airfix airkraft 'how to' guide

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A great many of us spenthalf a childhood

engrossed in the building ofplastic construction kits. Manyof us left off the practice inour early teens, only toreturn years downthe line; many of usdeveloped theskills and carriedon modelling into adulthood,while there will be some readingthis for whom building modelaircraft is a new and excitingfield in which to experiment.

Just as the modelling industrycaters for all ages and skill levels,so it is the intention of this guideto offer hints and tips that will beof benefit to all modellers – thebeginners, the returnees and thegreybeards. While it sets out tooffer the maximum assistance tothose with the least experience,the nature of the material is suchthat there should be somethingfor everyone. Culled from ten

years reading SAMI,the collective

wisdom ofthat journal’sreview team, andthe pooled talentsof the York andDistrict PlasticModellers Society,Airkraft does not claim to be afont of all knowledge. Rather itaims to collate all the good ideasand inventions that its authorhas stumbled upon in the yearssince he was reintroduced to thehobby by the chance gift of anAirfix Hawker Hurricane someyears ago.

While it is both hoped andintended to present the modeller

with useful and practical tips, itis also the aim of this guide todemystify some of the acceptedtenets of the hobby, and allowthose for whom there are notenough hours in the day tosimply get the job done to theirown satisfaction, and to producemodels in which they can takepride, whether they are buildingthem with a thousand flyinghours under their belt, or barelya handful.

Who better, then, to presentthese pearls in conjunction with,than Airfix themselves, whosecontribution to the modellingfraternity has surpassed allothers, and whose very name isan international

byword for model kits. Airfixtoo offer something foreveryone. From their ground-breaking 1/24 scale aircraft kitsto the wargaming range, withwhich they are bringing a newgeneration of modellers into thefold, Airfix remain at the heart ofthe industry and SAMPublications is happy tostand there with them.

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© 2005 SAM Publications

Sponsored by:

Published by:SAM Publications

Media House, 21 Kingsway,Bedford MK42 9BJ

Tel: +44 (0) 8707 333373Fax: +44 (0) 8707 333744

E: [email protected]: sampublications.com

Written by: Gary Hatcher

Design: Simon Sugarhood

Kits, paints and tools: Airfix

Pre press: SAM Publications

Print production: Swan Print

© SAM Publications 2005All rights reserved. No part of

this publication may bereproduced or transmitted

(including posting to a website)in any form or by any means,

electronic or mechanical,including photocopy, recording,

or any other informationstorage and retrieval system,without prior permission inwriting from the publishers.

Normal retail price £15.99.

Available from December 2005.

Introduction

airkraftBACK TO BASICS

intermediate level

To the uninitiated the modelaircraft industry is a vast

and complex mess of jargon andterminology. A first glancethrough the unfamiliar pages ofa modelling journal will throwup terms like ‘resin’, ‘injection-moulded’, ‘vacform’ and a hostof others, along with endlesslists of replacement parts forwhich there seems to be noreason whatsoever. A degree ofdemystification is necessary.

Most of the mainstreamplastic kits are made by a processknown as ‘injection-moulding,’by which liquid plastic isinjected into a mould to formthe pieces of the kit. Frequentlyshortened to ‘injected’, thisprocess carries the mostexpensive manufacturing costsand hence is employed by the

larger companies who can becertain of large sales to recoupthe overheads. All the mostcommonly found kits will beinjection-moulded. The kits areusually crisply cast from hardplastic and come mounted onplastic frames known as sprues.

Some smaller manufacturersoffer injection-moulded kitsmade from cheaper moulds.Although these are generally ofcomparable quality, the mouldwill have a very short lifespan

and hence these products areknown as ‘limited-runinjection-moulded’ kits –frequently shortened to‘limited-run’.

Limited-run kits generallycan have heavy sprue gates (thepoints at which the kit part is

joined to the sprue) and smallerparts can sometimes be crude.More often than not thetransparent parts are vacuum-formed from thin acetate-typematerial, and will need to betrimmed carefully to fit themodel.

In the MarketplaceIn the Marketplace1.2

Injection-Moulded & Limited-Run Kits

Airfix’s injection moulded 1/48Sea Harrier F/A.21

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Crisp moulding is characteristic of the injection process2

Sprue gates are minimal and no flash is evident3

Limited-run kits are of comparative quality, but the shorter life spanof the mould necessitates a shorter production run4

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T he term ‘vacform’ is onethat will frequently crop

up. Vacuum-formed kits arecomparatively cheap toproduce, and can be easilyrecognised as all the parts areformed (by a vacuum process)out of sheets of plastic, andthis is the form in which theyare presented. They will needto be carefully cut out andtidied up before constructioncan begin. Not as commonnow as they were before resinkits came into vogue, themethod was frequentlyemployed to kit esotericsubjects for which only limitedsales could be envisaged.Vacforming is also used tomanufacture additionalcomponents – especiallycanopies – at an economic costto the manufacturer.

Cast resin kits have replacedvacforms by and large. Resin is,again, usually employed to kitunusual subjects, sales of whichcould not be guaranteed torecoup the cost of injectionmoulds. Canopies with thesekits are usually vacformed, andit is the inclusion of these thatfrequently sees resin kitsmarginalized by enthusiasts, as

an additional degree of skill isneeded to master them.

Resin kits are assembled withsuperglue, as opposed to the

usual polystyrene cementemployed with plastic kits. Thisgives them a distinct advantageover other types, as the gluesets in seconds, and parts donot need to be set aside to dry.Resin parts also clean up veryquickly, although there isfrequently a large casting lugattached to them which will

need to be removed withcaution, lest small delicate partsbecome damaged.

In the Marketplace

Many resin kitsfeature solid cast fuselages,which can be too heavy for theundercarriage provided. Thiscan cause the model to sagover a period of time. Somemanufacturers, such as CMR,are now providing additionalinjection-moulded items, butmany older kits may requirewhite metal replacements. TheAeroclub range is a first stopfor many of these.

Weak at the knees

Resin and Vacform Kits1.3

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Contrail were among theearliest producers of vacform kits1

CMR’s resin kit of the Vampire T.223

Broplan still produce quality vacforms. Here are the sheets of partsfor their Heinkel HD 242

T here are three main factorsaffecting the demand for

accessories. Firstly, theprohibitive costs of tooling mayhave resulted in a kit beingover-simplified in some areas.Cockpits and wheel wellsfrequently need extra detail,likewise bomb bays, turrets orother areas on a kit that themodeller may choose to openup or enhance. Manufacturingparts from scratch is an option,but it can be easier and quickersimply to buy some of themany excellent productsavailable that will do the job foryou. Injection moulding is anexpensive process, withorigination costs approachingfour figures for each kit partoffered, which is oneexplanation for the frequentabsence of components that the

modeller might otherwise haveexpected to find. Pilots andcrew figures are generally thefirst casualties of the cost-cutting exercise. Manufacturershave long since realised thatthey are rarely used.

Secondly, the original toolingmay have been inaccurate or

incorrect. In this case, manyaftermarket items simplyreplace the kit parts directly, orwith a little corrective surgery.Items such as wheels orpropellers may be incorrect,and while this is sometimes notimmediately apparent to themore casual enthusiast, theparts are available for those

who prefer greater degrees ofaccuracy. Serious considerationshould be given beforeundertaking this kind ofcorrective surgery, andmodellers must decide whetheror not their skills will allow themodification to be madewithout causing worseproblems than the work wasintended to correct. Accuracy atthe expense of artistry is,ultimately a matter for theindividual.

Thirdly, the modeller maywish to convert a kit to adifferent variant of the parentsubject – for instance a simpleAirwaves resin conversion setwill allow you to convert theAirfix Spitfire Vb to a SeafireIa, while more involved sets canbe obtained for bigger jobs, likethe Avro York conversion fromCMR, which can be used withthe Airfix Lancaster.


Why Accessorise?

It is second nature to modellers to buy and hoardaccessories that they will never use. Remember that any enjoymentderived from the hobby is value for money – even the simplepleasure taken in opening a box and rummaging through the sprues– and amassing a collection of etched brass and resin that younever seem to get round to using is entirely normal.

Only a fraction of the kits and accessories bought will ever bebuilt, but shopping is all part of the fun.

Impulse Buying

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Older kits tend to feature fewer parts and will benefit from extra detail1

CMR’s set to convert the Airfix Lancaster to an Avro York2

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E tched brass sets are themost widespread and

popular form of additionaldetailing. Eduard and Airwaveshave huge ranges, whichinclude sets to build up cockpitinteriors for most mainstreamkits. Brass can be tricky to usedue to the very small size ofsome of the parts, but the detailthat can be achieved isgenerally worth the effort.

Particularly useful are thebrass seatbelt sets, which bythemselves can make a world ofdifference to an aircraft’sinterior. Also of note is thegrowing trend for pre-paintedsets, which can save a lot oftime and enhance a kitconsiderably.

One downside with brass isthe fact that all pieces will be

two dimensional – this doesmean that some items such asaerial masts or internal tubularstructures may not bear up toscrutiny, and are not alwaysbetter than the parts they areintended to replace.

Cast resin sets are also veryeffective, but the range tends tobe narrower. Resin is themedium favoured forreplacement items such aswheels, exhausts, controlsurfaces and other largerindividual items such asejection seats, bombs, propellerspinners and engines.Remarkable detail can beachieved with resin casting, andalthough they tend not to be

the cheapest of accessories theyhave the advantage over brassin that three-dimensionalobjects can be made, and itemssuch as cockpit walls generallycome as a completed item,rather than numerous tinybrass components.

