USCHI plywood decal question

[John Adelmann]

Greetings fellow builders:

 

Recently I saw some images of a 1/48 scale Sturmovik that had its outer wings, fuselage planking and rudder plywood that were painted to simulate wood.  A super effort, and it really looks convincing.  I build in 1/32 scale and immediately thought of doing something similar with the Hobby Boss's rendition of this USSR plane.

 

The HB kit has many rivets, including on the wings and fuselage, and of course, the rudder.  So here is the question:  I'd like to use the USCHI decal sheets to simulate wood planking on these surfaces, but wonder if the recessed rivets will look dumb if I apply a wash to the surfaces after the decals are applied.  That said, if the rivet patterns represent how the metal or even plywood sheets were attached to the plane's frame in the first place, wouldn't the washed rivets then look good against the wood decals?

 

The guy who did the 1/48 scale "woodie" Sturmovik admitted his was a project with no basis in fact - that he just applied his creative artistry to his work, which included carefully painting and dry brushing the fuselage planking on a bias, sort of looking like a barber pole.  I don't think that would look good with the Hobby Boss's vertical and horizontal panel lines and recessed rivets.

 

USCHI actually has decals that simulate nails, but I didn't look at them on his web site.  Maybe that would be a clue that putting the dark wash over the wood decals would be appropriate.  Maybe not.

 

So I am looking for some thoughtful advice from those who care to respond.  Many thanks to those who do.

 

JA

[James H]

You could use a wash which wasn't too dark, perhaps dark brown?

 

I used wood nail decals on my Natter as there were no moulded rivets/nails:

 

[John Adelmann]

I understand the idea of a brown wash instead of a heavy black.  What I am concerned about is whether the rivet pattern on the wings and the fuselage would interfere with the wood decals.  For instance, the guy who did the 1/48 Sturmovik patterned his planking on the fuselage on an angle, and did not follow what the rivet pattern and panel lines were.  In essence, he applied a painted diagonal patttern over a vertical and horizontal rivet and panel line pattern.  (I am assuming the 1/48 scale plane had no rivets/panel lines on the fuselage.)  Would this not look a bit odd if the existing rivets were accentuated with a wash?  After all, they would not follow what I would think would be a pattern for nails, which in this case would be on a diagonal.

 

Maybe I just need to bite the bullet and carefully fill in the rivets and apply the decals, period.

 

JA

[krow113]

Sand/ fill the rivits,paint a base color, apply the wood decals (they may be transparent so watch out )  and use some Archer Fine Transfer decal rivits over the wood decals.

 You can add more grain/detail to the base color if the wood decals are transparent.