34 FineScale Modeler October 2019
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18
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17
14
Now that there was no fear of breaking them
during construction, I could safely add all of
the fiddly bits.Alclad Duralumin across a few random panels
created variation. A mix of aluminum and light
gray enamel dulled down the control surfaces.Now that is a neat looking aircraft! Personally, I
think the longer nacelles keep the look sleek.To get the surface smooth, Alclad II gray
primer and microfiller was applied. It took a
couple of coats and a lot more sanding to get
a respectable result.22
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16
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I continued to add detail toward the end by
re-creating the brake calipers on the main
wheels with plastic rod and fuse wire.
With many aircraft kits, character comes from
the paint job — and this build is no different.
With just one coat of Alclad aluminum, the
beauty of this plane comes through.
My handy dandy riveting tool livened up the
airframe with extra texture. The larger spike
added individual marks on the access panels.
I made a mistake of using Mr. Finishing
Surfacer 1500 to smooth the nacelles.
Although it dries hard, it does not stick to the
Milliput underneath very well at all. Drat!
The combination of the white and black panels
make for a high-contrast, eye-catching
scheme.As counterintuitive as it sounds, gloss black
primer from Alclad II keeps the following
silvers bright.I added strips of plastic on parts of the
cowlings to get the joint straps looking right.32 years
The number of
years the
Beechcraft
Model 18
was produced.
At the time
it was
discontinued in
1969, it held the
world record.