avatar_seadude

1/350 scale CVN-90 USS United States Stealth Aircraft Carrier

Started by seadude, May 23, 2023, 06:38:45 AM

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seadude

Well, here is my proposed (but not final) plan for painting the flight deck on my carrier. I know one person here on these forums has previously mentioned the "white first" painting technique. I also asked some people in some groups on Facebook and at least 2 others had said it would be preferable as well.
But............if anybody has any other suggestions and ideas, then please let me know.











Modeling isn't just about how good the gluing or painting, etc. looks. It's also about how creative and imaginative you can be with a subject.
My modeling philosophy is: Don't build what everyone else has done. Build instead what nobody has seen or done before.

Gondor

They order you describe the masking and painting to take place is the way that I would do it. Although I would not paint the complete deck white, but certainly more than is required.

Gondor
My Ability to Imagine is only exceeded by my Imagined Abilities

Gondor's Modelling Rule Number Three: Everything will fit perfectly untill you apply glue...

I know it's in a book I have around here somewhere....

seadude

Quote from: Gondor on June 02, 2025, 05:20:50 AMThey order you describe the masking and painting to take place is the way that I would do it. Although I would not paint the complete deck white, but certainly more than is required.

Gondor

I don't own an airbrush which I know would be preferable as it can spray smaller areas, lines, etc.
But using a spray can is my only option. And the spray coming out of the nozzle is usually large/wide as anybody who's ever spray can painted will know.
Modeling isn't just about how good the gluing or painting, etc. looks. It's also about how creative and imaginative you can be with a subject.
My modeling philosophy is: Don't build what everyone else has done. Build instead what nobody has seen or done before.

PR19_Kit

You could mask up the areas of the deck that you didn't want  over-sprayed.
Kit's Rule 1 ) Any aircraft can be improved by fitting longer wings, and/or a longer fuselage
Kit's Rule 2) The backstory can always be changed to suit the model

...and I'm not a closeted 'Take That' fan, I'm a REAL fan! :)

Regards
Kit

seadude

Quote from: PR19_Kit on June 02, 2025, 06:06:51 AMYou could mask up the areas of the deck that you didn't want  over-sprayed.

Yeah, I could do that option too.
In short, I'm trying to think of or find the quickest and easiest method for painting the full flight deck and doing the white and yellow landing lines with the least amount of masking possible.
Though "quick and easy" doesn't seem to be possible with ANY option I think of or find.
Modeling isn't just about how good the gluing or painting, etc. looks. It's also about how creative and imaginative you can be with a subject.
My modeling philosophy is: Don't build what everyone else has done. Build instead what nobody has seen or done before.

seadude

This isn't going to work.  :banghead:

For the people here (and elsewhere) who suggested painting the flight deck white, that suggestion won't work.
If you take a close look at the second and third pics below, the flight deck parts from the TAMIYA Enterprise kit have "very slightly" raised lines that indicate where the flight deck landing lines are located in order for them to be painted or when laying down decals.
Now if I were to paint my flight deck white, I am never going to be able to see those raised lines in order to do masking and such. My eyesight is pretty bad and trying to see something on a white background is next to impossible.
The model flight deck part shown in the below pics is from a second Enterprise kit I have at home. The part was mistakenly painted black long ago even though it may look grey in the below pictures.
The only way for my to do masking and painting of the flight deck lines is to paint the entire flight deck grey first. Not white. I'll be able to see those raised lines much better on a grey background.
Or better yet, another option: Commission somebody to paint the damn flight deck for me. If only I could find somebody.  :unsure:









Modeling isn't just about how good the gluing or painting, etc. looks. It's also about how creative and imaginative you can be with a subject.
My modeling philosophy is: Don't build what everyone else has done. Build instead what nobody has seen or done before.

Gondor

My Ability to Imagine is only exceeded by my Imagined Abilities

Gondor's Modelling Rule Number Three: Everything will fit perfectly untill you apply glue...

I know it's in a book I have around here somewhere....

seadude

Modeling isn't just about how good the gluing or painting, etc. looks. It's also about how creative and imaginative you can be with a subject.
My modeling philosophy is: Don't build what everyone else has done. Build instead what nobody has seen or done before.

Steel Penguin

with the deck markings
would you be better off just painting grey and then using decal strip / stripes to get the patterns you want?  I know its an extra cost but it may be an answer
the things you learn, give your mind the wings to fly, and the chains to hold yourself steady
take off and nuke the site form orbit, nope, time for the real thing, CAM and gridfire, call special circumstances. 
wow, its like freefalling into the Geofront
Not a member of the Hufflepuff conspiracy!

seadude

Quote from: Steel Penguin on June 05, 2025, 10:10:35 AMwith the deck markings
would you be better off just painting grey and then using decal strip / stripes to get the patterns you want?  I know its an extra cost but it may be an answer

You mean just use the decals that came with the kit and/or buy aftermarket flight deck markings? I've already shown pics of decals I have back about 2-3 thread pages ago.
If I use decals for the flight deck markings, after painting the flight deck grey, then I have to gloss coat the flight deck before laying down the decals. After the decals are down, then I'd have to lay down a matte coat over the entire flight deck.
I've tried gloss and matte coats in the past when building models. I can never get them right and get even coverage on a surface. And some gloss/matte coats work well with paint brands while others won't.
Modeling isn't just about how good the gluing or painting, etc. looks. It's also about how creative and imaginative you can be with a subject.
My modeling philosophy is: Don't build what everyone else has done. Build instead what nobody has seen or done before.

