SCALE AIRCRAFT MODELLING MARK STANTONSCALE AIRCRAFT MODELLING MARK STANTON + The Crowood PressFirst published in 2002 by ‘The Crowood Press Ltd Ramsbury, Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 2HR ‘www.crowood.com © Mark Stanton 2002 Al rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced oF transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic oF mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from che publishers. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data ‘A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 1 86126 445 3 Dedication For Daniel. ‘Acknowledgements This book, a labour of love for me for nearly two yeas, was completed with kind assistance from some wonderful people all of whom share my hope that our hobby will once again grow and prosper. The extent oftheir help is incalculable and [ offer my gratitude and thanks to them all: ‘Trevor Snowden, Airfix; Davis Parkins, Flightpath Ltd; David W. Aungst; Rob Plas (of the Dutch Armour Association); Chris Gannon, Pegasus Models; Neil Berkhill, Paragon Models; Ian Jamieson, Jamieson’s Models; and al che staff at ED Models. have also received help from ‘others in the industry; there are too many names and companies to list individually, bue where support has been given in a specific cas, there will be an acknowledgement within the text. Finally, I would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to al the staff in Hannants mail order department, ‘who have been packaging my purchases and sending them to me wherever I am in the world. I may not know al their names, but without thei assistance I would probably never get another model to make. Typeset by Textype Typesettrs, Cambridge Printed and bound in Singapore by Craft Print International wCaVaunRwene 10 1 12 13, 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Contents Foreword by Trevor Snowden Preface Introduction... Injected Plastic Kits Scale ~ Does Size Really Matter? Getting Started. Reference Material Basic Techniques . Using Airbrushes .. First Project Modelling Commercial Aircraft Painting Realistic Camouflage Schemes (Part One) .. Bare-Metal Finishes Resin, Etched and White-Metal Parts ‘After-Market Detail Sets. Modelling Biplanes ... Painting Realistic Camouflage Schemes (Part Two) .. Weathering Effects Painting Realistic Camouflage Schemes (Part Three) Limited-Run Kits.. Vac-Formed, Resin and Multi-Media Kits Final Project - Super-Detailing a Sea Hurricane Keeping Records - Model Photography Safety Concerns . Bibliography Useful Addresses. Index . 102 M2 123 129 138 142 147 154 168 171 171Foreword Like other small boys, I began my modelling career with a two-bob kit from Woolworth’, probably purchased with my paper round moncy on a Saturday and completed the s: evening, sitting at home listening to the wireless. The finished aircraft was then hung from my bedroom ceiling — for my mother to destroy later with a duster! I never imagined that one day I would work for the Airfix Company, but in fact that is what happened in 1986, when Humbrol purchased the brand I was lost to modelling for a number of years, having stumbled upon other vices and_past- times. In 1987, when I had to visit the IPMS Nationals on behalf of my company, I found that the people at the show knew more about Airfix than I did; I vowed that if I couldn't beat them I would join them. Now I have become a Pe Airfc 1/480h Scale Supermarine Seafire FRA7. more avid modeller than in my youth. Modelling is generally a solitary activi it can therefore be hard for model their skills; fortunately, it is also one of those hobbies in which knowledge and techniques are gladly shared and passed on with gr siasm. Modelling has given me a great deal of pleasure and also allowed me to make many good friends all over the world who have the same interest. In all my travels I have never and urther er to enthu- met any one who was unwilling co part with FOREWORD, information or advice on how to enhance a model In this book, the author aims to share his knowledge and advice, in order to help re to produce a better model, As modellers improve their skills and experience, so model- making companies will produce more kits, and our hobby will develop and flourish. Trevor Snowden Airfix: Research and Development EngineerPreface Not long ago, within recent memory, a father and son sat together and made something, per- haps from a construction set such as Meccano, or a more modern plastic version. The child felt immense pride in the end result and thar ‘something’ sat on his shelf until he decided to make something else; Dad, of course, was happy to help. ‘A few years later, when the son had grown Father and son. 6 out of construction sets and wanted to build something that really looked like the real thing, he went to the shops and bought his first model aeroplane kit. In the UK at this time, the Airfix brand was synonymous with modelling, and his first purchase was probably