hi ya!

what is the proper way (sequence ) to make a model plane??

e.g 1/48 Me110

do you paint each part while it is still on the sprue? or do ya put it together then paint the whole thing?

I know that the standard that people achieve is EXCELLENT when it comes to this kind of thing, so it must be technique and experience...and lots of patience!

They make model planes & tank & ships....and there's no mistakes!

how do they do it??!!

look forward to your response

Paul

Well if you do paint it one the sprue you only have to touch up a few small places once it's cut off and you don't have to worry about losing pieces. And patience is a must. I used to build models but haven't touched a kit in probably 10 years.

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Look at your parts and go over the model as soon as you get it out of the packaging. Design a painting plan.
Because you will be painting while it's on the sprue, after you put some parts together, again after the whole kit is assembled and more touch up and painting to complete the project.
How you go about it may be different each time depending on what kid of parts there are and what kind of model it is.
I'd recommend getting three or four cheepie models and experimenting on how to come up with an assembly plan- just to get a feel for it. Then start in on serious models.

I've modeled aircraft, spacecraft and HO trains- Painting just takes experimentation...

For example, on an HO set I was working on, one complaint I had was that real cars have rust and rain damage and mud and dust and grease...
If you take a light brown spray can and spray directly on the car, the gobs of mud (Paint drops) would be 8 inches across to scale! Way too big. So you set your car to be painted, then spray the spray can at a piece of cardboard tilted in front of the car. The "dust" knocked up from the cardboard hits the car and makes perfect mud- but this also wastes a lot of paint doing it. Gotta sacrifice sometimes too to get a good paint job.

I haven't modelled in years but I've been thinking about it lately. I'd also answer, "it depends". Many parts are easier to paint on the sprue...but not all. For instance, some parts are intended to be assembled into a unified whole, so assembly, joint-filling & smoothing, then painting is the way to go. Like Neverfly wrote, read through the assembly instructions and make a plan to make things easier on yourself.

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Brett
Peters Creek, Alaska

This is a proper model - plane.

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At night the stars put on a show for free (Carole King)

One Earth, One Sky - IYA 2009

Check out those pontoons.

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I wonder how long of an antenna you'd need.

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"Because space is a vacuum and that's a lot of suck." I replied.
(Actual quote)---

Its not how long your antenna is, its what kind of reception you get.

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At night the stars put on a show for free (Carole King)

One Earth, One Sky - IYA 2009

Haven't made a model plane for quite some time, but I used to paint mine last, after smoothing down the glue and keying the plastic slightly.
Patience plays a big part in it, never rush the painting EVER! Best time to do it is when you have plenty of time and not tired and no interuptions, mistakes can be made.

chrissy

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Great minds discuss ideas,average minds discuss events,small minds discuss people.Admiral Hyman Rickover.USN.

"Make the most of every day like it could be your last, enjoy each others companyas this will make good memories for when we pass". chrissy

Is this a free flying model?

I'm a total nerd in this area having built hundreds of model planes (injection molded kits, vacuforms, and scratch built - mostly 1:72nd and some 1:48th scale, and won awards, building model planes off and on, over the years.

In a very basic beginning guideline:

Use an x-acto knife to remove parts as you need them. Some parts might come off easily but don't twist them off as this will require you to fix imperfections later. (If it happens, relax. You can always repair it later.) Remove little bumps and "burrs" left behind on parts carefully with x-acto knife.

Paint cockpit interiors and inside places on the plane before assembly - as this is a first model I'd advise flat (matte) black but some modelers are sticklers for accuracy and will spend more on (for example) the authentic interior German Me 110 factory color, and research all colors. Larger scale models require more detail in the cockpit too. But its OK to 'leave an impression' of more detail rather than photographic realism that you may not see once the canopy is in place.

Follow the instructions with the kit and you will likely be painting wheels, props, engine parts, exhaust stacks, seats, the tail wheel rubber part, and the inside portions of upper wing halves (if your model is to sit on its under carriage.) You'll use various colors but black is usually for tires, machine guns and prop blades. Silver for landing gear legs.

Expect the unexpected during assembly. Fuselage halves are always tricky. Glue can be applied sparingly all around the edge of one side. You'll have about 5 minutes to apply glue and put the halves together. Test fit things before gluing them.

The art here is to try not to let glue flow out over the outside portion where the detail is. A little glue can fall into the unseen interior. You'll have a few bumps of glue on the part edge, so lightly use a tooth pick, gently slid inwardly to push any excess glue down along the seam of fuselage and wing halves.

