Pacific Pilot Down

by Suresh Nathan

Introduction

Okay, okay so it’s been 3 years since the last article and I’m in danger of losing my only place on the server.

The idea was to sculpt a figure to go with a downed F4 Wildcat. The enemy is laying in wait and our hero needs to defend himself – you get the picture. The story is based on the accounts of Joe Foss who in 1943 became the first US ace in WWII. He had been shot down and was retired from active service due to malaria. He would spot a scraggy goatee and cigar when flying – quite the character!

First a trip to the USS Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York for a spot of research:

Done!

Method

Next the technique as described before. The figure is considerably more complex than the German pilot in my earlier article but all that means is more steps.

Wire armature. Concentrate on proportion and poise.

Fleshing in. The stock figure head was too small so I cut his jaw off (ouch!) and re-sculpted his lower face.

Boots, sleeves and collar. Crew-cut.

Clothes and headgear. Note the tears in the pants - appropriate for a downed pilot but don’t overdo it!

Parachutes, life vest, goggle base, sidearm base, and holster.

Detailing of goggles, straps and parachute. Water bottle started.

Final detailing of water bottle, parachute, sidearm, holster, headgear and chinstrap before priming.

Final priming. When using epoxy putty like milliput, the finish can be rough. Primer ensures that surface imperfections are smoothed over. I use the stuff from Tamiya. The thick stuff can obscure the details that you tried so hard to create

Conclusions

There you have it. The pilot was painted with Vallejo acrylics – a departure from my usual preference for oil on acrylic. I’ll be putting it into a diorama next – might want to leave this as a stand-alone, though.

Reference

Aircraft of the aces – legends of World War II. Wyllie I and Holmes T. Osprey Publishing 2003.

© Suresh Nathan 2004