How to best paint the overall gloss white NAVY paintscheme?

[SCOUT712]

I am about to spray an A-4 Skyhawk. It´ll be 72 scale.

Just plain white most probably will make it look like a toy.

Could somebody suggest me on what kind of variations I might use to achive a realistic finish?

Thanks

Michael

[falcon20driver]

I always prime my white aircraft with a gray primer before applying the white in light coats. I build up the white slowly and it leads to a deeper white that isn't in your face bright.

[82Whitey51]

I built a Blue Angels #7 "Casper" jet a few years ago...so it being a "Blues" jet, I wanted to keep it clean but not monochromatic...i.e. toylike.

I painted it overall Tamiya white, but the wheel wells I hit with FS 17875 Insignia White, has a bit of a darker shade to it next to pure white. I also masked a few panels and hit them with insig white also just break it up some.

You could get the same effect by pre shading a few panels and areas prior to shooting the white too.

[Paul Boyer]

Before trying various shades of white, I recommend priming with WHITE primer. Then use a gloss white over that. Gloss white tends to be very thin and it kinda "creeps" away from edges and high points on the model. If you have gray underneath, you'll get gray edges. Maybe you'll like it that way, maybe not. But at least you're forewarned!

[Apollokid]

Tamiya fine white primer is the best. You could spray this and then buff it to a satin sheen which I think would look much better than a gloss finish in 72 scale.

HTH

Gene

[SCOUT712]

Thanks guys, I think I'll try a combination of all. Will see how it turns out.

Cheers

Michael

[dehowie]

What Gene said.

Nothing looks as unrealistic as a full gloss finish on a kit.

Matt buffed to a satin finish looks more subtle and realistic than a full gloss finish.

[spejic]

It helps if you have extremely fine details (scratchbuilt antennas and probes) and flat painted details (cockpit, anti-glare panel, landing gear bays) and some dry pastel weathering (gun blackening, exhaust vents). If there is contrast between the gloss and flat, it makes it more real even if it is mostly gloss.

[Netz]

Tamiya fine white primer is the best. You could spray this and then buff it to a satin sheen which I think would look much better than a gloss finish in 72 scale.

HTH

Gene

I'd go one step further, spray your white as mentioned, then your Grey (preferably a flat), then take a kitchen paper tower and rub down the entire model, it will buff the flat and also blend the grey into the white somewhat, but you will have a simi gloss sheen that will not be overpowering.

Curt

[SCOUT712]

Now I have an additional question.

Everywhere you read, that the TA-4J had all their offensive armament removed. But on airfighters.com there is a pic of TA-4J Bureau No 153510 which shows the 20mm Colt gun on the right wing root. You can also barely read that it says TA-4J on the rear fuselage. Unfortunetely there is no pic from the right side of that particular jet.

Now my question. Would the guns be installed on both sides or could it be also possible that it was just retained on the left side?

Thanks

Michael

[Pete]

Something doesn't match up on that one. BuNo 153510 was built as an TA-4F and later converted to an OA-4M. To me the BuNo seems to end on 530, which was built as a TA-4F and later converted to a TA-4J.

Either way, I see plenty more pics of TA-4J's with the gun present on the right side.

[spejic]

Pete is right - these links are of 153510 a few years later, and they still say "TA-4F" on the stenciling. It wouldn't have been a TA-4J earlier. I think the Airfighters cataloger was confused because they were both "25".