Brass and resin are best usedin conjunction, and manymanufacturers of injection-moulded kits now offer both asextras. The expression ‘multi-media’ is applied to suchproducts, and they frequentlyoffer significant value formoney.

In the Marketplace

It would be wrong tosuppose that all kits of thesame aircraft type are thesame size. Most detail sets arenon-generic, and will bedesigned to fit a specificmanufacturer’s kit. Make sureyou know what you are buyingbefore committing to apurchase.

Get the right set

Etched Brass and Resin1.5

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Pre-painted etched frets are becoming increasingly common1

Conversion and detail setsmake good use of resin2

O ne of the commonest andmost important ranges of

accessories are vacformcanopies. Many older kits,manufactured up to forty yearsago, feature transparencies thatare ill-fitting, scratched andpitted, and by no means astransparent as one might expect.

The canopy on an aircraft isthe ‘make-or-break’ factor. Likethe eyes on a face, it is the partthat draws the eye, and abadly-moulded globule, suchas might be found in a ‘classic’kit, can be the undoing of a lotof hard work. Vacformcanopies have the advantage ofbeing much clearer thaninjection-moulded plastic; theyare also wafer thin, andconsequently can be posedopen without lookingridiculous – bear in mind thata 2mm plastic rim on an opencanopy in 1/72 equates to 6inches on the real thing.

Of course there is adownside to vacforms. Theyhave to be cut to shape andsize, and consequently are

subject to a number of variablefactors, most of which willdepend upon the skill of theindividual modeller.

White metal, or pewter, partsare popular and useful. TheAeroclub range is notable for itsejection seats, wheels andundercarriage parts, as well as anumber of other items. Metalparts, although harder to workwith, have the advantage ofstrength, and the alloysemployed are soft enough to befiled and sanded without toomuch problem.


Vacforms and White Metal

Using white metalejection seats and propellerscan add useful weight to anaircraft that is sittingobstinately on its tail,especially in the case of solidresin kits, or those where thereis limited space to insertsufficient nose weight.

Heavy Metal

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There is no avoiding vacform canopies these days1

A commendable scalethickness can be achieved2 White metal ejection seats will

also add useful nose-weight3

Aeroclub’s range allows for all kinds of conversion and detail4

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D ecals are those things thatused to be called transfers

– the markings that you end upputting on the model to give itan identity. These are frequentlyeither inadequate or incorrect inkits, and there are literallyhundreds of aftermarket sheetsavailable, covering a vast rangeof subjects that will allowmodellers to depict the aircraftof their choice. Most importantamong these are the genericsheets of letters, numbers and

national markings, which willallow whole squadrons of asingle aircraft type to bemodelled with ease. Items likeGerman Swastikas, which arefrequently not included on kitdecal sheets, can be obtained, ascan a wide variety of aircrews’personal markings such assharkmouths, cartoon charactersand even naked ladies.

Older kits will very oftencontain unusable decal sheetsthat are brown with age, andneed replacements. Sadly, thereare contemporarymanufacturers around whose

decals are so bad they are simplyunusable, while others areplagued with problems ofregister. Colours can bemisaligned, smudged or inmany cases simply wrong.

Many of these decal rangescarry instruction sheets that areso good they are as valuable asthe decals themselves. The sadlydiscontinued Modeldecal rangewas one such, and these itemsshould be snapped up wheneverthey are stumbled upon in thesecondhand market.

In the Marketplace

Hold a decal sheetup to the light and look at thecarrier film – the transparentoverlay that holds the transfertogether, and which isfrequently the root of so manyproblems. Decal sheets thatoffer all-over carrier film fromwhich items need to be cutmay be regarded withsuspicion, as the edge of thefilm around the decal needs tobe chamfered to allow it toblend in with the model, andunless great care is takendecals cut from a continuousfilm may be surrounded byvisible raised lines.

Look at the film

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Modeldecals excellentinstruction sheets are sorelymissed

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There are plenty of products around to replace them with2

Old kit decals may not have withstood the test of time1

You may be content to buildfrom the box, and will need

to look no further than theinstructions. On the other hand,you may find that shortcomingsin the chosen kit lead you to lookfurther afield to correct them.Reference material is available toenable almost any aircraft to beaccurately modelled down to thetiniest detail, not only for thephysical detail of the machineitself, but for individual histories

of machines and the people whoflew them. No subject nowadaysis too obscure for manufacturersand publishers, and whilemainstream types are bettercatered for – there are countlesstitles, for instance, on the Spitfireand the P-51 – even an aircraft asunloved as the Fairey Battle hasbeen documented for modellingposterity.

Modelling magazines provideinvaluable reference material,more so than books frequently,as they tend to gear their contenttowards a specific kit-build, andvery often provide a one-stoppoint of reference for a givenproject. A set of Scale AviationModeller International backissues is a priceless modellingencyclopaedia.

Nowadays, of course, there is

also the Internet, which hasenabled the modeller to accessalmost any piece of informationat the push of a button – alwaysprovided, of course, that they askthe right question.

Thanks to the continuingefforts of manufacturers andpublishers in all the areasmentioned above, the modelling

scene has been transformed.Nowadays we can build anymachine from any period, in anychosen colour scheme, and bereasonably certain that we havegot it right.

The sky, it would be fair tosay, is no longer the limit.


References

Using theinstructions from one kit canhelp to add detail to another. Amodeller wishing to addscratchbuilt detail to an old1/72 FROG kit, for instance,may find the kit instructionsfor a more modern offering in alarger scale provide somebasic ideas for the generalinterior layout of their chosensubject that they may havedifficulty finding elsewhere.

Instructions

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…that has ever flown3

Reference material can be found…1

…for virtually anything…2

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T ools and associatedmaterials are, of course,

some of the basic necessities ofmodelling, but it is easy to gotoo far and wind up acquiringan awful lot of items that youdo not really need. While thereare certain specialist tools thatwill crop up throughout thecourse of this guide, there are anumber of essential items that itwill be necessary to obtain inorder to get started.

Obviously the make-up of atool kit is a matter of personaltaste, but some items areuniversal.

1 ScalpelsThere are plenty of modellingand craft knives on the market.None are as practical or easy tofind blades for as the basicSwann-Morton design. Even forthis there is a wide variety ofblades. In reality the modelleronly needs three — the 10, the10a and the 11. The 10 has arounded end, which can be usedin a rolling motion withoutlifting the blade. The 10a isuseful for slicing or paring, whilethe pointed 11 is essential whenaccuracy is needed. Buy threehandles rather than switchblades too often. Better still buyfour, and keep a blunt number10 on one to use as a pallet knifefor filler.

2 SnipsCutters, whatever you choose tocall them. These are essential forcutting parts from sprues, or fortrimming any large excessmaterials.

3 TweezersGet the finest ones you can.They will need flat, notrounded, ends.

4 DrillsA small twist drill will be usefulon many occasions – althoughnot nearly as many as you mightexpect. Be advised that nothingis easier than mislaying a tiny(and expensive) drill bit on an

untidy cutting mat.Of course for many modellers

the acquisition of tools is simplyan end in itself, and this is to beencouraged. Bear in mind,though, that cutting cornerswith the basic necessities inorder to acquire less crucialitems will only end up wasting alot of time and effort in the longrun. Good tools will last alifetime, and a sound initial

investment will leave you free tospend your modelling budgetfilling up your loft with unbuiltkits instead.

Getting Started

A tea tray co-optedinto a portable worktop canallow you to stray from themodelling bench and practisethe dark art in front of the TV,where you can snip, file andsand in comfort. Likewise asmall portable tool kit and aset of sprues to prep is auseful addition to one’sluggage on any long journey.

Modular Modelling

Tools – 12.1

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Swann Morton Blades. Top tobottom – 10, 10A and 111

Crucial items for pruning downsprue trees2

Miniature twist drill4

Tweezers for all occasions3

O nce you have cut, snipped,hacked, chopped and

drilled at the model to yoursatisfaction you will need totidy things up. Variousproducts are applicable here.

1 Wet-and-dry paperKeep a supply of various gradeshandy. Once wet it will bendand twist into all but the mostinaccessible corner, and takesoff more plastic with less fussthan anything else. One smallpiece can go a very long way,and can be rinsed out under atap and re-used.

2 FilesA set of fine files can be handyfor tidying up apertures, but

are just as likely to standunmolested for weeks on end.Keep a larger file handy forgrinding up pastel chalks andother weathering aids.

3 Fibreglass buffing stickThese items are extremelyhandy for putting a finishingtouch to difficult areas. Thebusiness end has some of theflexibility of a small brush,while at the same time it canclean up nicely in many of theparts the wet-and-dry won’treach, such as the areas at thebase of struts, aerials etc.

4 MicromeshMicromesh abrasive pads comein an assortment of grades, andare an essential item for anymodeller. They can be used in avariety of buffing, sanding andpolishing chores, but mostimportantly they can be used toremove scratches and marksfrom damaged canopytransparencies – this is what thestuff was designed for, polishingwindows on the real things!Little Cars.com market a set ofpads in a handy case, and this isworth any amount of miniaturelathes, drills and grinding

implements. Remember – anytool that can undo the damageyou are likely to wreak on yourunsuspecting kit may beregarded as a friend indeed.

5 Toothpaste For minor polishing tasks,toothpaste will do a passablejob. Use with a soft cloth or apiece of kitchen roll, not a wirebrush…

Apart from these usefulitems, always remember that thecocktail stick is your best friend.Keep a supply handy, as theyhave 1001 uses, as later sectionsof this guide will reveal.