Use rubber bands and small clamps to hold together fuselages, wings, nacelles, tail rudders, etc. Allow to dry. (It takes several days to build a good model before painting it.

(The stuff above comes easier with practice.)

When the plane starts to take shape, and you've just glued the wings in place, close one eye and hold up the model, it's nose facing you. Check to see if the wings are at the correct symmetrical angle with each other. If not, make slight adjustments. You might have to place it so that the wings or tail planes are propped up against various things (stacks of coins, little boxes, etc.) to make sure they dry symmetrically and that the wheels, when you add them, are straight.

After all this, you might need to apply a little putty on seams and lightly sand with the softest "wet & dry" sand paper.

Painting - This is actually fun because you can research a bit and decide what squadron or theater of operation; Europe, North Africa, Russian front, that you want the model to depict.
You can find authentic colors for your model via Google online or the local hobby shop.

Air brushing is popular but there's nothing wrong with brushing on the paint. Remember to use good, soft brushes - small for details and a bit larger, flat brushes for surfaces. With brushed on paint - stir stir stir to avoid thick paint and brush marks on the model.

The canopy (which is a challenge on the Me 110) usually goes on last. Paint first than carefully glue on the plane. Remember too that you might have to scrape off earlier painted areas on the plane so glue will melt the plastic and stick. On the Me 110 canopy, with a small brush you can actually match colors and paint the bars, then rub out excess with a tooth pick before it dries .

You'll learn more as you go - don't expect perfection, remember its the art of it - and have fun. When the model is completed and fantastic, don't forget to pick it up and fly it around the room before gently "landing" in the display case.

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"Insignificant molehill sometimes more important than conspicuous mountain." - Charlie Chan

Just to add - potentially useful to thin the paint too, if there's fine surface texture on the model that you don't want to be washed out by too thick paint.

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On brush painting: after years of doing it wrong, I finally learned the correct way to avoid brush marks. The trick is to not try to spread out the wet paint. Instead, you should touch your brush to an unpainted spot and pull the brush into the wet paint you've already applied.

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"How many times have you gone rooting through your junk drawer, muttering to yourself, 'where'd I put that gun?'"

Positive bouyancy is very important when you're wading through unfamiliary waters. What I found interesting was how far forward they were beyond the wing root. Probably that way to keep from nose-diving during take-offs and landings in rough water.

Of course the model holding the model is cute, but she's probably the underage daughter of the modeler, so we won't go there...

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I am Mugs, of the Alien clan of Usa, Nordamerica, a Terran, of Sol. Human.

Whoever says "perception is reality" is daft. It's merely an abstraction, and often not a very good one.

Hi ,
Well,sir, ya get yerself a balsa kit where the parts are just ink stamped onto a thin sheet, and you have to cut them out by hand real carefull-like, see?
And ya have to be real carefull cutting and sanding all those notches that the stringers go through, and fit nice.
And you need aircraft glue....hot fuel-proof is the good stuff. I always used Duco or Ambroid.
Then, you have to cover it with Jap Tissue, a most satisfying task.
Or....you can use silkspan and mist-shrink it on to the fuselage and wings.
Then you paint it. And you balance it. And wait for a proper day to fly it.
A six foot glider called a "Super Condor" came in a box about the size of a spagheti box. If you do it right, it flies beautifully. Don't get too agressive pulling the tow-line or you fold the wings in half.
That's building , and it is a load of fun.

" Balsa....it flies better! "

Best regards, Dan

This is true. My first attempt made out of Oak seemed to have taken heavy damage from AA and I buried her where she made the crater.

Hi, Ah yes. But there "are" places where we incorporate a few dedicated pieces of hard wood... center wing spars , rubber band crush points,
dowel pins for rubber powered models, we employ judicious amounts of stronger wood where appropriate. Some guys use an old golf graphite shaft for
fuselages or even wing spars. It gets creative.
" In 1879, Henson and Stringfellow flew a rubber powered model over 650
meters before encountering an obstruction. "

Flying models and their creation continues to be an admired educational tool
and a deserving hobby for anyone interested in fun and engineering. You are bound to learn a great many things.

Best regards, Dan

Here is a good site to visit where the denizens are more that willing to share their tips:

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/forumdisplay.php?f=4

My gallery there:

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showgall...0/ppuser/28813

Another good site:

http://www.swannysmodels.com/

tbm

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Paddle faster!! I hear banjo music!!

Hi, I might add....if you are building non-powered mod