Need tips for painting aircraft wheels

[Grayson72]

I once saw a really good, ingenious tip on how to paint the wheels on aircraft so they come out perfect. I can't remember where I saw it or what the tip was (duh). I always struggle with getting the white on the wheels in a perfect line with the black of the tires.

Any help would be appreciated.

Edited August 29, 2003 by Grayson72

[David Hingtgen]

Was it an artist's circle mask? (A lot of circles in every size cut out of a template?) You put the wheel so that the hub is in the circle, and the template masks everything else. Then spray. (For this technique, you do the black first, then the hub)

[Grayson72]

Hmm no that wasn't the one but that is helpful, thanks

[wm cheng]

Here's how I do it. I spray the entire tire in gloss white and let dry. Then I use the gundam black marker to trace around the hub/tire crease to get a straight line (sometimes if the crease is really small - I just let the wash pick it out). I then do a little wash to pick out the hub details which also fills in the crevice between the hub and tire. Then I use a flat black and brush paint the tire around - I don't have to get it perfect since the gundam marker line is sufficiently fat enough to give me a little lee-way so I paint the flat black a little away from the actual white hub, but make sure its on the gundam black marker line. Then I rub the flat black a bit with my fingers to get some finger grease on it - this makes the flat black look really rubber like in sheen.

Good luck.

[Grayson72]

AH HA! that was it! Using a fine tipped pen or marker to outline the hub. You da man again WM.

[VF-19]

Here's another suggestion I read on another board.

If you want to give the illusion that your aircraft has weight, sand the part of the wheel that contacts the ground just a bit. The distortion in the perfect circle will give the illusion that the aircraft looks like it's heavy. If I recall correctly, this was done by a poster who goes by the name of Bhop73...