Getting StartedGetting Started2.2

Tools – 2w

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An invaluable asset to the modeller is Micro Mesh, available inthese neat sets from Little-Cars.com4

It may not look much, but thistatty little buffing stick is worth awhole battery of expensivecustom-made tools

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With careful use of filler and wet and dry, you’ll get there in the end1

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B efore cutting commences,it is worth pausing to

consider the problem of whatscale to model in. Manymodellers chop and change atwill. Others choose one andstick to it. Here’s a brief look atthe main aircraft scales.

1/144:This is the smallest of themainstream scales, and ispractical for airliners and largeraircraft. Equatingapproximately to 2mm = 1foot, it is equivalent to therailway modeller’s ‘N’ gauge,and will be compatible withthose accessories. The small sizedoes present some problemswith detail, and although kitsare improving there is anunfortunate tendency to overdopanel lines, without which thekits would look far better.Limited accessories and decalsare available. 1/144 is thefavoured scale of civil airlinermodellers, and by far and awaythe bulk of accessories anddecals in this scale are aimed atthese.

1/72:4mm approximately to thefoot, or ‘00’ gauge. 1/72 was theindustry standard for years.

Plenty of products available,although owing to the existenceof a lot of the older, inferiortoolings, many interestingaircraft are not being re-kittedin this scale. Don’t be fooled bythe old railway modellingassociation of ‘00’ with ‘H0.’Although the track gauge maybe the same, H0 equates to1/87, and will look oddalongside 1/72.

1/48:This has been growing inpopularity at such a rate that itis now on the point ofovertaking 1/72. A vast range ofexcellent kits and accessories isavailable. The downside with1/48 is that where detail isabsent it tends to be morenoticeable, obliging themodeller to put extra work intoareas they might otherwise becontent to leave when in asmaller scale. 1/48 is growing sofast that even manufacturers ofarmoured fighting vehicles arecoming on board.

1/32:While there are some excellentkits available, the choice is verylimited compared to 1/72 and1/48, although product rangesfor 1/32 are expanding. The

most common scale for armourand military subjects is 1/35,which does not look too out ofplace alongside.

1/24:Few and far between. Airfixreally pioneered this scale withtheir Spitfire 1A in 1970. Onlya handful of kits are available,and these only of fairly populartypes, although with thefrenetic state of the industry atthe moment it can only be amatter of time before we seesomething as obscure andunlikely as a Blackburn Dart in1/24.

Getting Started

Ships and largersubjects tend to be kitted insmaller scales, right down to1/700 and beyond. There is agrowing range of aircraft andaccessories for model aircraftcarriers in these smallerscales, with cockpit interiordetails now being offered in1/350.

Smaller scales

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Top to bottom. 1/72 Fw 190D, 1/48 Spitfire F.22 and 1/24 Hawker Hurricane Mk 11

T welve pages in and wefinally start cutting! The

modeller may be confronted,on first opening the box, withan overwhelming urge to pullpieces off the sprues and test fitthem while travelling home onthe omnibus, train etc. Thismust be resisted at all costs.Pulling parts off the sprue willdamage them, and cause morework in the long run. Flimsywing leading-edges areparticularly susceptible to thisform of abuse.

There are three methods,applicable in different cases.

1 SnippingWhere possible, pieces shouldbe cut off the sprue with theappropriate snipping tool. Cutthe sprue gate as far away fromthe kit part as possible, as theexcess can be trimmed off laterwith something a little moreaccurate.

2 Cutting with scalpelSmaller parts, such as thinaerials, or undercarriage legsmay require some care,especially if the sprue gate isheavy. Cutting in these cases isbest done with a No. 10 scalpel

blade, taking care to supportthe piece from behind so it isnot snapped during theprocess. Undercarriage legs andpropeller blades are particularlysensitive when it comes tocutting out. Support the spruefrom behind and use a rollingmotion with the scalpel blade.

3 SawingIn some cases it will benecessary to use a small razorsaw. This is frequently the casewith transparencies, where theplastic is more brittle and cancrack easily if subjected to thestress of snipping. Make surethe part is well-supported andsaw slowly and carefully.

Remember – there is only somuch that can be done torestore a damaged canopy, anda crack cannot be removedwith Micro Mesh.


Getting it off the Spruew

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Heavy sprue gates need to beapproached with caution…1

Smaller parts may need a more delicate approach3

…not twisted off with recklessabandon2

While the sprue gate on thistransparency will need heavyattention with Micro Mesh toclean up the blemish it will leave

4

A four inch length of2 x 1 timber can be a handyextension to your tool kit. Itmakes a support, an anvil, abase on which to tape smallparts for painting, and can bedrilled to accept cocktailsticks, which in turn can holdany amount of individualcomponents, and allow you tospray them simultaneously.

Timber

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B efore constructioncommences it will be

necessary to do a littlepreparatory work on some ofthe parts. Manufacturersgenerally advise the modeller towash all parts in warm soapywater before starting, as therewill be residue from mouldrelease agents. This isadmirable advice, althoughthere are lazy modellers whohave never done this in theirlives yet suffered no adverseeffects.

There are three potentialproblems that may needaddressing at this stage.

1 Ejector-pin marksThese annoying features arecaused in production, when thesprue is removed from themould. Check theirwhereabouts carefully, as theycan turn up in inaccessibleplaces once the kit isassembled. Generally smallround depressions, theshallower ones can be scrapedaway with a No. 10 blade.Deeper ones will require filling.

2 FlashGenerally a result of moulddeterioration, flash is caused byseepage in production and isusually easy to remove. Simply

trim with the scalpel and cleanup with wet-and-dry.

3 Seam linesInjection moulds comprise twohalves. This can cause thinseam lines to appear on someparts of the kit, and these willneed to be removed. They havea nasty tendency to favourundercarriage legs and smallfiddly pieces that do not react

well to brutal treatment. Scrapeoff with a 10 blade and tidy upwith wet-and-dry and a buffingstick.

4 Sink marksWhere a solid plastic mouldingappears on the inside of a wingor a fuselage half – a locatingpin mount, or a heavy internalsidewall detail – small

depressions can appear on theexternal surface. These ‘sinkmarks’ occur as the plasticcools in the mould and willneed to be filled.

Getting Started

Sometimes a quickbrush over with liquid polycement can restore a heavilysanded surface, and make itsubsequently more workable.Don’t pass the poly brushtwice over the same spot whilestill wet if there is delicatesurface detail.

Liquid poly

Preparing Parts – Plastic2.5

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A little bit of flash creeping in.Not bad for a kit dating from 19572

Ejector-pin marks – frequently a problem on solid pieces1

Undercarriage legs frequently show seam lines, which need to beremoved3

R esin is a different kettle offish altogether. Plenty of

preparation needs to go into aresin kit, but once this is doneconstruction is always quicker.Do remember that resin dust isharmful and should not beinhaled. Preparation of resinkits follows three stages.

1 Firstly all parts should becarefully removed from theircasting bases with a razor saw.Resin is brittle but hard, andwill not slice easily with ascalpel blade. Be careful not toforce it, as it is very easy to

damage parts throughcarelessness. Where there is noclear demarcation between thecomponent and the castingbase, use a thin strip ofmasking tape to mark a line towhich to work. Don’t imagineyou can cut these by eye alone.It won’t happen.

2 Use wet-and-dry to sanddown the parts once the bulk ofthe waste has been trimmed.This will keep the dust undercontrol, and also do the jobquicker than any other means.Flat objects, such as cockpitsidewalls, frequently need to bethinned down to fit, and theseshould be rotated on a flatpiece of wet-and-dry andfrequently dry-fitted untilsatisfactory. Bear in mind with

sidewalls that the backing isonly there to hold the piecetogether, and may well need tobe sanded almost entirely away.The more you can take offwithout damaging the part, thebetter the end result will be.

3 Once all sanding andcutting is done, washeverything in warm soapywater and leave to drythoroughly. There is no pointin painstakingly cleaningeverything before youmanhandle it with greasyfingers and subject it totraumatic sanding and sawingoperations.


Preparing Parts – Resin

If you cannot thindown the sidewall entirely,then make sure that the topedge at least gets adequatetreatment, as this is the areathat will be most visible on thefinished model.

Cockpit sills

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Resin kits do require extra preparation1

But then they assemble remarkably quickly2

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I t is a simple fact of life thatmany kits do not fit together

very well. In order to establishexactly how the kit is going tobuild up, it is advisable to dotwo things before committingglue to plastic.

Firstly, study theinstructions! While it istempting simply to grab bitsand glue them together, it iseasy to overlook parts, or tostick the wrong ones to eachother. Items like engine nacellesare frequently handed, and youmay build up sub-assembliesonly to find later on that theywill not fit where they aresupposed to go.

Many kits also feature a massof spare parts for differentvariants, and it is very easy tomake mistakes with these.Where there are duplicateparts, it is advisable to removethem at the outset and committhem to your spares box.

Secondly, dry-fit as many ofthe kit parts as possible. Gentlybinding them together withwhite paper decorator’s tapewill help you establish the

assembly sequence, and toascertain what problems arelikely to arise with the fit ofparts.

Always assume the kit willnot fit together at all, and thenyou will never be disappointed.The notion of kits that simplyfall together when you shakethe box is a myth.

Getting Started

Don’t assume thatthe instructions are alwaysright. They are usually laid outin a sequential order thatallows the entire kit to beassembled before painting.More often than not it will beexpedient to leave sub-assemblies to one side forpainting later. Plan ahead anduse the instructions as a guide,not gospel.

Decide yourself

Dry-Fitting2.7

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Dry-fitting will reveal potential problem areas1

D epending on the age andmake of the kit you are

building, you will be faced withthe problem of panel lines. Thisis an age-old curse, and there isno easy way to deal with it.Older kits feature raised detailto depict the various joints andpanels on the aircraft’s surface.Newer ones have this detailengraved – frequently toodeeply. Neither is correct.

