Model Aircraft Thread (any scale)

[superberkut]

I saw only, "Scale Model", which refers to diecasts, and "Model 1/24 Thread", which refers to 1/24 scale plastic model cars, but I saw no aircraft model thread.

So, I am just curious: does anybody collect/build model aircraft kits, and if so, what models do you own/are building? I currently have a TBD-1 Devastator on hold, but most models I build are not of the greatest quality due to a lack of storage space.

Edit: This thread can also be used to share tips, projects, and ideas.

 

[ExigeEvan]

I made an airfix F-16 and Harrier GR7, and I have a half made F/A-18 SuperHornet that's been sitting in a show box for 4 years cause the Revell instructions are absolute balls.

Twas fun whiel it lasted, though poly cement fumes are a pain.

 

[superberkut]

I made an airfix F-16 and Harrier GR7, and I have a half made F/A-18 SuperHornet that's been sitting in a show box for 4 years cause the Revell instructions are absolute balls.

Twas fun whiel it lasted, though poly cement fumes are a pain.

You should see the Testor's models, though: you have to be trilingual to understand them, literally, because the first few steps are written in English, then 4-11 is written in Spanish and Portugese, with no diagrams handy!

And, the cement fumes are terrible. That and a lack of time have gunned my projects down...

 

[Arkangel]

I finished up this B-2 bomber about a year or so ago. It's not the best job simply because it's the first model I've made completely by myself without my older brother.





Its not a plane, but I guess it could go in this thread. I got a model of the USS-Missouri for X-Mas last year and it's our current project. The number of pieces in this is absolutely ridiculous. IIRC it's somewhere in the 2000s

 

[High-Test]

I finished up this B-2 bomber about a year or so ago. It's not the best job simply because it's the first model I've made completely by myself without my older brother.





Its not a plane, but I guess it could go in this thread. I got a model of the USS-Missouri for X-Mas last year and it's our current project. The number of pieces in this is absolutely ridiculous. IIRC it's somewhere in the 2000s

Not bad!

OT: You're from Kansas!? Cool! What part?

 

[High-Test]

Here's the B-17G that's been sitting on the car jack from my old Lexus:

I randomly decided to "weather" the cowls. I ground up pencil lead and mixed it with oil based shoe cleaner. I'm not too sure that the vents in the wing after the engine are exhaust ports.. Where's Mike_Rotch when you need him?

I know the guns are blue. It was molded in dark gray, and my flat black randomly dried up. I tried for a steel-blue type color.

 

[Venom800tt]

I have a few planes that I have made over the years that range in scale from 1/144 to 1/48 scale. Ain't bought a plastic kit in a couple years though. Also the F-14 is a mod of my own that is still unfinished.

[dead links]

 

[High-Test]

Nice!

I had an F-105 in 1:48, but my neice broke the tail off of it. Now I can't find an F-105 ANYWHERE.

Does anyone also know if 1:48 B-24 Liberators are made?

 

[superberkut]

Nice!

I had an F-105 in 1:48, but my neice broke the tail off of it. Now I can't find an F-105 ANYWHERE.

Does anyone also know if 1:48 B-24 Liberators are made?

Here is a pre-built model:

http://item.express.ebay.co.uk/Toys-Games_Diecast-Vehicles__FRANKLIN-MINT-1-48-B24-LIBERATOR-COASTAL-COMMAND-NEW_W0QQitemZ320189752730QQihZ011QQddnZToysQ20Q26Q20GamesQQadnZDiecastQ20Q26Q20VehiclesQQptdiZ2314QQddiZ2144QQcmdZExpressItem

I didn't see any kits, but plenty 1:72 scale models exist, and the B-25 as well as the B-26 are common in 1:48.

It is a shame that this hobby is dying out, mainly due to the likes of... GT4!

 

[High-Test]

Damn. I could swear that Revell AG had a 1:48 kit not too long ago.

But thanks for the link. I've seen those before.. I just like the model kits so much more.

 

[superberkut]

Damn. I could swear that Revell AG had a 1:48 kit not too long ago.

But thanks for the link. I've seen those before.. I just like the model kits so much more.

