Author Topic: A White SPAD (now with SPAD caddy) (Read 5560 times)

Wirelizard · « **on:** February 17, 2012, 10:50:16 AM »

Having discovered the cheap 1/48 Testors Classics kits before Christmas, the obvious thing to do was to add airpower to my Russian Civil War games. The Testors Classics lineup had a Nieuport 17 (which the Russians had pre-Revolution, and which appeared on both sides in the RCW) and a SPAD 13 (which the Russians never got, but which is quite similar in appearance to the SPAD 7, which the Russian Imperial Air Service did have!).

I really should be painting White Russian infantry - there's 40-odd of the buggers taking up space on my painting table - but I decided to assemble the SPAD instead, in White Russian colours.

The Testors Classics kits are incredibly basic - the SPAD is 26 pieces, almost half of which are wing struts! The Nieuport 17 is only 22 pieces. Here's the SPAD laid out on my painting bench, with that crowd of White Russian figures around it.

After rummaging around various websites in search of inspiration, I decided on a green-and-tan colour scheme, with Russian roundels and a tricolour flash on the forward part of the vertical stab. The rudder will probably get a freehand death's head/skull, just because, or some other squadron insignia and I'll (semi) freehand Russian roundels on the top of the upper wing and bottom of the lower wing. I say "semi-freehand" because this kit actually has roundels molded right into the model itself, so I can just follow those molded circles for most of the roundel and only have to actually fully freehand one of the divisions between colours.

For those who want the paints used, they're all Reaper Master Series; the green is Swamp Green, about three or four coats quite thinned down and applied with a wet brush; the tan/brown is Tanned Leather, again thinned and in two or three coats, with a wash of GW Gryphonne Sepia over that. The undersides of the wing (which you can't see in the photo) are Polished Bone with a drop of Khaki Shadow in the mix, again thinned, then highlighted with straight Polished Bone. The white is Leather White highlighted with Pure White; the blue Navy Blue highlighted Heather Blue; the red is Clotted Red highlighted Carnage Red.

The whole scheme is best described as "plausible" rather than authentic, in that everything I've included was apparently on a real Imperial or White aircraft at some point, but probably not all of them on the same one! (never mind the fact that SPAD 13s never made it to Russia in the first place...)

I'm going to mount a small wood screw in the bottom of the plane, just behind the wheels, which will allow it to use an alligator clip or rare earth magnet to attach to a flying stand.

Ignatieff · « **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2012, 11:31:04 AM »

Looking good!!!!

Remington · « **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2012, 11:40:22 AM »

Yeah, nice start!

Looking forward to more progress reports!

Wirelizard · « **Reply #3 on:** February 17, 2012, 12:28:45 PM »

Thanks, folks. I've stayed up far too late (thankfully I work afternoon/evening shifts right now!) and done some more work on the SPAD.

The semi-freehand roundels on the wings are coming along nicely. The red and blue both need one more coat of paint and maybe a highlight coat, and the white needs a bit of a highlight with Pure White over the existing Leather White coats. I've also gotten both the tops and bottoms of both wings into satisfactory shape, and done some preliminary weathering around the cowl and machine guns. I'll probably use some powdered charcoal for gunsmoke stains around the guns, it looks more authentic than washes for that sort of weathering.

Next up I'm going to carefully drill out a mounting hole for the small wood screw in the underside of the plane, mount that, then paint the freehand squadron insignia on the rudder. After that it's pretty much just assembly, and the thing is done.

Instead of the kit prop, I've cut out a prop disc of clear plastic - nice thick stuff from a blister pack - and sanded it to look somewhat like a spinning prop. The craft circle cutter I picked up on sale over Christmas comes in handy once again!

Wirelizard · « **Reply #4 on:** February 18, 2012, 08:05:30 AM »

So, inspired by this image ganked from Wings Palette, of a pre-Revolution SPAD 7:

I sat down with a tiny brush this evening:

I've also weathered the fuselage, lots of gunsmoke, oil stains and general grime around the front end where the engine and guns mess things up.

The other side of the rudder has a skull too, but this one is the better looking of the pair!

OSHIROmodels · « **Reply #5 on:** February 18, 2012, 08:23:47 AM »

Looks good

Any chance of an engine area close up?

cheers

James

Remington · « **Reply #6 on:** February 18, 2012, 08:31:36 AM »

Looks really good!

I like where this going more and more. And I really like the look of the SPAD.

Wirelizard · « **Reply #7 on:** February 18, 2012, 08:53:50 AM »

Quote from: jimbibbly on February 18, 2012, 08:23:47 AM

Any chance of an engine area close up?

SPADs don't have much of an engine area, there's a radiator grill right behind the prop then presumably the engine behind that. I will get a front-end photo this weekend, though.

Quote from: Remington on February 18, 2012, 08:31:36 AM

Looks really good! I like where this going more and more. And I really like the look of the SPAD.

Thank you, I'm pleased with how it's shaping up too, the paintjob has pretty much worked flawlessly so far, and even the freehand has been less of a pain in the arse than I was fearing!

Didn't bother taking a photo of it, but I've also put a wood screw up into the belly of the SPAD, right behind where the landing gear will be, as an attachment point for a flying stand. I need to figure out where I can get rare earth magnets locally - Lee Valley Tools might stock them, apparently. I drilled a pilot hole with a very small pin vise, then the screw went in nicely. I picked a spot with two layers of plastic - the lower wing and the body - for it to grab, and it seems solid.

Blackwolf · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2012, 09:04:57 AM »

Cracking job

carlos marighela · « **Reply #9 on:** February 18, 2012, 10:08:51 AM »

Looking good and that's a most appealing scheme you've come up with.

Marine0846 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 20, 2012, 05:09:52 PM »

Love what you have done so far.
The tail painted skull is outlanding.
Look forward to seeing it done.

dampfpanzerwagon · « **Reply #11 on:** February 20, 2012, 05:29:23 PM »

A very good free-hand paint design and execution.

Tony
http://dampfpanzerwagon.blogspot.com/

aggro84 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 21, 2012, 05:13:41 AM »

Very nice Wirelizard.

Great colors and a crisp paint job.

Wirelizard · « **Reply #13 on:** February 21, 2012, 10:28:48 AM »

I had allowed myself to forget, in the years and years since I last built a biplane model kit, what a [redacted] pain in the [redacted] [redacted] the strutwork and second wing are to join up cleanly to the lower wing and fuselage.

mpennock · « **Reply #14 on:** February 21, 2012, 01:08:18 PM »

I feel your pain. Those Testors/old Hawk kits are great for the gaming table, but the upper wings can be a pain.

Your SPAD is looking really good!

News:

Donate

We Appreciate Your Support

Recent

Author Topic: A White SPAD (now with SPAD caddy) (Read 5560 times)

Related Topics