1/300 scale fighter plane...

Depending on what resolution you are looking at the photo, there is a good chance the plane you see here is larger than it appears in real life! Damn this was a tiny plane!!!!

Why the switch from large pieces like the Tooth Fairy, to something this small though? Good question there.. simple answer.. I'm crazy! :)

Actually easier answer is that this years play by blog held by Clint over at Anything but a One is to be a aircraft game. And when I ran into him at Salute earlier this year, we got to talking about them. And he had bought all the planes, so I asked if it would be cool for me to paint it, and send it back to him?

I should have taken the look of happiness as suspicious as I didn't realize how tiny they were until after I said that ( or before, can't remember now :) ). But having it batting around the studio lately, and finally coming across it once more while cleaning up I figured best to get it done. I mean, it is tiny, so it shouldn't take that long right?

I actually airbrushed the base colors on it still. And then laid down some base colors..

Ok.. so its red. No it is not the red baron, but when asking about color schemes Clint said something about something or another.. and then I remember saying something about it being more Canadianized if i painted it.. and I think he was ok with that? :D Either way, it is now red for the body, and blue underside.

Why blue on the underside? Why, to blend into the sky obviously. So that when you look up, you can hear it, but not see it!

And red for the top is obvious to represent the glorious colony of the Brits, being Canada!

I stippled some clouds even onto the underside. I mean, we're clever us Canadians here ;)

I also did not attach the wing struts or wheels to it though, as I was told not to put the struts on due to how he would be attaching it to the flying stands. And the wheels, well.. i couldn't figure out how they should sit.. Besides.. if we are to battle, i do not believe my plane will be landing safely anyways.. So I figured they would just drop off once I take off :) More aerodynamic this way maybe?

And to show that it will be  under heavy fire.. I also weathered it up! Like I have flown through a German oil smoke cloud as I was shooting at them, and that my plane had taken some other damage.

Of course, I did absolutely no research on this whatsoever, so for all I know the planes were not made of metal, but of fabric. And thus there would be no battle damage.

I did attempt a small grim reaper though on the side.. and it looked really cool.. but then I attached the top wings, and the piece that attaches for them cut his head off.. I will call that being more authentic then :D

But it looks cool, and the rule of cool was in heavy effect for this model here! :D

I then hit it with a heavy spray of matte varnish which made it look more aged instantly. Killing all the shine from the red ink that I had applied on it previously.

So I went with it, and did photos where it looked like it was from older photos :D

And remember how I said that since it is so small it shouldn't take me long to paint it up? HAHHAHAHAHAHA... no, this took me like 3 hrs to paint up.. trying to figure out what I am doing, and if I should highlight or not, or wash or whatever.. new scale, new techniques, and new things to figure out.

But it was a lot of fun though, and not something that I will be doing anytime soon though. :) Maybe some FoW if I feel like painting small, maybe.

In the meantime, it is now packed in a blister that I need to find a padded envelope for and ship it off to Clint for the game.

I am absolutely terrible at shipping things, and suspect that this might not work to keep it without any damage. So some quick gluing from Clint might be required, but thankfully it is only 2 pieces :)

Looking forward to seeing how I die.. I mean take out enemy planes in this years game. I did horrible last year with the ships, so hopefully I can do slightly better ( not hard really ) or at least take out someone else this time instead!

Enjoy the week!