Yup, die-cast models take away from the fun of having to build your own, though they may be nicer.

I thought they made it too, but I just checked Tower Hobbies, there is still a chance that you can find one.

Everyone reviews it, but none are for sale...

 

[dcalde78]

Unfortunately, I don't know the scale of these, but I have models of the Admiral Prune(Avro Lancaster), Memphis Belle(B-17F) and Enola Gay(B-29 Superfortress). I also have some Airfix Red Arrows to finish.

 

[Duke of Pendle]

This has taken to the air a few times (sweaty palms, white knuckles)

It's about 6ft wingspan, and has a 20cc RCV engine swinging a 13 inch 3-blade airscrew. Also retractable undercarriage.

 

[High-Test]

Beautiful Corsair sir. 👍

Just bought and assembled a P-38 Lightning in 1:48 scale. This has to be the lowest quality Revell kit I have ever seen. There wasnt enough plastic injected into the mold to complete the wingtip, I'll have to use a bunch of putty there. Also, the clear bits were shoddy and did NOT fit together like they were supposed to.

I built the Droop snoot version, which for some odd reason, came with no Norden bomb sight. I had to cut off part of the fuselage / wing section, and cut a hole into each nose panel for viewing holes.

I finally figured out why it was such a terrible kit: On the elevator, it is stamped "1964 Revell-Monogram" ..... Maybe they didn't clean the molds since then?

Still a fun, if very, very frustrating build. I live in an apartment in windy kansas, the spray I had bought was out of the question. So, I took a bunch of acrylic miniature paints and mixed them to best look like a test spray on a piece of newspaper. Acrylics.. dont work too well on plastic, but I managed. I needed to kick the enamel habit anyway. enamels suck for battletech minis. The panel gaps are huge, partly my fault and partly the kit's, but not bad at all for my first effort in nearly three years.


Hell. I hate photobucket. I'll do imageshack in a sec. :grumbles:

Okay. I'm fed up. I'll update with pics tonight. I'm paying for 15 Mbps, I'm getting 56k.

 

[Venom800tt]

I picked up this the other day:


^ That happens to be one of my favorite Cold War era fighters...

 

[High-Test]

Ooh. F-106.

👍👍

 

[Slick6]

Cool. Our local air base had F-106's for 25 years before they were replaced with F-15's. We still have one on static display.

 

[High-Test]

Cool. Our local air base had F-106's for 25 years before they were replaced with F-15's. We still have one on static display.

There's an F-4 Phantom II ON A STICK in Fargo. You crazy northerners.

 

[Venom800tt]

Here are a couple WIP pics of the F-106 so far:

 

[Venom800tt]

And here is another one I picked up the other day, a 1/72 scale Italeri F-8E Crusader. Still not finished, but it has been modified a tad, mainly in the form of a non-standard color

I am also planning on restoring some of my oooold models I built back in the day. Gonna start with a 1/144 Revell B-58 Hustler and 1/72 Revell F-117 Nighthawk.

 

[Venom800tt]

Aaaand a massive update on my model aircraft collection...
I started with that F-106, and now I have this:

From left to right, top to bottom:
1/48 Vought V-173 "Flying Pancake" (Sword)
1/48 North American T-28B Trojan (Revell)
1/48 Vought F4U-4 Corsair (Revell)
1/48 Bell UH-1C "Huey Hog" (Revell, built years ago)
1/48 Mil Mi-24D Hind (Revell)
1/48 Convair F-106A Delta Dart (Revell)

1/72 Lockheed TF-104G Starfighter (Matchbox, built years ago, then recently modded it)
1/72 Vought F-8E Crusader (Italeri)
1/72 McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II (Hasegawa)
1/72 Grumman F-14D Super Tomcat (Dragon Wings, pre-built diecast bought a couple years ago)
1/72 Martin B-57B Canberra (Revell)
1/72 North American B-25B Mitchell (Revell)

