com/2013/12/cyril-tawney-naval-ditties-a25-song.html