RP Douglas Bader and Spitfire Cockpit

[John Bowery]

That must have been very scary and not as 'romantic' as made out in the current/recent crop of war films!

Seemed romantic at the time for the brave flyers taking on the German V1's and the bombers. Just an everyday happening, only you did not know what time it would happen.
Keep the SBS coming.
Cheers
John

 

[Steve Brodie]

So got to work on the life jacket last night, in hindsight I should have coated the jacket in white first before adding the fist coat of yellow, but hey ho. Shaded and highlighted with various wash mixes to give it a faded/worn look , didnt want it to look like a 'toy' version, plus refernces i have found shows them to be faded than overtly bright

This probably a more accurate rendition of the colour

Pallete used to paint the jacket, along with the paints.

 

[Nap]

Hi Steve

This is fast becoming a really great piece of modelling , loved the detail you included when you did the airframe and now we come to the man himself

Good that the quality has been mentioned so credit to you and of course RP and the caster ( YS )

Like the colour on the life jacket ..reckon you could push the shadows a bit more and then fade the highs

Following this very closely

Nap

 

[Steve Brodie]

Sure I replied before,
Thanks for the kind words, I was thinking the same over the shadows and hi-lights. But as I have discovered before before, if you don’t let the paint dry you can get in a mess, remember painting a head before looks superb, next morning looked like a painted china doll.

 

[Tony Dawe]

Amazing work on a stunning piece. Beautifully rendered and the paint job is equally impressive.

 

[Steve Brodie]

So following Naps advice I decided to revisit the shadows and highlights, so this is where I got to;

Then I noticed this piece of resin sticking out on the right side of the life jacket

So a quick look on the internet and I found this image on Alamys website showing the correct colours, so will have to paint these details

 

[Nap]

Hi Steve

"My advice" ....I demand to see my lawyer before I say another word ......

Looks good mate ..love the amount of sheer detail painting your putting into this I am enjoying following

Thanks for sharing

Nap

 

[Steve Brodie]

Last night I joined the upper and lower body parts and this only needed a 'smidge' of Mr liquid filler then got the brushes out and painted up his scarf and the fur collar, Not as shiny as it looks, but everything needs a good coat of AK's ultra matt varnish;

Needs a bit of 'tidying' up where everything meets

 

[Nap]

Hi Steve

Liking this now it's together and with minimal filler as well , never used that liquid filler though

Like the scarf , nice touch of colour there

Thanks for sharing

Nap

 

[Red Five]

It maybe too late but if you look up my Facebook account "Andrew Fenwick-Walpole" and search my albums you will find one on AR501 a MkV Spitfire I think I've taken a picture of every rivet inside and out!!

Looking good

 

[Steve Brodie]

Hi Steve

Liking this now it's together and with minimal filler as well , never used that liquid filler though

Like the scarf , nice touch of colour there

Thanks for sharing

Nap

Thanks, spent far to long on shading that scarf

It maybe too late but if you look up my Facebook account "Andrew Fenwick-Walpole" and search my albums you will find one on AR501 a MkV Spitfire I think I've taken a picture of every rivet inside and out!!

Looking good

Thanks for the link, great photos.

 

[Nap]

Hi Steve

You might have seen these ..obviously not Bader but good references

Nap

 

[patmaquette]

It's looking good, Steve. I am painting up some 1/32 RAF pilots at the moment, so it has been useful for me to see your palette for the life vest.
Regarding the straps - I can see those for the life vest and parachute - are there some for the Sutton harness to be added at some time?
I'm following your progress with great interest,
Pat

 

[Steve Brodie]

Hi Steve

You might have seen these ..obviously not Bader but good references

Nap

First time i have seen these, but that pilot has nicked my scarf

 

[Steve Brodie]

It's looking good, Steve. I am painting up some 1/32 RAF pilots at the moment, so it has been useful for me to see your palette for the life vest.
Regarding the straps - I can see those for the life vest and parachute - are there some for the Sutton harness to be added at some time?
I'm following your progress with great interest,
Pat

Thanks, yep the Sutton harness comes as one molded piece of resin, which i will add to him later on, as it attaches to the seat in the cockpit, as per this photo on RP's website;

 

[Steve Brodie]

More superb sculpting and casting on the parachute. I spent far to long (again) on something that will never be seen once the cockpit is completed, but an enjoyable hour or so anyway.

 

[Nap]

Hi Steve

Good result there ...after enjoyable benchtime ......that's what it's all about

Look forward to it being in place....might not be seen but you know it's done !!

Thanks for sharing

Nap

 

[Steve Brodie]

Got his sidcot suit painted, highlights and shadows added, ‘stitched’ his harness and attached his parachute pack. Flat varnished with AK ultra Matt

 

[Steve Brodie]

Got his leather gauntlets painted up last night, they need a very translucent coat of Tamiya smoke then a semi gloss coat to give them some shine.

 

[Steve Brodie]

Got some paint on Baders face in the evenings at the caravan. Also while I had the mixes in my wet palette I started on Rogers ranger (?)