The chief problem that willarise with panel lines is thatduring the construction processthey will invariably becomedamaged. It is impossible toglue, fill and sand an entireairframe without losing some ofthe detail. In the case of recessedpanel lines, this can berescribed, although rescribing is

an acquired skill, especially ontightly curved surfaces. In thecase of raised panel lines, thedetail will simply be sanded offin the cleaning up process, andcannot be reinstated.

Many modellers remove allraised detail and rescribe thewhole airframe. It is a matter ofpersonal taste, although somewould argue that as neitherraised nor recessed panel lines

are strictly correct, raised onesare better as they are lessobtrusive on a finished model.At the time of writing, recessedpanel lines are in fashion, andmany modellers will regard a kitas unfinished unless this matterhas been attended to. Rememberagain, the constant balance thatneeds to be maintained betweenartistry and accuracy, as nothingis simpler than ending up with avery accurate mess.


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The Airfix Harrier F/A.2 featured new sprues with recessed detail,which are packaged together with older toolings. The modeller willhave to decide if this is, or is not, a problem

1

Some resin kits canbe quite brittle, and rescribingcan be almost impossible, asthe resin will crack andcrumble under the scribingtool, leaving a ragged, untidyline. If you do need to rescribeon resin, experiment on acasting block or the inside of awing first.

Scribing on resin

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W hile many kits todayoffer excellent interior

parts, there are just as manythat do not, and it is down tomodellers to decide what levelof detail they wish to put intoany given model. Depending,again, on the age and make ofthe kit in question there are anumber of factors that may bepertinent.

1 Many old kits will havelittle more than a seat and amutated pilot figure. This maynot pose a problem in somecases, as the thickness of thecanopy will make it almostimpossible to tell what liesunderneath. That being said, itis generally possible to see thelack of seat harnesses througheven the worst canopy, and this,if nothing else will need to beaddressed.

2 The canopy may well beunusable, and a vacformreplacement necessary. In thiscase further detailing may bedesirable due to the clarity ofthe canopy. Alternatively youmay decide to pose the canopyopen, in which case somedegree of extra work willalmost certainly be required.Many modellers find vacformcanopies difficult, orimpossible, to fit in a closed

position and will findthemselves obliged to fill up theinterior or be confronted withan incomplete model.

3 Many aircraft, especiallybiplanes, do not have canopies,and consequently will requiresome work in the cockpit areas.Bear in mind with a biplanethat frequently the top wingobscures much of the cockpitaperture.

4 As with so many aspects ofmodelling, it is down toindividual taste. There aremodellers who meticulouslyadd detail to the interiors ofaircraft before closing it upcompletely within the fuselage,never to be seen again. Othermore indolent types regardopen cockpits as a blight, anddo as little as they can get awaywith in order to speed themodel on to the paintingprocess.

Interiors and Details

Detailing an interior will usually involve leaving open thecanopy, which can change the character and appearance of anaircraft drastically. Canopies that slide back along the spine canchange a model for the better when opened. Those that hingeupward merely look odd, while those that dangle off the side – likethe Me 109 or the BAe Hawk – can transform an attractive modelinto a disjointed pile of components.

What do you want to do?

To Detail or Not?3.1

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Some kits provide all the parts you need1

Others may be regarded as ablank canvas2

M ost modern kits featureenough parts to provide

the basis for a completeinterior. When using kit parts,the following should be noted.

1 Dry-fitting is essential, asthe actual point of location forcockpit tubs, floors etc isfrequently vague or inaccurate.A lump of Blu-Tack can beusefully employed to holdcockpit floors and bulkheads inplace, and is almost as useful ahelpmate as your cocktail sticksand small length of timber.This will be especially helpfulwhen it comes to dry-fitting theinstrument panel, which is acommon problem area.

2 Cockpit walls are a primelocation for ejector-pin marks,so make sure everything iscleaned up first.

3 Bear in mind that the kitparts may be bowing tomanufacturing expediencies,and may not be accurate. It isnot uncommon, when kittingdifferent marks of the sameaircraft, for manufacturers toprovide the same set of cockpit

parts. This may, of course, be amatter of sublime indifferenceto you, but to some it isparamount. Kit seats are veryoften mere approximations,and may need replacingaltogether, as they areprominent features. Instrumentpanels too tend to be vague.Decals for instruments areoften employed, but can lend atwo-dimensional and toy-likeappearance to a model.

4 Most kits will have verywide cockpit sills, designed tohave thick injection-moulded

parts glued to them. These willneed to be thinned down if thecanopy is to be posed open.Alternatively they may have aflimsy vacform canopy whichwill need some kind of beadingglued to the sill for attachment.Smaller components likecontrol columns, rudder pedalsand ejection seat firing-handlesare often out of scale and casttoo thick. Replacing these with

scratch built items can be time-consuming and frequentlyunnecessary if the canopy is tobe closed.

Interior and DetailsInteriors and Details3.2

Using Kit Parts

Where possible tryto assemble parts prior topainting. It can be tempting towork on small componentsseparately, but glue and paintdo not mix.

Assembling parts

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Location of cockpit tubs canbe uncertain1

Airfix’s Lynx interior is morethan sufficient if the cabin is to beclosed up

3

Working with kit parts2

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E tched brass parts incockpits can build up into

very acceptable replicas, as longas the following guidelines areborn in mind.

1 Brass needs to be attachedto plastic with superglue. Thisis best applied with a sharpcocktail stick in conditions ofsurgical cleanliness.

2 It is advisable to assemblethe entire cockpit beforepainting anything. As withinjected parts, avoid thetemptation to paint small brassitems on the fret, as this willonly result in a mess later on.

3 Brass parts need to betrimmed from their fret verycarefully. Hold the fret downon a hard surface – a sparebathroom tile or a glass block isideal – and cut with a sharpNo. 10 blade using a rollingmotion. Edges will need to becleaned up with small file,taking care not to bend thecomponent out of shape.

4 Many brass parts need tobe bent to shape. There arespecial tools available for thispurpose, but if you do not haveaccess to one you can use theedge of a Stanley blade to bendthe parts round. This won’t

suffice every time, but bear inmind that the part needs to besupported along the full lengthof the fold. Heating the fretbefore use, and allowing it tocool will make the brass easierto manipulate.

5 Do not assume that everypart on the fret needs to beused. There are occasions whenmodellers have to decide iftheir own particular skill levelsare liable to make more of amess with some tiny parts thantheir inclusion is worth. Minuteflap-actuators in 1/72 are

among the worst offenders! Itmy be possible to attach somesmaller items with dab ofvarnish.


When trimming partsfrom a fret, make sure they areheld down, as etchedcomponents have a tendencyto spring off into the voidwhen cut. You may be surethat you will not find them untillong after the kit is completed.

Hold tight!

Using Brass in Cockpits3.3

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Overhead console2

Working with kit parts1

Instrument panel3A mass of detail for those with

a steady hand4

T he biggest problem withresin cockpit sets is getting

them to fit properly inside themodel. As with brass, sets tendto be designed to fit aparticular manufacturer’s kit,but resin will need a lot morepreparation and dry-fitting toget the whole thing knockedinto shape. Things to watch outfor:

1 Small details can be brittle,so the modeller needs to be deftand rigorous at the same time.Sanding down a cockpitsidewall requires a firm grip onthe part, and this can lead todamage. Holding the piecewithin a cotton wool ball canhelp to cushion this effect. Itmay also help to press piece ofBlu-Tack over the part, to stopbits getting knocked off.

2 It may be necessary towhittle away at the inside of theaircraft fuselage in order to getthe parts to fit. This is bestdone with a sideways scrapingmotion of a No. 10 blade,followed by a heavy application

of wet-and-dry. Do not holdback during this operation.Taking off too much plasticfrom an interior wall is rarelyproblem.

3 Don’t commit anything tosuperglue until you areabsolutely sure of the fit. Athinned down sidewall will notcome off in one piece if you tryto relocate it. Take special carewith bulkheads and instrumentpanels that have to fit acrossthe width of the fuselage. Theyvery rarely fit, and will need

careful sanding and trimming.Dry fit and trim first – you willalmost certainly end uphacking that beautifullyfinished instrument panel topieces if you try and paint itfirst.

4 Bear in mind that watercan be used to accelerate theaction of superglue, but that itis best employed sparingly, andonly in areas where the

resulting bizarre reaction willnot be visible – for instance onthe underside of cockpit tubsetc.

5 Again, do not attempt topre-paint parts unless you areabsolutely sure of their fit. Eventhen try to leave a bare spot forthe application of glue. Thiscan be done with a carefulapplication of masking fluid.


Using Resin in Cockpits

Where a one-piecewing has to mate up to thebottom of a cockpit aperture, itis easy to overlook thethickness of a resin cockpitfloor, which may then foul thetop of the wheel wells andprevent the wing from fitting.Check this before assembly.

Cockpit floors

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Typical breakdown of a resincockpit set1

Aires’ Spitfire set in its entirety3

Spitfire sidewall showingbeautifully cast detail2

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I f you are unwilling toemploy resin or brass, but

want to add more detail toyour cockpits, then there aresome easy scratchbuildingtechniques that can help.

1 Stretched sprue is afavourite material of mostmodellers. This old party trickseems to have as many uses asthere are models themselves.The technique is easy enoughto master. Take a length ofsprue and a naked flame – acandle or a cigarette lighterwill do the trick. Hold thesprue above the flame andslowly revolve it. Don’t allow itto catch alight. When it startsto sag, pull both ends apartand you will find yourself witha length of plastic thread.Experimentation will enableyou to make this thicker orthinner at will.

