Now when I say “drybrush” in this case, I am going a bit wild. I first sprayed the sidewalls (and floor in this case) with NATO Black. In this case the sidewalls have excellent detail that can stand out if properly highlighted: The cockpit in the big Tamiya Corsair is pretty much the pinnacle in scale model cockpits. Here is how I have handled it in Tamiya’s 1/32 Corsair. It is dark in there and once installed a good chunk of the cockpit is no longer visible. My point is that after sealing up a few cockpits with the most painstakingly researched “accurate” coats of paint I could find or mix, I determined that no one could tell the difference. None of them are going to be rehashed here. Thousands of electrons have been sacrificed to further points in the “paint accuracy” debate or the correct hues of zinc chromate, interior green, and aotake blue. How many times have you heard someone ask: “what is the correct colour for…?” I think every modeler goes through the phase where every colour used needs to be as “accurate” as authoritatively determined by the all knowing “They” (“They” being the ones who always know best about these things). My advice is to consider the subject and adjust your effort to suit what can be seen. Just look at that shading! Of course, all of it is completely wedged into the fuselage and behind the instrument panel. It was perfectly painted and the detail pops out. How about this one from the Hobby Boss Corsair: I am happy with the outcome of this model but maybe I could have saved a lot of time by just painting it interior green and moving on. In other words, almost all of the cockpit is invisible. If you look closely – you will see that under the lattice canopy the fuselage has two “holes” cut out of the top for the pilot and navigator. Not only was it a pleasure to build and paint, it all fit together wonderfully: Look at the wonderful cockpit on the Ki-15 Babs from Fine Molds. I’ve posted this before but it is worth noting again. I bring this up first because we modelers can end up spending a lot of time and resources on detailing a cockpit – only to have most or all of that effort lay dark and forgotten, silent for all time. Otherwise, keep points 1 and 2 in mind at all times! Being Strategic about Detail That said, most cockpits are bland in terms of bright reds and yellows. With a bit of research, you can see what knobs and levers need colour. There are a lot of online resources for almost every aircraft. Weathering can be applied to cockpits but the key is restraint: think scratches instead of chips and dust instead of mud.When the cockpit is supposed to be ‘black’ definitely do not paint it black.When sandwiched between the sidewalls the cockpit will be dark so you will need to re-think any concern about colour accuracy and put your mind towards how to actually see the colours.There can be a ton of detail to detail (which is fun) but once it is closed up, a lot of that cockpit detail will be lost forever.However, there are a few things that I have learned to consider when finishing cockpits: It is also one of the easiest ways of “improving” model airplane builds. On most airplanes, the cockpit can be a key visual feature of the finished model, so it pays to invest some time and effort up here. Of course, there is always room for an aftermarket resin set or some photoetch bits to kick it up a notch. Today’s kits typically come with excellent detail right out of the box that just need paint. After radial engines, cockpits are probably my favorite part of an aircraft build. Unless you are making a UAV, your model airplane will have a cockpit.
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