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Greg Kittinger
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Airfix Pe-2, 1/72 Winter scheme

December 25, 2019 · in Aviation · · 13 · 2.7K

Well - up early, stockings are stuffed and waiting for the kids to wake up and wife to return from her early morning walk, so thought I'd go ahead and post my last finish of the year (just finished the rigging yesterday)...and Merry Christmas to everyone.

I started this kit over a year ago, like the PBJ, but then got hung up waiting to get my airbrush booth set up. I had purchased a set of Akan paints as a test, because I also purchased an Aegean Ghost Akan set for a Greek F-4, and wanted to see how the Akan paints worked out on a "less critical" build.

This is an old boxing of the - probably the original, as the airbrakes were solid. I had to drill, saw and file them open. I realized with all the glass beneath the nose that it would look blank without some interior detail, so I scratchbuilt the two nose guns and the rails and pedals for the pilot. Added some other interior details, though they're hard to see once it was all closed up and painted.

I used the Akan set for the three top colors, and Tamiya for the bottom (I didn't think any of the colors in the Akan set looked right for the bottom). I also don't think the gray was right, and should have darkened it substantially, but since I was intending to experiment with white winter distemper finish I didn't fret. Loved the way the Akan went down, and am now excited to get the Aegean Ghost F-4 under way soon (after I finish the Turk and the EJ Kai).

This was my second time using the "panzer putty" for masking. First time was on the PBJ, and learned a few lessons with it - it has a mind/life of it's own! My third attempt (on the F-2B - coming soon...!) went even better. Moving into airbrushing is teaching me quite a few new skills and techniques.

I used the technique to get the winter finish, as I wanted to depict it fairly well-worn and dirty. Couple of coats of hairspray (using Mike Rinaldi technique), and then Tamiya white diluted 50/50 with distilled water. Then work off with a somewhat stiff brush. It was fun working with the winter coat, and I think I'm going to move up a Fujimi Stuka I have that I also plan to cover in winter white! So many models, so little time...

I'm learning a bunch of new techniques for masking canopies. The windscreen on the Pe-2 was nice straight corners, so just used Scotch tape. But the canopy had rounded corners, so I applied Tamiya tape to thin styrene sheet, then used a punch and die set to punch out dots with the correct radius for the corners (couple of different sized needed). Once the corners were masked, I could fill in with tape fo finish off.

I used pastels to weather the finish before the white top coat (though of course most of that disappeared), then used pastels again to finish weathering (dirtying up, exhaust, etc.), and some pencils for scratches.

Reader reactions:
12  Awesome

30 additional images. Click to enlarge.


13 responses

  1. Looks great to me, well done ?

  2. One of your better ones
    looks real nice, Greg.

  3. I can see that you are becoming good friends with your new air brush setup... This one looks fantastic Greg. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

  4. The hairspray worked like a charm, the white coat worn off in a very realistic way, well done Greg! I guess that Stuka will be a good one also...

  5. Very nice 'winterizing'. Hairspray worked well. Airfix should love you for making that kit look absolutely its best.

  6. Definitely one of your best yet. Well done Greg!

  7. Well done , Gregg. Merry Christmas!

  8. Fantastic work Greg! You nailed the finish on this!

  9. Excellent work on winter scheme Greg
    Well done

  10. Nicely detailed Greg, merry Christmas !

  11. Excellent work as always! great job on knocking out some those shelf queens, love the winter camo.

  12. G'day Greg,
    Lovely job. I'm impressed with the wear on the white paint - I've never tried the hairspray technique and looking at what you achieved I'll have to try it one day.

    I remember building this kit as a teenager around 40 years ago. Looking at scalemates.com I think I had the 1979 boxing.
    Back then I built them with minimal painting of the interior, wheels up, a quick brush paint and decals and then hung from my bedroom ceiling (along with around 150 other aircraft).

    I loved the kit and fell in love with the aircraft - along with the Mosquito this has to be the sleekest looking bomber of the war. So, when the Zvezda 1/48 kit came out I quickly bought one, but haven't had the courage to start it yet.

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