1/1000 Domelaze III-02

This stage of the build includes several tight and awkward areas where airbrushing can be difficult, either because coverage is limited or because overspray becomes a risk. To keep the finish as clean and consistent as possible, I continued with the same build-and-paint approach used in the first stage of the project.

The next section to be painted was the lower missile housing, which was finished before the missiles were installed. It was first primed and then sprayed with Vallejo Model Air UK Azure Blue. The missiles themselves were painted in Satin Black and glued into place once they had dried.

On the underside of the front hull there is a vented recessed section that needed to be painted before final assembly, as it sits deep within the hull and would be much harder to reach cleanly later on. Both this recessed piece and the surrounding area were sprayed with black primer, followed by UK Azure Blue.

As mentioned earlier, attempting to airbrush neatly into this recess after assembly would have been unnecessarily difficult, so completing it at this stage made the process far more manageable.

With those areas completed, it was time to assemble the front hull. Because of the size of the parts, pegs and clamps were not especially practical, so I used a set of thick rubber bands from my toolbox to hold everything securely while the glue cured. At this stage, I also fitted the upper gun turret mount.

Once the assembly had dried, a few small gaps and some glue marks were visible, but these will be cleaned up and addressed in a later stage of the build.

Attention then turned to the substantial rear hull section. Before committing to an assembly, I always spend some time studying the instructions and examining the parts so I can decide on the most effective order for construction and painting. In this case, the main hull is made up of two large sections, along with numerous inserts and smaller detail pieces.

One of the key areas that needed to be completed before the hull halves were joined was the main rear engine section. The exhaust nozzles were painted Satin Black prior to installation.

The surrounding areas on both sides, where the engine exhausts would be fitted, were then sprayed with black primer and UK Azure Blue. Once prepared, the exhausts were glued into position and left to set.

While those components were drying, I painted the rear insert piece (I11), which sits between the exhausts, in UK Azure Blue. The set of five missiles in the lower hull was also finished using the same process as the earlier sets, helping to maintain a consistent look across the build.

With that complete, the large rubber bands came out once again and the rear hull was glued together. One of the strengths of approaching the build in this order is the contrast it creates: the dark exhausts stand out sharply against the blue hull, giving the rear section a much stronger visual impact.