I picked up this kit at a local swap meet that occurs three times a year. I think I purchased this in July, which means this kit probably went from purchase to completion more quickly than any of my previous builds.

I've been meaning to try out some things, like different primers and different clear coats. Since there is a good chance - by "good", I mean even more than my usual chance - that the build will end up FUBAR, I wanted to use relatively cheap kits that I could replace easily. This kit fit the build. I have several aftermarket decals for Doras, but I actually ended up using the kit decals.

The kit went together well, as the Tamiya 1/48 kits tend to. As I mentioned, I wanted to use a different primer, so I primed with Dupli-Color White primer, which is any automotive primer. It worked well. I used the Dupli-Color Gray primer on the propellor and spinner, and it worked well also. I have found that automotive primers work better than DIY primers. The exterior was painted with Tamiya paints. The RLM 76 on the bottom is my mix of XF-23:1 and XF-2:1, the RLM 75 on the top is XF-54 and the RLM 82 is XF-61.

I also wanted to use a different clear coat, so I gloss coated with Krylon ColorMaster 51301 Gloss Acrylic Crystal Clear. I used this both before and after decals. It goes on a bit thicker than airbrushed Quick Shine, and thus takes a little longer to dry, but the gloss was perfect. Since I was using decals from a Japanese kit, I used Mr. Mark Setter for the decals. It worked well, but left some white flakes on the upper wings, particularly the port side. I was even able to apply the spiral on the spinner, which I often have trouble with. I will also admit that spray painting is a bit less of a hassle than airbrushing.

Just as with the Veltro, I created my own SVG file for the canopy mask, and then use my Silhouette Portrait vinyl cutter to actually make the mask. It turned out OK, although I may try to improve it for my next 190. The SVG file included the three parts of the windscreen, and the lower front and back of the main canopy. I masked the top of the canopy by hand. The final SVG file I used can be found here.

Page last updated August 23, 2024.