James,

Tough question because for me at least, it's different with every plane. Some, I have the paint scheme worked out before I start building it. Others, I don't know until I'm looking at the covered and prepped frame. Generally, I let the shapes of the plane suggest the paint scheme. I'm always looking for color combinations that I like and those can come from just about anywhere. Patriotic paint schemes are always popular. Claus Maikus did a great series in Stunt News a few years ago on designing paint schemes. It would be worthwhile to check that out. (Hopefully someone will come up with the year and issue).

Ultimately, it's an individual choice. The scheme and color choices are a reflection of you. What I think is cool may not be what you would choose.

James, I take colored pencils and draw several types of graphics and find the one that really fits the shape of your plane, It really works for me this way you  dont end up with a design that you are not real happy with as a finished product! Hope this helps! Terry

Look at websites and not just airplanes, or models. I can thumb through the Tower catalog and see cool color combinations on R/C trucks, cars, battery chargers, etc., besides airplanes. In fact, their airplanes generally don't have very cool color combinations or graphics. A lot of the Giant Scale aerobatic models have very good graphics that will adapt easily to stunters. R/C truck graphics don't generally adapt as easily to airplanes, but the color combinations are great. Start with the urls for advertisers in Model Aviation.  If you're a NASCAR fan, you might look at the color schemes on race cars but there again, the graphics don't adapt easily, and it's more difficult now, with most cars having several major sponsors vs. one.

The site Ty gave is also a great idea for the swoops and such. That particular one has moved from the West Coast (central Calif, I think) to Texas, but they came to our NW Hobby Expo when they were in California. Nice folks, too.  I guess if you sent them a set of plans, they would create a design and paint masks or film pieces to do it with. 

I'd like to hear about how to go about getting paint masks cut at sign shops. Make full sized templates, I suppose. What do you use for the templates, and how do you go about making them? And what material to ask for? Maybe for another thread.  Steve

I just wait until Wynn post a picture of his new ride, then I steal his ideas and claim the as my own. 

Just kidding... but I do look at other peoples planes, here and at the flying field. And figure out what I like, and don't like.
I am limited by my ability and the resources I have so I try and keep it simple. Sometime simple and clean look good.

But something like a S I think would need some shade of red?

Warren...
What an opportunity for a first class Jim Kostecky tribute paint job...for that new Formula S of yours.
That beautiful bold Red-white-Black paint scheme of Jim's really POPPED against that wind blown bright Blue sky at the 68 Olatha Kansas nats.

Those of us standing outside that circle that day...was BLOWN AWAY at just how beautifully Jim carved out one of the best patterns of the day in that high wind...and truly deserved his place on the winners board later that day with that beautiful FORMULA S of his.

If you look carefully beyond that fancy art work..and gaggles of inked panel lines...Jim's paint scheme is actually quite straight forward and COMPLIMENTS every line and contour of that beautiful piece of CLPA sky art.

Let's never forget that James...was an avid artist and highly skilled art teacher and when it came to a gifted ARTIST MINDS EYE, how rare indeed was this most coveted gift for any human being.

What greater gift could it be Warren...to see that new Formula S of yours...wearing that same paint scheme in memory and tribute to our "gone too soon" young man with a passion for artistic excellence...who just so happened to be one of the most gifted CLPA flyers of those jet style daze-days of the late 60's.

Shulzie,
 I loved Jim's "Spirit of America". Jim let me fly it after the 1969 Team Selections. He did not have pictures of the airplane, so I gave him a picture about a year before he died. I wish he could have seen your pictures.
It is a shame that details are not available, because I would have loved to build one.



Paint schemes can be a real hang up. It seems most look like the next one.

Not being overly artistic, I am certainly not an expert on the subject.

I personally feel that it should look more like a real airplane. So many stunters have very busy schemes, but there are only a very few full size airplanes like that.

The jet style airplanes usered in an era of over doing it. I worked most of my life in the Aerospace industry where we shaved rivet heads, and hid panel separations for aerodynamic reasons. While impressive to look at,  I have never seen a jet airplane with every rivet head painted black.

If the airplane is in the style of a fabric covered airplane, there are very few access panels, and generally the only fasteners are at the wing to fuselage fairings, the cowl, and the few access covers.  

Exhaust stains can look good, and dirt at the panel separations look good but can also be over done.

I look at trucks and race cars, and also everyone else's stunter. I like a tastefully done, well detailed airplane. But in the end, it is up to the eye of the beholder. Some will like it, some will not.

My "Jerseyan" color scheme is directly from the Purex sponsored Indy cars that Robby Buel and Sarah Fisher drove several years ago. I love that look and just had to use it.

Look at Randy Powell's new "Something Drastic". It is a perfect example of Simple, Elegant, Tastefull, and not over done.

Shultzie,

>>and keep the bats outta yer bellfree'building rooms<<

Man, I am never going to live that down. Thought I was safe this time of year when painting the last plane ... until my wife came into the house one evening last week and a bat flew in with her. Took me 20 minutes to track the little snot down and throw him out. Drove the monster cat I have crazy.

Shultzie,

"learn his airbrush painting craft... with QUALITY PRACTICE, PRACTICE TIME"

Are you crazy? Yes, I know that you are.

Practice consisted of a fast spray pattern on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. (Less than a minute).

Then held my breath and shot it.

The only downfall is that I had some slight damage on the first outing and touch up is tough. So it still needs touch up.

So James, did you decide on a paint scheme or did we just muddy the waters?

Personally,

I like the color and trim scheme of the original Formula S.  Just one thing though, unless you are also a Ukrainian leave off the logo that Says "The Ultimate Ukrainian"!

Jim Pollock   

So James, did you decide on a paint scheme or did we just muddy the waters?

Randy,

Finally came up with a paint scheme this weekend.  I sat down with my brother in law (makes his living as an artist) who is one of my flying buddies (he actually got me in to this after college ball was over and I was engaged to his sister).  Didn't go with a Thunderbird scheme or the original.  I told him the type of look I wanted and started sketching.  I'll post some pictures as I get some paint spraying. 

James