stripes

[Unglued]

I'm trying to recreate the paint scheme on an Air America C-45.  https://www.utdallas.edu/library/specialcollections/hac/cataam/Leeker/aircraft/vtb.pdf

The model is the 1/72 Hobby Craft C-45-H.  I'm wondering how to create the thin white stripe between the dark blue and the blue-gray on the side of the fuselage.  No decals are available.  In scale, the stripe will be maybe 1 mm wide, and it curves gently downward toward the nose and sharply downward toward the tail.  To me, this will be a real challenge.  Does anyone have any tips on how I might do it?  Masking?  Decals?  Magic?  Anybody?

[Bob Beary]

My thought would be to get some of the Tamiya flexible tape and cut a 1mm wide strip of it. Paint the area of the stripe white. I would start at the bottom and place it where you want it. Then hold the stuck part down with your thumb and gradually bend it around that sharp curve, moving your thumb along to keep it down and your other hand to guide it. It might make it around that tight curve.

 

My only other thought is to use a circle cutter to cut some tape 1mm wide of the correct radius for the corner. It will take several tries to get that to the exact width.

 

HTH

 

Bob

 

[Unglued]

7 hours ago, Bob Beary said:

My thought would be to get some of the Tamiya flexible tape and cut a 1mm wide strip of it. Paint the area of the stripe white. I would start at the bottom and place it where you want it. Then hold the stuck part down with your thumb and gradually bend it around that sharp curve, moving your thumb along to keep it down and your other hand to guide it. It might make it around that tight curve.

 

My only other thought is to use a circle cutter to cut some tape 1mm wide of the correct radius for the corner. It will take several tries to get that to the exact width.

 

HTH

 

Bob

 

Great tip, Bob.  Why didn't I think of that?  I was able to cut some masking tape to 1/64", which by experimenting, I found was closer to scale than 1 mm would have been.  Just to see if it would look right and curve properly, I applied it to my model.  It looked great!  Thank you!

Here's my plan:

 

1) Paint area that will be stripe and top of fuselage white.

2) Allow paint to dry for a day or two.

3) Cut 1/64"-wide strips (stripes) of masking tape, and apply on sides of fuselage per photo of aircraft.

4) Paint wings and lower fuselage gray.

5) Allow paint to dry for a day or two.

6) Mask gray-painted areas.

7)  Paint remainder of airplane navy blue.

8)  Remove all masking tape.

9)  Finish with a coat of Future.