Rinse, Lather, Repeat
The bombers make a return trip to the paint depot - and the long wings prove to be a minor obstacle, as I can't fit them into the flask which I usually use for acetone. But, after soaking half of the aircraft at a time and some scrubbing with a toothbrush, we're back to square one with a black primer undercoat.
However, further research over at the IMPS Stockholm website and Urban Fredriksson's website shows that the underside of ETO aircraft were a neutral gray that is pretty close to Krylon's gray primer. In this case, I take some Model Master Schwartzgrau and mix it with flat white in a 3:1 ratio.
After the aircraft is painted, drybrushed, and touched up, I use a different brand of gloss clear coat and hold my breath. Success!! The result looks about where I want it, with a slightly ragged-looking finish that looks like it's been out in the sun for a little bit.
