Return to the Horten

Hi again, congrats to all the graduates out there.  I still have 2 weeks left till I get my diploma and I am excited.  Although I am swamped with final exams and projects I still found time to pull the Horten flying wing back out.  Since my last post about the Horten I decided to try pre-shading the model.  This is an easy technique where all of the panel lines and joints are sprayed black before the top coat goes on.  While spraying on the top coat the dark lines are tempered down but still show through.  This not only gives depth to the paint job but also makes it more dynamic.  Since I din't take process pictures I won't give a full tutorial on pre-shading but there are dozens of good ones online.

Once pre-shading was finished I mixed a German aviation blue by guesswork, it turned out pretty good, and sprayed the lower fuselage.  I then mixed a suitable grey to over-spray the fuselage top.

Once all of the elements were glued together I masked off the camoflage pattern following the drawing on the box.  Once again the internet provided a mix formula for a late war Luftwaffe camouflage green (R-5, G-5, B-3) and it was sprayed on.  It looked too red until the tape came off but with the whole ensemble the result was great.

I am in the process of decaling it right now (and there are tons of decals, 53 on the exterior) and so far the decals are a disappointment.  They don't adhere well and the clear surround glistens in the light.  If you have the money and incentive swing for an aftermarket decal set, I wish I had.  Since I decided to build the plane with the gear up I took a moment to build a display base which consisted of a piece of scavenged wood that I cut into an octagonal shape and some wire.  I debated the swastika for a while but in the end I went for it.  This model is progressing quickly so keep an eye open for a final installment soon.