# Good WW2 plane kit



## compucrap (Dec 16, 2000)

A week ago I purcashed a tamiya 1/72 P-51D Mustang. I really liked the bare metal finish on it. I also like 1/72 scale, and want to get another plane kit in this scale. But, I have some allcad aluminum paint coming, and I want the next kit to have a shiny metal finish so I can use it. So whats a good WW2 era aircraft that has the type of finish on it? 

Josh

P.S. I'll try and post pics of the finish P-51D later.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

P-47 and/or P-38.

All our fighters and bombers were bare metal in the last year or two of the war, once we gained air supremacy.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

John P said:


> P-47 and/or P-38.
> 
> All our fighters and bombers were bare metal in the last year or two of the war, once we gained air supremacy.


I saw in interview on a history program once where a fighter pilot veteran who was stationed in England stated that the planes were bare metal in the winter and painted olive green camo colors during the summer.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

PerfesserCoffee said:


> I saw in interview on a history program once where a fighter pilot veteran who was stationed in England stated that the planes were bare metal in the winter and painted olive green camo colors during the summer.


 Nope. Don't know where he got that idea. There was a certain cutoff date that I can never recall where we simpley decided there was no point in painting them. We had air supremacy over England, so there was no need to try to hide them on the ground, and we were on the offensive over Europe and in the Pacific, so there was no point in hiding in the air. I don't think all the factories stopped painting them at the same time, though. And the 56th fighter group in England was notable for ignoring the rule and painting their P-47s with lots of odd camo patterns.

The weight saving allowed slightly higher airspeeds and a tad more range. I think the weight savings on an unpainted B-29 was measured in several hundred pounds!


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

^^Makes sense to me.


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## desertrat90 (Feb 7, 2005)

I have a good plane for you to get. I recall (correct me If I am wrong)The P38 lightning being a bare metal plane toward the end of the war. The americans made their planes bare metal towards the end of the war after gaining air supremacy, with britain, over UK. However, the brits kept their planes painted. I'm not correcting any mistakes because no one has said the brits made em bare metal, just thought I'd say cuz I'm a brit. Also I recall the late B17s being metallic (bare metal) even tho u sed u r only into fighters that would look pretty cool with your mustang as the mustangs escorted them.

Do any mustangs come with those disposable fuel tanks that they used to get to germany?


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

desertrat90 said:


> Do any mustangs come with those disposable fuel tanks that they used to get to germany?


 I'd wager all of them do.


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## Superbird (Apr 12, 2002)

For bombers, the B-29,B-17 or the B-25 were known to fly with bare metal skin. Also, I think the P-47 thunderbolt looked good unpainted since it is a large fighter aircraft.


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## Brent Gair (Jun 26, 1999)

Just posted two pics of my P-47N in natural metal. First pic is here...hit "next" for the other picture:

http://groups.msn.com/Margaret6547/miscellaneous.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=93

This is the 1/48 Academy kit.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Beauty!
Good choice of fighter group too .


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Bare metal foil works nice too:
http://www.inpayne.com/models/icky1.html


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Looks great in foil. The P-51 looks pretty sharp as well when done in the foil. :thumbsup: rr


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## ArizonaBB39 (Dec 4, 2004)

The P-38, P-51, P-47, B-17, B-24, B-25, B-26 and B-29 were all left unpainted. All naval based aircraft remained painted because they were painted not only to hide in the air, but to keep enemies from spotting the Aircraft Carrier they launced from while they were on deck. By the end of the war all carrier based aircraft were painted a solid camouflage color, instead of 2 or 3 color schemes.


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## KUROK (Feb 2, 2004)

John P said:


> Bare metal foil works nice too:
> http://www.inpayne.com/models/icky1.html


Beautiful foil job on that model! Looks like you might have used steel wool to give the panels a bit of grain?


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## ClearHooter (Nov 28, 2004)

Bomber crews were not happy at all about the loss of OD cammo on the top surface. Some in the 15th refused to fly 'em I'm told by some members. Of course that refusal didn't last. Fighter pilots thought they looked goood natural. Bud Anderson tells of a story about his plane being OD. He made the comment to his ground crew after seeing one flying he wanted his natural. The next morning when he came to the flight line he wanted to know where his plane was. The crew chief pointed over to a natural finished fighter sitting on the flight line. He said he almost cried. The ground crew had stayed up all night stripping the bird. He said "That was the kind of dedication the ground crews had to their plane and pilot."


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

^On the other hand, my Dad once asked his crew chief to put a coat of wax on his P-47 so it would go faster. The chief gave him a nasty look 'cause he was too damn busy, and the next time Dad had to fly inverted he got a facefull of piss from his now-plugged-up relief tube. :lol:


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## desertrat90 (Feb 7, 2005)

Nice. You know that foil tequnique, how is it done?


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

desertrat90 said:


> Nice. You know that foil tequnique, how is it done?


 Stick it on, rub it down, burnish it down with something soft like a Q-tip.
You get the differential texture by masking off individual panels and rubbing with very fine steel wool in one direction, then another direction on another panel. Leave some panels without the steel wool effect, polish others, etc.


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## desertrat90 (Feb 7, 2005)

We're talking tin foil here, right? Oh and what's a q-tip?


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

desertrat90 said:


> We're talking tin foil here, right? Oh and what's a q-tip?


 Well, technically it's tin foil, but Bare Metal Foils is specifically made for the job, extra thin, and adhesive-backed.

Q-Tip: Cotton swab on a stick that you clean your ears out with.

You could probably also use a cotton ball or plastic burnishing tool.


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## desertrat90 (Feb 7, 2005)

OK lol. Are you american? Because I live in England and I've never heard of a cotton bud make called Q-tip. 
Where can I get my eager hands on this foil?


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Must be an American brand, then, I've never heard it called anything else!

For Bare Metal Foil, try
www.squadron.com
or
www.micromark.com


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## desertrat90 (Feb 7, 2005)

What revell or humbrol paints give this Metallic bare metal effect? Also, can u do it to any model? So if i Got a mustang today and painted it the special paint, it would look good?


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