Bell X-1
![](/albums/img/5/3/6/247536-20839-34-p.jpg "three coats of Model Master gloss enamel "Go Mango", and the black still shows through. | View full picture")
![](/albums/img/6/0/8/247608-20839-57-p.jpg "This took about 5 coats of the enamel "go mango." Now it is ready to cure for a couple days, and some touch up around the canopy. Once cured, I'll decal directly on the gloss orange. | View full picture")
Comments
8 March 2016, 21:42
Bryce NicelyIt looks so tiny for a quarterscale kit. Of course, my 32nd scale one is smaller than the Phantom.
9 March 2016, 00:28
Donald Dickson IIAmazing that we went from that to the F-22.
5 coats? Man. But it looks good!
30 March 2016, 02:19
Derek JordanDonald, we didn't stop at the 22, now there's the 35 a "5th gen" aircraft (though, one could argue that maybe we should have stopped). The most mind boggling step to me was the 20 years between the B-17 (8,000lb bombload) to the B-52 (70,000lb bombload).
30 March 2016, 03:07
Derek JordanBryce, first you were spot on about the Mr. Finishing Primer. That stuff is fantastic. Second, when you get ready to throw paint on your X-1, I recommend the paint I'm using. It matches the odd color of the X-1 perfectly to my eye. It is high gloss, which I usually don't like, but that cuts out a step before decals, at least.
30 March 2016, 03:09
Bryce NicelyWhat did you use? I have Model Master's International Orange, which looked pretty good to me, though a bit dark over the black. I may just need to put another coat on.
30 March 2016, 11:55
Derek JordanBryce it's model master enamel "Go Mango". Somewhere in the research I had seen it recommended as a 'best' match to the actual x-1.
30 March 2016, 12:53
Derek JordanI'm calling this one done. It's not my proudest moment as a modeler. The cutting edge decals gave me trouble (the 1997 vintage kit decals were even worse), and the Alclad matte cote went apeshit on me. This seems to be my experience with Alclad: When they work, they are perfection, but they are extremely temperamental and inconsistent. It seems they really degrade pretty quickly as soon as the bottles are opened. One day I'll find the profipack version of this kit and revisit it. Until then, this X-1 fills a hole in my historic model collection.
31 March 2016, 01:04
Derek JordanThanks, Gareth. I was baffled by the decals. Of course, the one that gave me the most trouble was the most visible. The upper wing star and bars crinkled up, warped, and never settled down right. I had to use pieces of the kit decal to make it round again. The clear coat started great, but then turned super thin and ran all over. It dried in terrible white places across the bottom. I thinned down some more of the orange enamel, painted a light coat over the white, then reapplied the flat. A close examination would reveal these imperfections, so it's not a show model, but it looks good enough to sit on the shelf next to some far better work.
31 March 2016, 03:09
Donald Dickson III discovered that as well Derek. The bottle of Stainless Alclad i was using went stupid toward the end of it. It separated or something and wouldnt cover. Came out thin and watery. I chucked the rest of the bottle and opened a new one to finish up the C-54. Hopefully that wont happen every time.
Despite that, your orange missile looks great! I cant see any problems with your work on the decal nor can I spot the corrections for the Alclad. Perhaps you see it because you know its there.
31 March 2016, 05:17
Derek JordanThanks Choppa! That was my first time painting a pilot, that looked worthy of being a pilot.
19 August 2016, 20:01
Derek JordanHa. I've thought about it. I suppose when I run out of my stash I will be forced to build the 1/48 B-24, 17 and 29.
19 August 2016, 20:27
Kerry COXThe reckon that most of the paintwork was just about all gone by the time all the flights had come to an end. !!!
But I like it as it is here a LOT. 🙂
21 August 2016, 09:25
Derek JordanKerry, most of my reference photos were of the aircraft as it sits in the Smithsonian. In the pictures Ive seen of the X-1 day the sound barrier was broken seemed to be relatively pristine, but it's hard to tell with orange in black and white.
21 August 2016, 16:40
Kerry COXI think Chuck felt the heat more than the aircraft though. 🙂 👍
It's still a beautiful build you have accomplished here Derek and there were a couple of the "Bell's" at the comp on the weekend I managed to snap.🙂
21 August 2016, 22:24
Derek JordanLots of great compliments, gents. Thanks! If anyone runs across this kit, you should get it but don't try to build it with the gear up.
26 August 2016, 20:28
