Lockheed SR-71 any ideas for best scale colour for 1/72

[Ballsnchunk]

Hi guys
My current project is a Lockheed SR-71A in 1/72 and I've been trawling the web for how to best achieve the correct colour for her taking into account scale effect, I mainly use Tamiya acrylics and was thinkin Nato black with just a hint of dark blue to give it the blue-ish hue but any suggections would be greatly appreciated also while i'm here does anyone know of a company that does AFTER MARKET DECALS for this aircraft, I'd like to get hold of the low Vis red markings. The decals supplied are out of register and frankly disappointing (Academy kit!) I'm in the UK but most places will ship worldwide these days.

Thanks for taking time to read this

Mark

 

[RocketSilo]

Mark is there anyway you can scan the sheet and send it to me (to size)?
I have some sr-71 files but I need something to size them to 1/72.
If so I may be able to help.

my email is in my signature

Andy

 

[Grendels]

When I did my SR-71 in January, I painted it up with Tamiya flat black. Then I clear coated it with future with an overdose of Tamiya flat base.

Here is the build thread:

http://www.scalemodeladdict.com/forum/index.php/topic,1664.0.html

The paint job came out great, but no decals, I couldn't find them for that scale.

 

[RocketSilo]

here's my flying version .. I painted it gloss black ,, applied the decals than dullcote.

 

[sunsanvil]

how to best achieve the correct colour for her taking into account scale effect, I mainly use Tamiya acrylics and was thinkin Nato black with just a hint of dark blue to give it the blue-ish hue

If you are talking about how to paint black so that it doesn't look..."black", I think you are on the right track with NATO black (or other suitable very dark grey-black shade). If it were me I would base coat it pure black and then shade by spraying the panels with a mix of black and grey-black (how much depends on how dark your grey-black is), staying off of the panel lines. You'll be surprised at how hard it is to see what you are doing so you almost have to work at an angle to the light so you can see the wetness of the paint as you do the shading. Once dry evaluate the results and repeat with less black in the mix or even pure grey-black (if its not too grey), concentrating only on the middle of the panels to further pronounce the shading.

 

[f2k]

Might just be me, but I've always thought that the Blackbird was a sort of dusty black - looking rather like carbon fibre, actually.

So a matt black with a very very light coat of dark grey on the panels might do it.

 

[Quaralane]

The real thing is actually more of a really dark grey, based on the one we have here at the Hill Air Force Base Museum

Might use something like the Vallejo "rubber" that Ken uses in the current SMA video, along with a bit of metallic black to give it some sheen

 

[RocketSilo]

they start out black but are heavily heated and discolored by the friction of it's insane speed.
30 minutes after one flight, supposedly the mechanics cooked an egg on the windshield.

I would imagine the same heat tinting techniques that you see on raw metal aircraft exhaust areas, except over a dark base.

 

[f2k]

they start out black but are heavily heated and discolored by the friction of it's insane speed.
30 minutes after one flight, supposedly the mechanics cooked an egg on the windshield.

I would imagine the same heat tinting techniques that you see on raw metal aircraft exhaust areas, except over a dark base.

"Heat tinting techniques"?

 

[RocketSilo]

not sure what it's called exactly ,,, but like on the rear of this aircraft

 

[f2k]

not sure what it's called exactly ,,, but like on the rear of this aircraft

So it’s pretty much just a thin wash of reddish-brown on the area where the engine would heat the metal?

Interesting. Haven’t seen that technique used before...

 

[Ballsnchunk]

Hi Guys

Thanks for all your ideas, especially like the heat treated idea. I pretty much got her painted now. I went with grey primer to help emphasise the pre shade where I used Flat black I then went on to infill with Tamiyas Nato black, then a mix of dark blue and Nato black then a thin filter mix of black, she's got a real dusty looking black finish just what I wanted and really subtle depth courtesy of the pre shade which will darken further when I give a few coats of Klear. very happy at this point tho!

Oh and I have found some decals for her.... check out WolfPak decals, they do a 1/72 sheet called Recce birds (sheet number 72032) about £12 over here in the UK but around $13 i think stateside) its a sheet for a host of different reconnaissance aircraft, including the SR-71, U-2 and others I can't remember .

Once again thanks for all your help

 

[RocketSilo]

.....pics?

 

[Ballsnchunk]

No Problem, once my decals arrive and she's all done i'll pop some on :-[