1/144 McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II (Academy)
1/144 McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle (Academy)
1/100 B.A.C. Lightning F Mk.6 (Tamiya)
1/72 Lockheed D-21A "Tagboard" (Revell, built years ago)
1/72 North American P-51D Mustang (AEROart, pre-built diecast)
1/72 Cessna A-37B Dragonfly (Hasegawa)
1/72 North American Rockwell OV-10D Bronco (Academy)
1/72 North American X-15A2 (Revell)


I also have these two WIP's:
1/48 Grumman F-14D Super Tomcat (Revell)

1/100 Vought A-7A Corsair II (Tamiya)

And finally these four unbuilt kits:

 

[Speedster502]

I used to have about 20 of the things all attached to my ceiling. Then I grew out of them, noticed that they constantly were gathered dust and were a pain to clean. Then got rid of them. They were fun to make, but I just couldn't see the fascination anymore. Plus because they were all shoddily made.

 

[a6m5]

Crusader and Delta? Weird. But I do like the Crusaders, too. My favorite throwback would be the Phantoms, especially the Japan Air-Self Defense Force one. I've built more than a couple of F4 models in my time......

High Test's models are probably amazing looking, but it's a little hard to tell from those pictures! And that RC Corsair is just epic. I don't think I could ever built something like that, knowing that I'm gonna end up flying it. That would be scary!

 

[Duke]

If you fly RC, you get used to it. You just have to tell yourself from the start that it's going to crash at some point. That's why I never really went in for scale RC, even though they look great. I've seen some insanely realistic scale flyers, but stand-off scale is about as close as I'd ever get.

 

[a6m5]

I'd imagine they are much harder to fly as well. Much more fun to watch them fly, than to actually fly one yourself.

 

[Venom800tt]

Crusader and Delta? Weird. But I do like the Crusaders, too. My favorite throwback would be the Phantoms, especially the Japan Air-Self Defense Force one. I've built more than a couple of F4 models in my time......

High Test's models are probably amazing looking, but it's a little hard to tell from those pictures! And that RC Corsair is just epic. I don't think I could ever built something like that, knowing that I'm gonna end up flying it. That would be scary!

Crusader is one of my favorite Vietnam era fighter jets. It amazingly stayed in service with the USN as a recon platform till 1988 or so. Although, the French continued to use it well into the 1990's, if not the early 2000's, I believe only recently being replaced by the Dassault Rafale M. Anyway I need to get the F-14D and A-7A out of the way, so I can get started on the F/A-18E.

And I really want an r/c plane, but ain't ready to spend the money to buy one at the moment, nor do I know anywhere to fly one that is close by. Not to mention it is too hot to by flying one

 

[Duke]

I'd imagine they are much harder to fly as well. Much more fun to watch them fly, than to actually fly one yourself.

It depends. Some of the really good scale guys also build excellent flying models that are strong and light too, but some are heavy and not well put together inside. It's tough to make it look like it has a realistic power-to-weight ratio, too.

But this is coming from a guy who flew a SIG Kadett (designed to be a slow, very stable trainer model) with clipped wings, a shortened nose, and about 3x the power it was designed for.

And I really want an r/c plane, but ain't ready to spend the money to buy one at the moment, nor do I know anywhere to fly one that is close by. Not to mention it is too hot to by flying one

Look into electric park flyers. They can be had for not too much money, are usually mostly prefab, and can be flown in a small space.

 

[FLASH48]

Hey a6m5 if you are looking for fairly cheap plane check the Wild Hawk. Made of foam and easy to repair, also good beginner plane. We fly at schools football fields here in Alaska.

 

[a6m5]

Wow, Duke. Knowing how much you love real planes, I guess I really shouldn't be surprised by how much you are into the remote controlled ones, too. 👍

Hey a6m5 if you are looking for fairly cheap plane check the Wild Hawk. Made of foam and easy to repair, also good beginner plane. We fly at schools football fields here in Alaska.

I'm not really into RC planes, but that one does look like fun. Affordable, too.

I do occasionally fly little toy choppers. They are a lot of fun for the money.

 

[Venom800tt]

lol, I work on real planes for a living
Anyway maybe come winter or so I may attempt to obtain a simple park flier r/c plane. But, in the meantime I will continue working on plastic kits
Should have an update later tonight too...