Even after almost twenty years back at this hobby, often the simplest tasks seem to frustrate me. As with my last build, when I airbrush, the surface ends up being very rough - almost like sandpaper. I made a list of things to try to get better results, and decided to buy some kits that I knew I could build without much trouble to run some tests. This build was the first such test.

One of the reasons I chose this kit is that I have several aftermarket decals for the Fw 190D-9, so I wouldn't be limited to the options in the kit. As it happened, I used one of the options in the kit, but I painted it a bit differently than I did the first time. This time, I used the kit painting guide, so I did not paint the rudder or the area under the cowling RLM 04. Also, the painting guide showed the complete top of the fuselage in one color (which I suspect is incorrect). At the very least, this allows me to tell the two builds apart when I look at the kits on the shelf.

I primed with Mr. Surfacer 1200. I have had a couple of instances where this has peeled off with masking, but I felt comfortable using it here, since I knew I would be painting freehand. The bottom is my mix for RLM 76, which is equal parts XF-23 and XF-2. The top is AMMO 0003 Reseda Green for the light green and XF-51 Khaki Drab for the dark green. I think the Reseda Green was a bit too light. I recall seeing a build of a Do 335 that used XF-5 instead. I may try that next time, perhaps using XF-61 Dark Green instead of XF-51.

One of the things I wanted to try was to use a siphon feed airbrush. Some of my earliest models had smooth coats of paint, and I recalled that I used a Badger Anthem airbrush back then, and it occurred to me that maybe a siphon feed was more my style than a gravity feed (which is what I usually use). I initially used that here, but did not see a great improvement.

After painting, I wanted to try a different clear coat, so I used Krylon 51301 Gloss Acrylic Crystal Clear. I hadd tried a sample of this and thought the result was good. However, when I tried it on this kit, it left a heavy white residue. I may not have shaken the can sufficiently, as I never did hear the rattling ball that is present in most spray paints. I was very disheartened, and almost tossed the kit right then. After cooling off, I decided to try sanding it with a 1500 grit sanding pad. It was very smooth after that, but discolored. I repainted the top, but this time, I went back to my usual gravity feed airbrush, but used CO₂ as a propellant. The results were much better in terms of smoothness, but the discoloration showed through (and shows on the finished model). The photos don't show the discoloration on the wings, but it is quite clear on the fuselage.

Page last updated February 11, 2025.