How I got my Aluminum Finish

[Mitch]

Hello All...

There have been a few questions about aluminum , and although mine are not perfect I thought I would show off 2 different attempts...

Here is my Mustang covered in doped Silver paper...

And here is another project I was working on in AZ with my Dad... (WARNING the follow model is NOT Guillows) This model was covered in the kit "grey" paper and doped, then had 2 coats of Aluminum Paint from a rattle can, markings added, then a coat of gloss Clear Coat.

I bought this model about 2 years ago... Since my Dad flew for TWA, I HAD to HAVE it. The model sat at his house for a year... A visit last year of 10 days gave me the time to build... In 7 days it came out of the box and was ready for flight tests...
The black areas on the leading edges are de-icing boots, made from black electric tape...
It looked like this: (model at this point is getting reading for the paint shop)

The advantage with Painting is I covered up 3 different underlaying materials, Doped Paper, Heavy Paper, Plastic, and it all comes out even colored.

Before painting the model had several flights, but then had an engine malfunction... The peg slipped and detroyed some of the internal bracing...

There are some broken trusses and bracing beyond the seat(Installed after damage)

So my TWA Alpha 4 was retired and now will be proudly displayed at my Dad's house in Phoenix AZ.

There are a few more bits of detail to finish... I am building a windshield... but ran out of time during this visit...

I am planing on painting up the Guillows Pilot from the Stearman kit and he will be "FlyIng" the Alpha 4 eternally over the skies of AZ....

Up, up and away...

soooo.... in conclusion....
Silver paint is good to cover everything, but if you fly, silver paper is the way to go...
...that's just my 2 cents... Mitch

PS and here is my Guillows P51 over the skies of Kent...

[birdbuster]

Where could I buy some silver tissue? Do you apply it same as normal paper?
bb

[Mitch]

Silver is available from Easy Built Models... they have a website.

It is applied the same way as there other 28 colors, but with the silvering, the water beads off of it. I really got to get it wet and maybe a couple of times. They also have Gold but I have not thought of what I would use that for...

Here is another shot of... Miss B. Haven

And another one of her underside...

I had a tough time getting things smooth around that airscoop.

Here she is paired up agaisnt her nemisis...

The Silver paper costs about 2x as much as there standard paper... 1.10 for 20 X 30 sheet. The standard colors are .60 each.
You will need 2 sheets to cover a 400 series model.
Mitch

[Wildpig]

So my TWA Alpha 4 was retired and now will be proudly displayed at my Dad's house in Phoenix AZ.


Silver paint is good to cover everything, but if you fly, silver paper is the way to go...
...that's just my 2 cents... Mitch

Great photo.
Really interesting model subject, that Alpha. I reallly like that internal structure.

Thanks for the comparison. I am currently building the Comet (Guillow) P-38 with an aluminum finish.

[Mitch]

The Alpha 4 was built by Northrup and used by the Army Air Corps and TWA. My Dad remembers it being used as a test airplane, and the information I find says TWA used it to carry the Mail. There was also a version that carried 6 passengers. My model represents the Mail Carrier and I omited the window in front of the access door.

The model is available from Dumas, and has a ws of 30 inches and is approx. 1/16 scale. The fuselage is built up with stick contrction, then 4 semi-circle cords applied to that, then stringers added. During my flight tests, when the rubberband peg slipped it did alot of internal damage but the outter structure held up. This was built before I made all the 400 series Guillows planes and I am now getting better at flying.
It is hard to get that polished Aluminum look in a model other than using... Aluminum. I plan to finish the windshied and paint up the Guillows Pilot and install that in my next visit with my Dad after I finish my assignment on my ship.

Here is a picture of the Airplane:


I am usually working on a few projects at a time, and I am planning on some Koren War Jet subjects soon, I now have and planning to build the Spirit of St. Louis... I am planning to use the Silk tissue from Guillows and Spray Paint, then finish that off with a top coat of Future Floor Wax... Mitch

PS I just noticed the Tires have raised WHITE lettering. The Tires on my Alpha do not say GOODYEAR but GUILLOW'S... I think I will paint those also!

[Steve Blanchard]

Hey Mitch great job on the Alpha 4. Silver tissue is always a challenge in many ways. You have done very well with it. The Easy Built tissue is tougher to shrink than if you painted whether you made silver tissue or if you covered first and then sprayed it. Both are effective if done correctly. Below are a couple of examples I've done.

First is my Beechcraft D-18 for twin rubber power. This has tissue that I painted silver before covering. Worked well but still has it's issues.

Next is my Focke Wulf f-19 also for twin rubber power. This one was painted after covering. I think I prefer painting after the covering for models like this. I would definitely do the Beechcraft that way if I was crazy enough to build it again.

Steve

[joecrouse]

Mitch, That is one of my favorite gallerys at The Air and Space Museum on the Mall in DC, although I think the pioneers of flight gallery is my all time Fave with Voyager, the Lockheed Vega, (have to specify now as Udvar Hazi's collection is STUPENDOUS!)

For those on the board, If you ever EVER have the chance go at night around 730 after the museum is closed, And the lights are on inside that great glass space, Looking out at it you if you lay on the floor in the middle of the Main hall or by the missiles in the space lab area, you can get a feel of what St Expury was talking about. I love the SMELL of the place in the summer when the air has heated the remaining oils in the planes and the steel and aluminum have that great smell of a machine shop. And the crowd have gone away and you can sit and watch it all in peace. I spent a good number of evenings after work just sitting there admiring the place till even the security guards were gone and I let myself out. If you ever get the chance I recommend it. I also recommend you make friends with some of the employees there are things that you don't normally get to see unless you work there. (like the 3rd floor patio on the Side of the building away from the Mall. REALLY nice place to eat lunch in Late September early October), You should also get them to show you the third floor and seen the model airplane collection in the enormous glass cases Some of them must be Paul Guillow original works,

The museum itself is really cool but, if you want wicked glacially cool get someone to take you to the Garber Facility in Suitland MD campus where they do the restoration work. They the full sized wing of a Constellation being repaired when I was there, and the engine from a 190 D-9 that was just recovered from a bog in England. They had a J79 torn down to bits just sitting out. AND the coolest thing ever... The preservation room I walked into I noticed a bunch of names on deep thick drawers in on little brass plates Inches in my head, names like Cernan , McDivett and Sheppard, I have to say I Almost peed myself a little bit not to mentioned said a whole CRAP TON of prayers to all of creation Shepards prayer (Do NOT @$#% up )

For one GLORIOUS 6 month span I worked on a PC refresh Project at the Smithsonian Institution 1 month of which was spent working in and around the various Air and Space Museum facilities. I think that was the only job I ever cried over losing the actual job and not losing the paycheck.

Damn it now everything's gone all blurry... think there's to much balsa dust in the air in my office. (thats what I chose to blame anyway)