Helibug Gasser Conversion

[Doozer]

While I'm waiting for parts I decided to go ahead and start painting. I decided to do something a little different. I don't have a canopy yet, so I decided to paint the frame:




I meant to get a picture of how I laid the white down, but twice (each side) I forgot.


I used a mid coat matte clear between each layer.


I should have started with a the orange first, but I started with yellow. It wasn't a horrible mistake, but it was a waste of time.


This side is a little congested, but I wanted it to look like it was burning hotter.




Layers: White, orange, Clear, White


A little closer look


Layers White, orange, clear, white, transparent yellow, clear





Paints used: Apple Barrel White (reduced and strained), Createx Flourescent Orange, Createx Transparent Yellow.

Working on a black background creating flames was very fun. This was my first attempt on a black background. I finished the left side in about 1/3 of the time it took to paint the right side because I used the orange first. I got the desired effect right away and quit painting. I can't say that about the right side. I'm going to top coat them when I get more top coat. That should make the layers stand out.

[Doozer]

Went back and threw on a top coat.


First coat of gloss clear


other side


Between clears, I rough it up with a piece of notebook paper. Some people use 400 grit sandpaper. I use 400 between clears sometimes, if i really want to get all the shiney spots out, but in this case I didn't feel I needed to.


Second clear really pushes everything back. It starts to look like it's got some depth.


I like how the clear made this look very intense.

The frames are mounted now. I think I'm going to paint some flames or embers on the tail. I've got an idea in my head what I want to do for a canopy... I just need the canopy.

[Doozer]

I installed a Thunder Tiger X50 canopy clip


It's a very nice fit.






In order to get the flames the same color as the frame, I had to lay down a base coat of black.


Then I lay down the white. The white acts like a Highlight.


Next I spray the white highlight area with Flourescent Orange


After I let the Orange dry, I lay down more white flames that I will highlight with a transparent yellow.




::sigh:: not happy with this but it's late. It's too busy. I got a little happy with the second layer of white. It's not horrible, just not what I wanted. Less is more with flames and this is too much. I did get the flames to match though. I just need to reduce the amount of yellow.

[Doozer]

repainted quicker than I thought I would. It was hideous and I couldn't stand looking at it.

Here's the 4 version of this canopy:


Lay down your black first:


Then with your white you want to lay in your flame licks. Any place that you want to look "hot" give it some extra white. I want it to look like the flames are traveling from front to back. I use the small homade stencil you see in the picture to help define my curves, and add the hot spots to the licks. You don't need expensive stencil sets. This is construction paper that I hit with clear to stiffen it after I drew it:



I missed a step in the process here, sorry. Now you want to hit the whole canopy with Neon Orange. This will push the flames deep into the canopy. Apply liberally. Don't worry about following the lines. Just spray away. (that's the step I missed). In the picture you want to create more hot spots and define the flames a little. I go back in with my stencil and my white and highlight curves. This gives the effect of heat:



Now I'll hit these hot hightlights with transparent yellow. This softens things up a bit. You could lay down a midcoat clear right here then lay in a candy color, your candies and transparents tend to bleed through. I didn't do that because I wanted the flame to sink in. Again apply the yellow liberally, cover the whole canopy:



Hit it with your orange again, not so heavy, but do get the whole canopy. Give it a couple of minutes and lay down a clear. If your happy with the outcome, quit. If you want to go for more definition, repeat the highlighting process again.


I'm going to give this a chance to dry well. Then I'm going to go back and highlight the front more so it looks like its burning hotter at the nose then cools as it heads toward the back

Edit: Below, After Highlights


I threw in some highlights and twisted the flames some more. I'm finished with the flames, now I'm working on the color.

[Doozer]

Pretty much all I've done today was paint. I've put it together and taken it apart enough times that it won't take long to put together when the pinion gets here.


I took a break from painting and rebuilding the boom. So I'm posting some pics.

[Doozer]

I'm Done! I could have added a few more layers of color to make it hotter but I'm pretty happy here for now.


I gave the boom a little paint




This has been the most fun I've had painting yet.

[akphill]

That's looking so sharp your not going to want to fly it

[Doozer]

Thanks Phil! I struggled with the black turning to a brownish color because I oversprayed a little (a lot). Because the flames were so congested, it was hard to get back in and clean up the black areas. I was worried about ruining the flames, but I can see the value in leaving myself some room to work. Though eventually, I got the fine lines down pretty well, I still didn't want to do anymore to it... for now. It was hard getting the colors on the frame and the canopy to match. They're still not perfect, but close enough for now.

I wouldn't mind doing that again. So flying it isn't so scary. I wan't to do a canopy with water drops and lightning. I would like to get some more blanks, and just started pumping out spares.