Building an 'Improved' Wallace RC 1/16 scale KAIRYU Suicide Submarine Kit, Part-16

A Report to the Cabal:

Painting the KAIRYU a very dark gray (not black, I account for 'scale effect') was almost anti-climatic after all that detail work and preparation. No masking involved as the entire model is this 'color.' The big deal will be the weathering effects I hope to apply tomorrow, time permitting.

Time is very short and I still have to weather a clients boat that I'm taking to the SubRegatta. If need be I'll operate the KAIRYU as-is and will equip it with torpedoes and a proper paint job post-regatta.

Last night was also invested in getting the FLYING-SUBMARINE (FS-1) up to speed. I made new masters and tools for two different type rotors for the pump-jets; an attempt to optimize PJ performance, it's my wish to increase speed and get a bit more run time per battery change. More on the FS-1 upgrade effort in a later Cabal Report.

The single access hatch of the KAIRYU boats had a welded handle. I represented mine by taking a length of solder wire, stretching it to straighten it, then worked it with pliers into shape, you see a discarded handle above the hatch. The work goes quickly and the very malleable solder wire is easy to form.

A closer look at the hatch handle made from bent and squashed solder.

The sail after hitting it with some primer to overcoat the 'weld seams' created with the putty loaded syringe. Looks pretty spiffy to me. Later I'll pick out some of the weld lines as I weather the model. Also highlighting the edges and raised weld lines by dry-brushing will also do much to bring this little submarine to life.

Today I paint all my models with the DuPont Chroma System for colors and their ChromaClear for the final clear coat. This two part, polyurethane chemistry paint is 'car paint' -- very durable, resistant to UV, and no effected by most chemicals one would encounter in the 'great outdoors'. Not even duck poop will stain this stuff!

Here you see a bottle of premix, a very, very dark gray mixed from black and white. This is the basic 'color' of the KAIRYU -- I settled on painting my model as an operational boat. Hope I have time to weather her properly.

The trick is to buy black, white, and the primary colors, then to use a color wheel so you can make any color you need, in the shop, without wasting the time and money having to go to the distributor and having them mix up your colors.

Before blasting the model with dark gray I first cut in all the items with high-relief edge or deep depressions: the radial bands, the flood/drain holes on the bottom, the leading and trailing edges of all stabilizers, the sail hatch well and edges, etc. Note that I've notched out a cardboard box here to serve as a painting stand.

Ten at night and I'm not finished with this shit yet?! ONLY FOUR DAYS TILL WE LEAVE FOR THE SubRegatta!!!!!! .....