2 Sidewall framing can beeasily replicated usingstretched sprue. Likewisewiring and cables. Stretchingtransparent sprue gives you athread of a less brittle naturewhich can be employed tomake whip aerials. Bear in

mind also that the stretchedsprue will retain the shape ofthe original piece, so if youhave the patience to whittle apiece into a hexagon, you canmanufacture bolt heads simply

by slicing up the resultantthread.

3 A dab of white glue on theend of a short piece ofstretched sprue can make aneffective control knob or lever

4 A favourite method ofmanufacturing instrumentpanels requires a sheet of thinwhite card sprayed black. Markout and drill the dials on this,

and cut another piece from thesame card as backing. The toplaminate will have a whitehighlight, and the bottom onecan then have detail scratchedon the surface, before being

glazed with varnish. Althoughnot strictly accurate, theexaggerated effect gives afavourable impression,especially when seen through acanopy.

Of course you don’t need torely on sprue-stretching skills.Plastic rods, bars, tube andstruts in every shape and sizecan be bought from mostmodel or art supply shops.


Spots of white PVAglue can replicate rivets, boltheads, buttons and switches,and all kinds of small detailsonce dry. Apply with a cocktailstick and allow to harden.

PVA

Scratchbuilding & Improving Parts3.5

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Flat sectioned sprue retains its profile when stretched1

Hours of fun for all the family2

W hile you’re geared up forscratch building, and in

the mood for some drasticmeasures, you might choose totake a look around the modeland ascertain which areas willrequire attention. Obviouslysome areas will needrectification before assemblycommences, so now is themoment to make somedecisions. The usual troublespots are:

1 Wheel wells. Are they boxedin? Is there any detail? This isalways a tedious chore, and onethat crops up when you leastexpect it, from manufacturerswho should know better. Time

consuming and tedious, aboxed-in wheel well is a muston any airframe.

2 Jet intakes. Can you seewhat is in them? Is there anyattempt at representing ductingor blanking plates? It’s anaircraft, not a donut, so youshouldn’t be able to see rightthrough it.

3 Jetpipe. Like the intakes,this needs to be more than just agaping hole.

4 Nosewheel wells. Frequentlythese are only a couple ofmillimetres deep, which isunconvincing to say the least.

5 Wing gloves. Variable-geometry aircraft, such asTornados, suffer from alingering belief on the part ofmanufacturers that they aremaking kits for young children,who want to wiggle the wingsabout. If you don’t want towiggle the wings of yourTornado about, and want topose it with its wings in theusual position for an aircraft atrest – i.e. forward – you musteither perform a tedious andtricky bit of surgery, or put upwith another great big hole. Thereader is invited to consideragain the previous commentsregarding aircraft and donuts.

Of course, some kits areperfect, and you won’t need toworry about any of this…


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Jetpipe

Areas that frequently require attention are:

1 Intakes2

Wheel wells3 Nosewheel bay4

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Dry-brushing techniquescan be used either to

highlight detail or to simulateweathering, although the latteris more frequently employed bymodellers of AFVs, wheresharp-edged and more angularsurfaces assist the technique.

A flat brush is bestemployed. This is dipped in thechosen colour and then wipedthoroughly with a dry cloth sothat only a tiny residue of paint

remains. This can then bedragged over surface detail, andwill have a highlighting effect.

Colour is a matter of tasteand circumstance. Generallythe base colour mixed withwhite is best, althoughHumbrol 23 tends to work verywell on cockpits painted withHumbrol 78. For a subtle effecttry dry-brushing several coats

of progressively lighter colour,ending with plain white on theabsolute highlights.

Dry-brushing can very easilybe overdone, especially onrounded surfaces where thehighlight is less clearly defined.Brushing silver onto a blackengine is easy, but getting agood effect on a paler base coatis less easy.

A negative effect can beemployed to simulateweathering in some caseswhereby a dark colour dry-brushed over light may beemployed with caution. Again,this is more usefully employedon armoured fighting vehicles,

and other mud-dwellingmachines, but used sparinglythe technique can beardividends.

Areas that can benefitparticularly from the techniqueare wheel wells, where there isgood ribbing detail, ejectionseats, which can betransformed with a simple passof the brush, instrument panelsand undercarriage components.


Keep separateimplements for dry-brushing. Itwill wear bristles out quicklyand soon render a brushunusable for normal painting.

Brushes

Dry-Brushing3.7

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Engine painted matt black1

Subtle dry-brushing highlights the detail on the Harvard’s engine3

Dry-brushed with Humbrol 562

It is very easy to make a messwith colour washes, so a

degree of caution is advised if alot of hard work is not to bespoiled.

1 You will be using oils orenamel paints diluted withwhite spirit, so always make surethe base coat has properly curedbefore applying the wash.

2 Don’t apply the wash to amatt surface. Paint a coat – ortwo – of Johnson’s Klear ontothe area first. Unless you takeprecautions the thinning agentemployed will cause the paint towrinkle – unless you have beenvery patient and left the kit todry for a very long time!

3 Make sure the wash isthinned enough to allow acapillary action to spread itaround the detail. Colourwashes can be very difficult tocontrol, and the more of themixture you apply to the model,the more chance there is ofmaking a terrible mess. Mix thepaint and thinner up on a pallet,keeping a small cup of the

thinner to hand to dip into. Amedium sized brush will befine. You don’t need a fine tip as

you are not trying to paintdetail. The mix should be thinenough so that a simple touchof the brush to the surface ofthe model will allow the wash toflow around all the mouldeddetail. Remember, standingpools are not required. Use lessrather than more.

4 Don’t overdo it. Leave wellenough alone. Remember thataircraft cockpits aren’t usually

the kind of filthy cesspits intowhich we could turn them withinjudicious use of weatheringtechniques. The aim of the washis simply to highlight detail, notto simulate dirt. A lot of thetechniques employed indetailing interiors are designedto exaggerate and create animpression rather than toreplicate what is actually there.


Colour Washes

Make sure you useclean white spirit or thinners tomix the wash. DON’T dip thebrush into the foul receptacleyou use for general brush-cleaning, as this will corruptthe colour wash, and make itlook even worse.

Thinners

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A black wash can have abeneficial effect on undercarriagecomponents

1

The wash is in effect an exaggeration, and bears little relation tothe real appearance of the cockpit interior. Its purpose is to makehighlights stand out when viewed through the cockpit canopy

2

Washes work well in wheel wells. Like so many weathering andhighlighting techniques the effect is not strictly authentic, but doesenhance the model

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A lthough there are a greatmany brands of adhesives

on the market, there are reallyonly three main types that themodeller is likely to require.

1 Polystyrene cementThis is available either in tubeform, in which it has a thickviscous consistency, or in thinliquid form, generally known as‘liquid poly’. Liquid poly comesin a bottle with an applicatorbrush and is far more user-friendly than the tube adhesives.It dries very quickly and itsliquid nature allows it to be runalong the inside of joint linesand seams. Liquid poly also hasthe advantage of not oozing out

of cracks when two pieces arejoined together. It is altogether adesirable product, and can beused in a lot of areas thatregular polystyrene cementcannot. It can be dribbled downthe inside of a seam, to make abetter bond, and can also beemployed to provide an overallbond on semi-preparedsurfaces.

2 SuperglueEssential for resin and brass.Superglue should be usedsparingly and carefully. As ittends not to dissolve yourfinished paintwork, it can beuseful when attaching finisheddetails such as weapons andundercarriage doors to acompleted model. Bear in mindthat if you try to superglue two

recently painted surfacestogether you run the risk ofthings coming, literally,unstuck. Unlike poly cements,which melt and fuse thematerial together, supergluesimply bonds surfaces wherethey touch. Superglue comes ina variety of types andconsistencies. Some bondinstantly, others can take up tofive minutes to set, which canbe useful if care needs to betaken setting wings, or otherparts that may need tweakingand adjustment.

3 PVAWater-based wood glues areessential for fixing canopies,which can easily be damaged byother less gentle substances.Although white in the bottle, itdries transparent, and doeshave some limited gap-fillinguses, although it doesn’t reactwell to being sanded.

Putting it Together

Don’t. As previously discussed, superglue can be speededup by the application of water. This also makes the glue expand intoa bizarre all-engulfing white mass, and the tbusiness should be leftto those who understand chemistry, or better still, avoided whereverpossible.

Accelerating superglue

Glues4.1

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Polystyrene cements and superglues are the modeller’s stapleadhesives1

Liquid poly can be a little unmanageable if used without propercare. Fortunately ‘poly’ fingerprints sand off without too much trouble2

A lthough liquid poly driesvery quickly, it is advisable

to employ some form of tapeor clamps initially, especiallygiven the ill-fitting nature ofsome of the models on themarket. Before applying glue itis a good idea to have a numberof short pieces of tape ready tobind up the joint as soon as itis made.

Usually the first, and mostcrucial, assembly will be thefuselage halves. Points to beaware of here are:

1 It is not uncommon forfuselage halves to be uneven. Ifthis is the case, don’t try toalign either the nose or the tail.Align the cockpit aperture. Evenif this necessitates the removalof locating pins, it is vital thatthis area, if no other, should betrue. The better fit you canmake of the cockpit aperture,the less misery you will havefitting the canopy – the mostdelicate and easily damagedpart of the whole model.

2 Apply liquid poly to allmating surfaces. Usually two

passes with the brush will benecessary. Once satisfied withalignment, bind up the twohalves tightly with decorator’stape.

3 Some kits feature an upperand lower fuselage. Inexplicablythese tend to be poorer fittingthan on those with port andstarboard halves. Theadvantage, of course, is thatthere is no seam line down thespine, which can be verydifficult to remove, and usuallyresults in the loss of a lot ofmoulded detail. Much of theseam will also be hidden by thewing joint as well. It is

advisable to glue strips ofplastic, or tabs around theinside of one of the fuselagehalves to facilitate alignment.

