Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy

Yes, it is supposed to be Euro I Gray. I can definitely see where it could either weather to the point of having a slight purplish hint to it, or the photographic image(s) you saw it it would make it look that way. It's been a long, painful lesson to learn over time that you just can't trust photographic images completely, as they do alter/distort the perception of colors ever so slightly....take a few photos of the same aircraft, then compare the shots and sometimes you'll be amazed at the subtle differences...sometimes.

Actually, there are very, very rare exceptions, and VF-41 was one of them at one time. In 1964, East Coast-based VF-84 and VF-41, along with all the rest of their airwing aboard the USS Independence, were dispatched to the Pacific to fight over Vietnam. I still haven't gotten a proper explanation of this except from one VF-84 RIO who simply said "Guess they wanted the best!" But it did happen, and the Black Aces were there!!!

Ooooh! Nice job! I'm impressed!!! If I was to do anything differently, I'd put the Tomcats into the Death Star trench. But that comes down to a matter of taste. I love what you did! A++++++!

Yep...he's a good guy for sure!

I use a toothpick and dab a little CA glue around the edges of the panel backside, without getting any near the instrument holes since it would likely leak through. Keep it to the edges and it should be fine.

Wow...I've never had that problem. Sometimes I'll get an extra bottle, and it's always as fresh as can be when I finally get around to opening it, often many months later. You may have gotten a bad batch, or one with faulty bottling.

Strange indeed. I use ModelMaster enamels almost exclusively, and I've never had any problems of the kind you describe with any color, including the yellow. But that's just me....

"Cleaner"??? Wow....sounds totally against what I'd expect; I don't mind the dust so much; a paste dripping everywhere sounds so much messier. But, I am inclined to believe you guys fully...could be interesting!! ...and paper-backed sandpaper works okay for it? Would've expected you had to do it with plastic-backed sandpaper. Man, I am totally ignorant!!!

Oooh...I do like the wet newspaper idea. I use either post-it notes, or 3m also has a low-tac tape which is white in color but is a very delicate adhesive. I frequently use it for things like masking a straight line over an applied decal or something.

Just got through some tinting this week, actually....tried a trick I'd heard of but hadn't done, and it works incredibly well... I took a small tupperware cup with a top, filled it with Future, and tinted it with food coloring...a mix of blue and green. It was for a van, and auto glass has a slight blue-green tint to it. The results were remarkable...just dip, and set on a paper towel; the towel "wicks" off the excess. If the results are not good, use windex to remove, and try again.

...holy crimony...that's enough to put me off wanting to do one of those birds completely!!! Trouble is, I'm going to HAVE to do one in the near future, to keep up with my mostly-complete history of the Jolly Rogers. *grumbles*

I think I'd paint first, so as to minimize the post-assembly painting. Then once it's assembled, take care of the seam as best as you can (I start with shaped files then take a piece of sandpaper folded many, many times so it's like a flexible sanding stick), then I touch up with an airbrush. I'm not familiar with the F-15 kits, but it's what I do with Tomcats and others.

I'm a fellow MM enamel fan. When I do an F-16 bay, I actually prime it with flat white, mixed fairly thick, slightly thicker than other flat paint. Might take a couple of coats of flat white, but get it to the point where it looks fairly solidly flat white. Then when it's dry, I go back over it with the gloss white, also mixed thicker than other gloss paint.

This is one of those areas where there haven't been any really satisfactory breakthroughs....arrgghh!!!

WOW...never seen that....I'd love to know too.

When using Squadron Thermaform for making canopies, can I assume that using modelling clay is what prevents the master from becoming misshapen from the heat? Also, how do you prevent it coming out with a foggy appearance? I must be overheating it or something....

I swore off Testors putty when I realized it was like trying to coax a cat into saying "moo." Anything's gotta be better than that stuff.

The one in your post definitely looks to be two-tone brown. However, I'm looking at an article I cut out of the November 2000 issue of Air Forces Monthly, and it shows two relatively low-quality photos of Iranian Fencers in flight, and they appear to have a third shade of olive green added to it. If I had a scanner I'd post it...I'll bet someone on here has it...pages 50-51. My guess is they did it with and without the green, just as Iraqi MiG-21's were done in both two-tone and three-tone schemes. EDIT: Just noticed the ones in my photos have white radomes...it may or not be that black

I keep four sizes handy....#80 (smallest), 79, 77, and 75. Gives you plenty of flexibility.

Another thing that helps, after drybrushing the very dark gray, try making the final step a very, very light, almost nonexistent drybrushing of neutral gray. Just enough for that dusty & worn look. But gotta go light, try on the treads and corners.

I use a file, and I too mask off the surrounding areas.

No worries! I suspect this is simply one of millions of cases where languages collide violently and hysterically!

Haven't tried it myself, but I've read that Future, left overnight, dries thick, clear, and perfect for water. Not sure how you'd get ripples, but I have no doubt it's possible.

Haven't had the problem myself since I found a decent liquid mask ;)