Steel Penguin

Quote from: seadude on June 05, 2025, 11:59:42 AM
Quote from: Steel Penguin on June 05, 2025, 10:10:35 AMwith the deck markings
would you be better off just painting grey and then using decal strip / stripes to get the patterns you want?  I know its an extra cost but it may be an answer

You mean just use the decals that came with the kit and/or buy aftermarket flight deck markings? I've already shown pics of decals I have back about 2-3 thread pages ago.
If I use decals for the flight deck markings, after painting the flight deck grey, then I have to gloss coat the flight deck before laying down the decals. After the decals are down, then I'd have to lay down a matte coat over the entire flight deck.
I've tried gloss and matte coats in the past when building models. I can never get them right and get even coverage on a surface. And some gloss/matte coats work well with paint brands while others won't.

fair enough,  it was just a thought that struck, ( yes it was lonely   ;)  )   and my memory is nearly bad enough i could organise my own surprise party.   
the things you learn, give your mind the wings to fly, and the chains to hold yourself steady
take off and nuke the site form orbit, nope, time for the real thing, CAM and gridfire, call special circumstances. 
wow, its like freefalling into the Geofront
Not a member of the Hufflepuff conspiracy!

kerick

Sometimes I still use the old Testors products because they work together and I know how the stuff reacts to each other. Other products can be a real guessing game.
The Testors enamels are still available at hobby lobby and the primary colors all come in gloss. I'm sure you know all that. The one trick would be finding a spray can of enamel that is an acceptable shade of gloss grey. Krylon or Rustoleum might work. It's what I would try. Do you have some bare plastic you could test things out on? You could hit it with some light coats of Dullcoat after the decals are on.
" Somewhere, between half true, and completely crazy, is a rainbow of nice colours "
Tophe the Wise

seadude

Quote from: kerick on June 05, 2025, 09:17:04 PMSometimes I still use the old Testors products because they work together and I know how the stuff reacts to each other. Other products can be a real guessing game.
The Testors enamels are still available at hobby lobby and the primary colors all come in gloss. I'm sure you know all that. The one trick would be finding a spray can of enamel that is an acceptable shade of gloss grey. Krylon or Rustoleum might work. It's what I would try. Do you have some bare plastic you could test things out on? You could hit it with some light coats of Dullcoat after the decals are on.

If you look several pages back in this thread, I mentioned I planned to use Vallejo spray can # 28002 Panzer Grey paint for the flight deck.

Anyway, painting the flight deck is tenatively scheduled for next week Tuesday. Keep your fingers crossed, folks. ;)
Modeling isn't just about how good the gluing or painting, etc. looks. It's also about how creative and imaginative you can be with a subject.
My modeling philosophy is: Don't build what everyone else has done. Build instead what nobody has seen or done before.

seadude

Two of the movable aircraft elevators are done for my model. In the last two pics below, you can see how underway replenishment of palletised cargo is handled for a carrier. Though not all palletised cargo comes through the starboard side aircraft elevators. Sometimes, it is airlifted by helicopters from underway replenishment ships and dropped (not literally) onto the flight deck. There are what are called kingposts on the hangar ceiling inside one or all starboard side aircraft elevator openings that are used for palletised cargo transfer. I did not place any kingposts on the starboard side aircraft elevator openings on my model as I wanted at least one elevator to be displayed as it was lifting aircraft to the flight deck. But I'll explain and show more about that later.










Modeling isn't just about how good the gluing or painting, etc. looks. It's also about how creative and imaginative you can be with a subject.
My modeling philosophy is: Don't build what everyone else has done. Build instead what nobody has seen or done before.

seadude

Next on the To Do list.............

Next thing I'll be working on this weekend is adding all the decals to the aircraft. It's not going to be much. As I've said in previous posts, I'm not planning to put a bunch of squadron markings, numbers, etc. on the aircraft. It's just too time consuming, the decals are too small for my eyesight, and since my carrier is a future ship 20-30+ years from now, it's hard to say what squadrons would still be active or discontinued from service. So the only major decals that will be put on will be the U.S. roundel on the wings and/or sides of all the aircraft. I suppose that will probably make the aircraft look "cheap, plain, and boring", but that's what I'm going to have for my carrier. And buying sheet after sheet of aftermarket decal squadron markings really adds up. That's money I don't have right now. F-35's and X-47's will most likely get the low visibility grey roundels since those aircraft are stealth planes. Most other aircraft will get the usual red, white, & blue colored U.S. roundels.
Modeling isn't just about how good the gluing or painting, etc. looks. It's also about how creative and imaginative you can be with a subject.
My modeling philosophy is: Don't build what everyone else has done. Build instead what nobody has seen or done before.