Wing assemblies follow asimilar pattern. If alignment isnot true, then try to match upthe inner ends rather than theouter, as it will be easier to sandoff a wingtip then to fill andsand the root. Likewise thetrailing-edge will clean upquicker than the leading-edge ifit comes to a choice. Make surethat the trailing-edge is thinenough for your tastes, and ifnot, sand down the inside untilyou are satisfied. Many kitshave these moulded to animpossible thickness.

Putting it TogetherPutting it Together4.2

Clamping and Setting

Forget it. Get the kitstuck together first of all. Wewill return to this theme timeand again. A seamlessmachine is crucial to theoverall project, and time andeffort spent trying to preservedetail that stands no chance ofsurviving the onslaught of thesanding and filling process issimply time wasted.

Surface detail

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For all its size, the Airfix Vulcan is a fairly straightforward build1

Success here will depend entirely on patient use of wet-and-dry andfiller

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T he tube of filler is your bestfriend. Treat it with the

love and respect that is its due.Never believe a fellow modellerwho claims to have finished akit without it.

Points of note concerningthe use of filler are:

1 Always use a lot. It willsand off easily, and if youimagine you are going to finishanything without damaging thesurface detail you are deludingyourself. A complete andintegral airframe is of moreimportance than a couple ofpanel lines. Did we justmention that? Well let’smention it again.

2 There are many brands offiller on the market. It is downto the individual modeller todecide which suits him best.Humbrol filler can be workedwith methylated spirits. Smear

it liberally into cracks and thenwipe it off with a piece ofmeths-soaked kitchen roll. Thisworks best in concave areas likewing roots. On convex curves,like fuselage spines, you maywipe too much out of the crackyou are trying to fill.

3 Larger areas you will needto fill with Milliput, or some

other water-based modeller’sputty. Filler in large quantitieswill not set, and can damagethe plastic. Milliput has manyuses, and can be usefullyemployed as noseweight, inscratchbuilding, or in addingZimmerit to your tiger tanks

when you get fed up withaircraft, throw in the towel andbuild armour instead.

4 Never underestimate thepower of a seam line toreappear through yourpaintwork. Filling, and theblending together of theairframe components into aharmonious whole, is one of

the most important parts ofconstruction.

5 Unwanted holes, such asthose pre-made for pylons ormissiles, need to be plugged, asfiller alone will sink and requirefurther work. Take a taperingsection of stretched sprue andjam into the hole with a dab ofliquid poly. This can then betrimmed flush and sanded toleave an invisible mend.

6 Don’t get filler on thecanopy.

Putting it Together

There is an endlessamount of tools available forthe application of filler.Spatulas, dental tools, palletknives and all sorts of stick-like objects with flat spade-shaped ends. All are welldesigned and each one has atime and place in which it willprove its worth. On the otherhand there are No. 10 scalpelblades and cocktail sticks…

Tools for filling

Filling4.3

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There is little to be gained by using filler sparingly1

A modeller’s best friend!2

Don’t be afraid to runroughshod over your

model. One of the chief aims inconstruction is to try and makea box of components look likeone seamless item. This will nothappen if you can see joint lineseverywhere. The top of thefuselage is generally the hardestto lose, and an ill-fitting wingleading-edge can be a real trial –especially if there are mouldeddetails to work round. Bear inmind:

1 Moulded-on details likeblade aerials and strobe lightsare better replaced anyway, sodon’t waste time trying to sandaround them. Cut them off andsmear filler into any ensuingcavity. Likewise aerial masts,which are almost certain to getsnapped off in any case. Removethese and put them aside forlater use. Moulded on tailwheelscan also be removed in order toimprove the clean up on thefuselage join.

2 Old kits with lots of heavyrivet detail are worth sandingdown all over, to lessen thepimpled effect. Bearing in mindthat these rivets will be lostfrom around the wing roots andother prominent joints, failureto reduce them overall willresult in a patchy effect.

3 Rolled-up wet-and-dry canget into all kinds of importantlittle places. The finer gradesbecome very soft when wet, butcan still have remarkableabrasive qualities.

4 Anything that gets lost inthe sanding process has beensacrificed in a good cause, andmost of it can be put back againanyway. Don’t be afraid to lay iton hard!


Sanding

Small benchtoppower tools should beapproached with caution.Grinders, sanders andpolishers can simply overheatand melt the plastic. Thesetools have their uses, but theyneed to be carefullyconsidered first.

Sanding tools

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Heavy rivet detail was a characteristic of many early kits, such asthis Airfix Chipmunk which dates from 19691

Judicious filling and sanding has removed the joints at the wingroots. Some rivet detail has been sacrificed in pursuit of a seamlessairframe

2

Likewise along the fuselagespine3

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T he following guidelinesneed to be observed.

1 Keep the transparencybagged at all times, and don’t letit float about in the box overwhich you are dripping glue,meths, paint and other terriblechemical substances. The kit’stransparency is the one pieceyou will find it harder to replacethan any other, and the care – orlack of – employed in fitting acanopy can make or break a kitlike nothing else.

2 Soak it immediately inJohnson’s Klear and leave it in acovered place to dry for threedays. This will protect it fromthe fogging effect of superglue,and will enable you to use thisform of adhesive should anextra tough bond provenecessary, for instance wheretransparencies abut the frontends of helicopters, or anywhereinvolving a lot of heavy workwith the sandpaper and filler.

3 Dry-fit the transparencyinitially, but then leave it alone.Leave it alone! Leave it alone!

4 Don’t allow anything at allto drip on it

5 Make sure you fit it at thelast possible moment. If you fitthe transparency and then gowhittling away at various otherparts of the aircraft, the insidewill become covered with littlespots of plastic debris, whichwill have a highly detrimentaleffect on the finished model’sappearance. In some cases it mybe possible to remove this witha syringe full of water, but this is

not ideal. Plastic dust and debriswill filter down through thetiniest of cracks, and can spellthe undoing of a lot of hardwork.

6 Mask it at the earliestpossible opportunity. Thesooner the masking tape is on,the less chance there is that thesurface will be scratched. Apartfrom this, canopy masking is atime-consuming, but crucial,job, and needs to be prioritised,rather than done as anaferthought when the model isalmost finished.

Putting it Together

The canopy on anaircraft is like the eyes on aface. It is the focal point of themodel, and is usually thedefining factor in the aircraft’scharacter. An open canopy islike a face without eyes. Treatall transparencies with theutmost respect, as if you spoilthem, you will, in effect, spoilthe whole kit.

Eyes In glass

Protecting Transparencies4.5

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Debris on the inside of the canopy is disfiguring and can spoil anotherwise attractive model2

The most delicate, sensitive, and important part of the kit1

It is very tempting to leave thecanopy off until after

painting, but in many cases thisis simply impossible. Look atthe aircraft you are modelling.How clearly can you see thejoint line between the fixedparts of the canopy and thefuselage? Now look at the kityou are building. Is the fit of thecanopy really that good?

More often than notyou will need to fair inthe non-moving partsof the hood:

1 With the airframecompletely sanded, filledand primed, attach thetransparency with theappropriate glue. If you areusing superglue (having treatedthe part with Klear, of course)then test fit it first, with all partsof the hood taped into place.

2 If alignment is correct thenglue firmly in position. Bear inmind that any gap around thewindscreen can be filled, so it is

more important that themoving section of the hoodshould be correctly aligned withthe fuselage.

3 If not already masked,mask all transparencies usingthe appropriate methodsoutlined below.

4 Carefully, using your No. 10blade pallet knife, fair-in thefront part of the canopy withfiller.

5 Using a meths-impregnatedcloth, smooth the filler down,working from the centre of thetransparency down over the rimand onto the fuselage. Make sureyou don’t use too much meths,and make sure it doesn’t getunderneath the masking tape.

6 Allow to dry and gentlysand.

7 Spray with primer andrepeat the wholeprocess as oftenas necessary.

Once is oftenenough. Twice is

common. Three timesnot infrequent.

The contribution that aproperly fitted

transparency will make toyour finished model is

worth any effort you careto expend upon it.


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Time expended on intricateinternal detail will be wasted ifthe transparencies are not fittedproperly

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Following these guidelines will helpto ensure a satisfactory result

Even the most challenging setof transparencies can be dealtwith if the modeller is prepared toallocate priority in the right place

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Putti

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T he construction sequencefor biplanes will depend

entirely on the individual kit,and how good a fit its parts are.Many modellers seem to haveno trouble fitting upper wingsin place after painting. For theinexperienced, this can causeproblems.

1 If the main struts are joinedtogether at the top and fit into aslot in the top wing, theseshould be attached to the top

wing first UNLESS the modellercan live with the highly visiblejoin that will be difficult toclean up with the top wing inposition.

2 If all struts are individualparts, then it will require a veryexperienced hand to attach thetop wing without a great deal ofglue, several unsuccessful

attempts, and possibly someswearing. Some people make itlook easy. It isn’t.

3 If you have such anexperienced hand, then goodluck to you.

4 If you do not, then attachthe top wing prior to painting,using as much glue as you needand clean it all up afterwards,otherwise you will make ahorrible mess of yourpaintwork.

5 Painting a fully assembledbiplane is not as difficult as youmight suppose, and is infinitelyless annoying than throwingone in the bin after you havemade a mess of it while tryingto glue the painted partstogether.

Putting it Together

Replacement andspare strut material isobtainable. Aeroclub marketthe old Contrail range, andalmost any thickness andlength can be satisfactorilymanufactured with a littlepractice.

