The Walrus has landed!

[null_null981707818191]

I've now finished the Airfix 1/72 scale Supermarine Walrus. As intended all along, I've built it as a land-based Air Sea Rescue aircraft of 276 Squadron that would have been based at RAF Warmwell - hence the chosen colour scheme and markings.

You can see from the picture that all the practice that I had rigging my WW1 project aircraft came in useful! For the record, paint was brush applied Vallejo Air Model Sky Type S for the hull and underwings, with 406 Light Slate Grey and 405 Dark Sea Grey for the rest of the fuselage and upper wing surfaces.

Rigging was AK Thin (AK9137) applied using Roket Hot super-thin assisted by Roket Blaster. You'll notice I've even done the wing-float stays, and of course all the engine rigging.

Talking of the engine, that was one of my favourite parts of the build!

I added microscopic leads to the back of the cylinders using tiny bits of stretched-sprue. I also added the conical gearbox (?) to the front of the Pegasus engine. Main paint used was Vallejo Black Metallic (71-073) with bits of detailing using aluminium, gun-metal and copper from the same 'stable'.

One more picture to show the rigging in more detail, and then a final picture of an aircraft that I'd wanted to build for a long time to add to my RAF Warmwell collection:

I hope you like what I've done, and that you enjoyed reading the progress reports (posted earlier and separately). And I'll be putting up a second post shortly dealing with the other (non-Airfix!) Supermariners...

[paul71]

this has come out well, the rigging is excellent once again

[DoubleD]

Excellent Work thumbsup

[Dominic Thomas]

Loved it. Well done.

I was interested to learn that you used Light Slate Grey and how well it turned out. I always thought the temperate sea scheme (?) used Dark Slate Grey.

It’s good to learn something every day.

[null_null981707818191]

Morning Dominic. Thanks for the favourable reception. I used the paints from the Vallejo FAA set, which might account for the choice of colours - I went down the Light Slate Grey route because I wanted it to be a little bit faded - although I rather think you are absolutely correct in your thoughts about the Temperate Sea Scheme. But whilst it might not be theoretically accurate, I think it does what I wanted.

[Dominic Thomas]

That’s a good call about the fade effect.

That’s the second thing I’ve learn on this forum this morning. Thank you.

[SD45elect2000]

I agree with fading effects. Nicely done on the Walrus. I often use pre shading with dark and light colors to lighten colors and give some shape and texture to the paint. I will also add that a plain flat black should not be used as a finish coat. Black is a tough color to do as just the atmosphere between us and the subject tends to fade black, I like preshading black with light brown colors.

Also it doesn’t take long for UV light to fade colors especially up where the air is thinner.

in the past I’ve painted model rr locomotives with the same paint we used on the actual locomotive and it didn’t look right.

Randall

[null_null981707818191]

Hi Randall - thanks for your kind words. Praise indeed coming from your mastery of paintwork and modelling in general. I remember reading somewhere about the effects of scale on perception of colour. I didn't really understand all the scientific stuff about optics and incident reflectivity, but what I think it amounted to was that smaller scale requires slightly more muted colours. Because I paint with brushes, pre-shading wouldn't work quite so effectively, but the main thing is that - as another member of this forum frequently reminds us - this is a hobby and that we do it for fun. If it looks good - that's a bonus; if other folk appreciate it, then that's brilliant!