writes:These models are 1:1250 scale aircraft from Magister Militum. I'll be using them with 1:3000 scale ships - put together, the two scales will make the aircraft look as if they are flying at about 5,000 feet.
First, we paint the underside grey. This particular aircraft - the Japanese Ki49 - was usually grey underneath, and dark olive on the upper surfaces.
Now I paint the upper surfaces. (The picture below includes a British D-class cruiser - you can clearly see the aircraft are a larger scale than the ship.)
Details are now added. The national markings are dots of red paint, applied using a blunt toothpick. (I find it easier to achieve a consistent size using a toothpick instead of a brush.) The canopy areas are given some silver to make them stand out.
Now it's time to glue the aircraft to their bases. Note that the air bases shown in this and most photographs are leftover scrap after trimming laminated pages.
Superglue is not necessarily good to use. Although strong and fast drying, it can cause the plastic to take on a white or opaque colour where it dries. I experimented with various types, and in the end settled for a very 'tacky'-style thick glue that not only held the models well, but dried completely clear. In fact, almost as clear as the plastic itself.
I want a triangular formation for these aircraft, so they are glued to a triangular base. Behind them in the photo, already bent into shape, is their movement base.
Here's another view, to give you an idea of the size of the movement base compared to the planes:
The triangular base is my preference, but not always possible with large formations. During the basing-up, I put some aircraft in formations, and mounted others singly, or in pairs. That enables me to adjust the number if any are shot down.