Strutting Stuff

Assembling Biplanes4.7

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The horizontal spars at the top end of the main struts fit into theslots on the underside of the upper wing1

They are supposed to blend invisibly with the rib tape detail2

In reality they will do no such thing without a great deal ofassistance3

I f you are one of the manywise modellers who do not

read the instructions beforesticking the model together, thenyou will probably at some pointhave hacked a kit apart, or prisedopen the nose, in order to insertthe necessary weight required tostop the aircraft from sittingback on its tail.

This, of course, serves youright, as the instructions will nodoubt have told you quiteplainly exactly how muchweight was required. Here aresome useful tips:

1 Use lead. Unless you can gethold of other rare elements ofgreat density, such as Ozmium orIridium, then lead affords

the best and most convenientopportunity of fitting themaximum weight into theminimum space. You willfrequently find that themanufacturers have not leftenough room for the requiredamount, in which case, you willrecall, a white metal seat, orother components may assist inmaking up the deficit.

2 Ideally use sheet lead, asemployed by roofers. This iseasily cut up or folded into theright shape and size and can besuperglued into every crevicenecessary. As it comes in thinsheets, it is more user-friendlythan other more solid sources –

such as wheel balance weights –and can be cut with a pair ofsnips, although discerningmodellers may not choose to dullthe edge on this valuable tool inso crude a fashion.

3 If not enough, use more lead– stick it in the engine nacelles,behind the seat in the cockpit, inthe jet intakes, anywhere youneed it but at all cost, avoid thattail-sitter. You may find that youhave to ream out the front end ofthe model in order to fit enoughweight in, and this can be donewith the edge of a No. 10 blade –as can most things if you putyour mind to it. Some kits comewith nose weights provided, andthis is laudable. Tamiya’s HeinkelHe 219 had so little roomavailable for nose weight that the

whole cockpit floor had tobe provided as a

metal item.

4 Don’t think youcan get away with an

almost invisible strutunderneath the rearfuselage. You will only be

fooling yourself.

5 The same goes for gluing themodel to a base.


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With enough lead even the most determined tail-sitter can be brought to order

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W ith the bulk of theconstruction work

completed, now is the time topause for reflection, and tomake any final checks anddecisions that will causeunnecessary problems if leftuntil the painting and finishingstage. What you should have atthis point is a solid airframewith canopy added, all seamssanded and filled, and little todo beyond a final clean upbefore painting commences.That is the theory. In practice,nothing will be further fromthe truth.

Firstly, is the model correct?Does it look right? Are thewings set at approximately thecorrect angle of dihedral? This isnot a matter for the protractor,but having a pronounced ‘V’ tothe wing when none should bepresent is not only incorrect,but may have some bearing onhow the aircraft willsubsequently sit on itsundercarriage. Don’t assumethat the angle at which thewings locate to the fuselage iscorrect – kits have beenproduced in which this anglebears no relation to reality, letalone to the prototype it claimsto depict. The painting guide inthe instructions should give you

a good enough idea as to howthe aircraft should look, but nodoubt your own research willhave provided you with ampleimages of the real thing.

When you are satisfied thatnothing needs to be snappedoff, reset, added-on, bent, orsupplemented with great wads

of modelling putty, get out yourmagnifying glass and take acloser look. The overall shapemay be correct, but it is almostcertainly a long way from beingready to paint.

If possible, dry fit theundercarriage at this point. Thiswill enable you to satisfyyourself that the sit of themachine is correct. Manylimited run kits are a little vague

as to the precise location ofmain gear legs, and sometrimming and checking may berequired. It is better to do thisbefore anything is painted.

Now is also your last chanceto check that enough noseweight has been inserted.Ripping open the front end toinsert more will be a chore, butbetter done now than after thatbeautiful decal of the naked ladyhas been lovingly applied to it.

Preparations for Painting

Harriers – whichhave four points of contactwith the ground – are specialcases when it comes toundercarriage fitment. Tack thenosewheel and outriggers inplace and adjust to ensure thesit is horizontal. Fit the bellywheel last, as this can simplybe shaved down by degreesuntil a snug four-point landinghas been achieved.

Four-point

Matters of Accuracy5.1

Is the dihedral correct?2

This point in a model’s Genesisis always questionable1

Dry-fitting the undercarriagewill tell you a lot3

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D espite your best efforts,there will be innumerable

small areas still in need ofattention after the mainairframe has been assembledand sanded down. Most of thesewill show up once a coat ofprimer has been applied, butthere are some nagging littledetails which have a habit ofcoming back to haunt youduring the final stages ofconstruction. The sooner youbegin to deal with these, the lesslikely they are to trip you up inthe final furlong.

1 The trailing edges of flapsand rudder. Where the twohalves join there may be analmost imperceptible overlap.This is frequently overlookedduring sanding, but will needattention. Take care tidying upround moulded trim tabs. Atightly folded piece of wet anddry will take care of these.

2 Wing leading edges are theworst offenders. These needconstant rechecking. If youreally can’t bear to remove anymoulded-on cannon/guns/nameless lumps etc. then makesure you take extra care aroundthe bases. It may seem thatremoving these protuberances issimply causing extra work, butit is far easier, and more

effective, to clean up a wingleading edge that isunencumbered.

3 Canopy/windscreen. If thishas been faired in then check itsprofile. There should be no hardsteps or ledges. In some ill-fittingcases a lot of filler may have beenrequired. This is a ‘make-or-break’ area, so don’t simply make

do. It has to look right.4 Mould seams get

everywhere. They particularlyfavour thin inconvenient items,and the afore-mentionedcannon and gun barrels areprime candidates. All of thismust go, so check carefully.

When you are satisfied thatas many outstanding blemishes

have been cleaned up aspossible, wipe the whole modeldown with either white spiritor methylated spirits. This willnot only scoop up someobstinately remaining residue,but also remove grease and dirtand provide a better surface forthe paint. Try and wipe alongas many panel lines as possible,as dust from your manysanding sessions will haveaccrued in them.

Trim tabs need to be carefullychecked

Preparations for PaintingPreparations for Painting5.2

Cleaning Up – Plastic

Don’t be afraid touse high-tack tapes during theconstruction phase. They mayleave residue on the modelwhen you pull them off, butthis can be easily removedwith a quick dab of whitespirit. Sellotape, for instance,is strong and practical fortaping up fuselage joins, butcan leave a mess behind it.

Taping

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Wing leading edges can be trouble spots1

Wing roots are another key area3

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The same basic processesapply to resin kits as to

plastic, but such are thedifferences with the technologyinvolved that it is worthspending a moment to considerthe nature of resin kits, and thecharacteristics of the materialemployed. Unwary modellersmay approach resin kits as ifthey were simply plastic, andexpect them to behave as such.They will be disappointed, andmay be put off future projectsby a simple misunderstanding.

Many resin kits are producedon a vastly smaller scale than weare accustomed to, and in somecases production runs are lessthan a couple of hundred.Naturally they have to be cost-effective, but they are notgenerally mass-produced in theway many injection kits are, andconsequently they should beapproached with a degree oftolerance. Do not be surprised iflarge gaps appear at wing rootsand the like – this is nothingthat a bit of filler and a number10 blade cannot sort outbetween them.

Manufacturers will tell youthat in general it is very difficultto achieve absolute dimensionalaccuracy when producing resin

models. This is largely due tothe unpredictable shrinkagefactors of the material involved.It is impossible to know exactlyhow much shrinkage will occurwhen using silicon rubbermoulds and resin masters.

Masters are generally preparedwith additional leeway to allowfor shrinkage, but still thematerials involved are verysensitive to ambient temperature,humidity, etc. and all thesefactors can vary from batch tobatch. RTV moulds which areused for the vacuum casting, arevery flexible which means resincopies may not be the same evenif cast in series. Differences of upto 2mm can appear in the lengthof a component depending onthe idiosyncrasies of the mould.

Resin kits, once packed anddispatched, can still be sensitiveto degrees of temperature.Warped parts can bestraightened out in hot water,but the eccentricity of thematerial employed needs to beweighed against the advantagein having so many aircraft typesavailable in kit form that simplywouldn’t exist otherwise.


One problem specificto resin kits is that of airbubbles, which can appear inthe least convenient places.Although not a widespreadproblem, they can occasionallycrop up at the edge of acockpit aperture, or some suchplace, in which case themodeller is advised to cut outa section around the damagedarea and superglue a piece ofwaste plastic in place, whichcan then be sanded to profile.

Air Bubbles

Cleaning Up – Resin5.3

Some aspects of resin can be more difficult than plastic...1

...but they invariably clean up more easily2

Most of the work is in carefulpreparation3w

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P riming the model prior topainting is an absolutely

essential stage, and should beapproached with due gravity.There are three key reasons forpriming:

1 A good even coat of primerwill provide a key for thetopcoat of paint to adhere to.Bear in mind the surface of themodel will, by this time, featureprominent areas of sandeddown filler or Milliput, whichwill be more absorbent than theplastic around them. Priminggives you an even surface towork on.

2 It is vitally important thatyou allow yourself an even-coloured surface to work on. Ablotched, patchy kit, with darkerfilled areas, and Lord onlyknows what other stains andmarks on, will not cover evenlywhen you come to paint it –especially if you are applying apale colour like RAF Sky orLight Aircraft Grey. You mayhave sprayed interior coloursinto wheel wells orcockpit/turret apertures, and the

overspray from this will mar thesurface. A good coat of primerwill provide you with a tidyblank canvas to paint on.

3 Most importantly, a coat ofprimer will highlight all themany – and there will be many– blemishes and pockmarks stillin need of attention. There willalmost certainly be seam linesthat will warrant furtherattention, and the first coat ofprimer will allow you to givethese another going over with

the filler and the sandpaper.Subsequent coats of primershould see these reducedprogressively, but do not besurprised if you find yourselftidying up the same area on thetop of the nose or spine three orfour times. These areas arenotorious, and any blemish leftuntended will be extremelyprominent on the finishedmodel.

4 Priming will also show youthe extent to which panel lineshave been removed by yourefforts with the sandpaper. Youwill have to decide what youwant to do about this, but on anunprimed kit it is virtuallyimpossible to tell how muchneeds to be done.

Be prepared to assume it will be considerable


Priming

Commercial acrylicauto sprays are ideal for thejob of priming and makinggood those lingering dents andscratches. They dry and can beworked in minutes, allowingyou to crack on with the jobwith a minimum of fuss.

Auto Sprays

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A coat of primer reveals the extent of the work still needed1

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A s previously discussed,panel lines, and the

desirability thereof, is a matter ofpersonal taste. Be that as it may,they either should be there, orthey shouldn’t. At this stage inthe model’s construction youwill find there are a number oflines that inexplicably end shortof the wing root, and towards thetop of the fuselage. If the modelhas raised panel lines, then shortof sanding the whole lot off andrescribing from scratch, there isnot a lot you can do. This is notas extreme an idea as you mightsuppose, and many modellers doprecisely this – even on kits as

large as the Airfix Vulcan. Thisextensive reworking is best donebefore construction commences.

If your panel lines arerecessed, it is possible to rescribethem using a sharp pointedimplement. Special tools withfine bevelled heads are available.These are designed for the task,

and will remove a thin thread ofplastic as they cut the new line,rather than just gouging out arough trench.

Some degree of tidying up willneed to be done, and for this athin piece of brass is bestemployed as a straight edge.Airwaves scribing templates arevery useful, as are the discardededges from Eduard frets, whichcan be bent around a tight curveand used as a guide for thescribing tool. Sounds easydoesn’t it? It isn’t.

Recessed detail on resin kitstends to be exquisitely fine. Bevery careful when rescribing this,as it is very easy to cut a new linemuch deeper and wider than therest. Resin can also crumble veryeasily when rescribed, which canresult in a ragged untidy line thatis unacceptable. When scribingresin kits, test your skills on

some of the discarded castingblocks first.

There is no technique to learn.You simply match your straightedge up with the existing lineand drag your scriber along theedge. With a lot of practice – andtrial and error, your confidenceand ability will grow.


Beware of scribingover patches of filler. This willbe softer than the surroundingplastic, and it is very easy togouge out a lump of filler if youare not careful. This canhappen on the top of afuselage when you are trying todeftly follow a difficult curve.Make sure you are aware ofwhere the filled areas are, andapproach them with caution.

Caution, filler!

Rescribing5.5

The business end of thescriber2

Bare-Metal’s scriber is the best tool available for the job1

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One of Airwaves’ very useful scribing templates3

T he two mostnoticeable parts

on a model are thecanopy and thewheels. Strangelyenough, these arefrequently the twomost neglected. Both,if finished clumsily,can undermine a model’sfinished appearance to aconsiderable degree.

Most kits nowadays featureexcellent wheels. Many olderones hail from the day whenone was invited to touch a hotscrewdriver to the axle in orderto secure the wheel, while stillallowing it to turn. Happily thismadness is behind us, but thelegacy we have been left is a lotof kits with silly little buttonsinstead of wheels. After-marketreplacements are available forthese, and should be embraced.

Wheels should be removedfrom the sprue and cleaned upimmediately. Don’t leave them

until later, as you will bodgethem in your eagerness tofinish the kit. Trim a cocktailstick until you are able towedge it tightly into the back ofthe wheel. It needs to be secure,but not glued. If you have toglue it, make sure it is secureand located as centrally as

possible.Spray the centres

first. Obviously colourwill vary from kit tokit.

Now the tyre canbe painted. Use a veryfine brush and paint

up to the edge of the hub first,revolving the cocktail stickslowly in your fingers, andmoving the wheel against thebrush. This should – with alittle care – enable you to get a

clean circle of tyrearound the hub.Obviously this willdepend on the qualityof the moulding, butthe circularmovement of thewheel on the cocktailstick will help.

You can now applya dark wash to the

hub, and a dust ofpastel chalks to taste.

Tyre coloursare, again, a matter oftaste. Pure black isavoided by many, anda dark grey generallyfavoured. Aeromaster’sacrylic tyre black wasa fine thing in its day,and Tamiya’s acrylicNato black is a decent

alternative.The colour, in the end, is less

important than the accuracywith which it is painted. Don’tallow your aircraft to be fobbedoff with shapeless blobs forwheels. It will be noticed.


Bulged and flattenedwheels are fashionable. Whilethese can look excellent, it ispossible to take the matter toofar, and heavily under-inflatedtyres have been seen onotherwise respectable models.Pre-flattened tyres are availableas after-market products, butthe effect can be reproduced –if you dare – with careful use ofa candle and a little pressure.This is not a feat to be tackledlightly, however, and it isrecommended the modeller trythe technique on the contentsof the spares box first.

Got a flat?

Many older kitwheels are betterreplaced

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Far better tobite the bulletand get on withthe job

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Resin and white metal alternatives abound2

Be wary of rubber and resin options.They may seem an easy way out…3

Wheels

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A nother area best tackledbefore the main paint job

is complete is the prop andspinner (where applicable). Thiscan be a fiddly and annoyingtask, and is another one of thoseapt to suffer if left until the finalmoments of the build. Some ofthe most common tasks thatneed to be carried out in thisarea can easily be achieved witha little careful masking.

1 Yellow tipsPropellers should be detachedwith care and assembled, wherenecessary, prior to painting,although hubs and spinnersmay be left off where possible.The first task to be done, afterany trimming and cleaning up,is to spray the tips, taking careto apply the colour well downthe blade in order to avoid anykind of step or blob where thecolour demarcation will lie.Mask up the tip using shortpieces of Tamiya yellow tape.One piece either side. Make surethey are tightly tamped down toavoid bleed. With the tipsmasked, the rest of the bladecan be sprayed, taking care tospray away from the edge of themasking tape to avoid a ridge.

2 Silver fronts to bladesThe prop should be trimmedand tidied as above, and sprayed

all over black. Broad strips oftape should then be tightlyapplied to the backs of theblades, and the silver coat can beadded. This can be quickly andeasily done with fast-dryingauto-sprays.

3 Black and white stripes(Modern RAF trainers) Proceedas with step one for the yellowtips, then paint the prop withgloss varnish – Johnson’s Klearwill do nicely. Now add strips ofdecal across the face of the bladeto the requiredpattern. Let them dryand then trim to sizewith a new scalpelblade.

4 Spinner spiralsAs seen on manyLuftwaffe fighters, can

be achieved using verythin strips of tape tomask off a spiral, andthen a careful handwith an airbrush. It’s atricky job, but notimpossible. Manyafter-market decal setsinclude these items,and these are naturally

preferable. Don’t imagine youwill be able to hand paint them.

5 SpinnersHalved or quartered spinnerscan again be painted using verythin strips of masking tape tomark off the initialdemarcation. Even the tightestcurve can be masked using thinenough strips.


Many kits and decalsheets provide manufacturers’logos to fit onto propellerblades. These may or may notbe appropriate to the modelyou are building, but theyrarely look effective in smallerscales, and can simply obtrudeand distract the eye from moreimportant characteristics ofthe model. The choice, ofcourse, is yours.

Prop Details

Props and Spinners5.7

...even with complicated patterns2

And with care,the sky is the limit3

Careful masking always gives good results...1

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W ith the model primedand ready to paint, there

will still be a great many bitsand pieces waiting to be stuckon. While it is desirable to paintand finish as many of these aspossible, most of them are bestleft unattached until all themasking, decaling and handlinghas been finished. There are afew points worth noting withregards to this.

1 Anything protrudingforward of the wings should beremoved and refitted later. Cutoff cannon and gun barrels anddrill a shallow depression fortheir subsequent relocation.

2 Where feasible drill holesand manufacture pins foraerials/pitots etc. to ensure afirm and accurate fit later.

3 All ancillary parts can bemounted on cocktail sticks withsuperglue for easy painting.

4 Smaller undercarriagedoors - particularly those on tailwheel wells - are usually poorfits, and will make a mess whenyou come to attach them later. Itmay be desirable to glue thesefirmly in place at an early stagein construction. Solidlyattached, they are usuallyunobtrusive enough to avoidaccidental damage.

5 Check the fit of weaponspylons. Where possible leavethem off until after painting.

They can cause problems at alater stage, if the locating pinsand holes do not align – acommon occurrence.Forewarned is forearmed.

6 Paint and finish allstores/drop tanks/weapons at anearly stage in the build. Theytoo will suffer from a rush job ifleft until the end.

Transparencies, as we haveseen, should be handled withlove and care at all times.Wherever possible leave themoff until the end, ensuring thatonce they have been paintedthey are separated from the restof the kit parts and kept safe

from the depredations of yourfoul and untidy workbench.

…can result in them beingfinished in a hurry


Leaving Things Off

Don’t meddle! Dry fitwhere necessary, but only untilyou are sure of a fit. Avoid thetemptation to play around withfinished bits and pieces.Locating pins will snap,undercarriages break, andsmall intricate objects of greatbeauty will vanish for all timeinto the bowels of your carpet.Once the smaller parts aredone with, put them securelyaway until needed for the finalconstruction!

Temptation

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Leaving small components until last…1

…rather than with care and attention to detail3

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airfix airkraft 'how to' guide

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