a series one Airfix kit in a polythene bag; plastic, blister-type packs would come later and the kits in boxes had to be saved up for. PREFAC] In subsequent years, he would spend his Jy pocket money on the latest kit, rush straight to his bedroom and stay there, no longer needing Dad's help, until the evening, when he would come downstairs to show the family the latest addition to the air force hanging from his bedroom ceiling! At Christmas he would receive bigger and better kits and spend hours patiently creating replicas of historical aircraft. Then, with the onset of his teenage years, modelling seemed a little too childish and the glue, paints and brushes were put away. Fast forward a few more years: the erstwhile modeller has a career, a family and a disposable income, but no hobby. He still looks at kits in toy and model shops and fondly remembers the many hours spent during his childhood nbling and painting bits of plastic. One armed with the latest state-of-the-art kit japan, he converts a corner of the garage to a work area and suddenly rediscovers those times when he would imagine himself in the cockpit of a Spitfire, attacking Adolf Galland in his Messerschmitt over the white cliffs of Dover. My own childhood was filled with plastic models and the dream that one day I would be able to afford one of the big 1/24th scale Airfix kits, the Hurricane or maybe even the Harrier, which were stored on the top shelf at my local model shop. I even dreamed of the day when I would learn to fly the very aircraft that were replicated and suspended from my bedroom ceiling. Many of you will surely have similar memories, Nowadays, the majority of scale modellers are not sons sitting with their fathers making something; they are the fathers themselves, or even grandfathers, with time on their hands and maybe a litle disposable cash to spend on a hobby. A visit to any model show or model shop will confirm this; very few of the customers have been dragged there by children or grandchildren! This book aims to rekindle the past for those of you who may have been childhood modellers, and encourage you to take up the hobby of modelling again. For those who have rediscovered the hobby, it will provide inspiration for you to create a better masterpiece from the parts of your next model kit. More than anything, I hope it will encourage you to sit with your children or grandchildren and make something. Youngsters are the future of the hobby and without your guidance and inspiration, and their interest, production of the last Airfix kit may not be too far away. Happy modelling! Mark StantonIntroduction The origins of the hobby known today as scale modelling date back to before the beginning of the twentieth century. During the Great War and, more prolifically, during the Second ‘World War, model aircraft were fabricated from wood and metal and used for the practice of identifying enemy aircraft. Indeed, as late as the 1970s, young Air Training Corps cadets were still learning the difference between the main military types from scale models. he first scale kits available for purchase were made from balsa wood and it wasn't until the 1950s that injection-moulded plastic parts were used to construct more exact replicas Today, injected plastic is, almost without exception, the main medium from wh model aircraft are built. In the 1960s, model aircraft had raised panel lines and rivets that, if Tamiya 1/48th scale Messerschmitt Bf 109E. 8 scaled up, would nearer represent hubcaps. Today's model manufacturers use computer- designed masters and state-of-the-art equip- ment to create parts that fit together so well that it is possible to make fine replicas of all sorts of aircraft, from the beginning of fl through to the present aircraft that grace the skies and even into the future. This book has been written not only with the beginner in mind, but for all modellers, regardless of their prowess. Its main aim is to inspire not just younger and would-be modellers, but also those who have given up the hobby and decided to return to it, as well as serious modellers who are completing a new model every week. It is not intended to be a gallery of built and completed models, but aims to cover the techniques that will enable you to INTRODUCTION Accurate Miniatures 1/48th scale Grumman Avenger depicted as an FAA Tarpon. achieve the best finishes and to enhance a model further. The book uses an abundance of different marks and sub-types of the Spitfire ~ it is a fact that more Spitfire kits are bought and put together than any other type of aircraft. The Spitfire models available today lend themselves well to conversion to sub-types, and are there- fore useful to illustrate this side of the hobby. Each chapter describes the building of an aircraft type. All the main techniques used — detailing, airbrushing, weathering and so on ~ are covered. Although the text refers predominantly to injected plastic models, other mediums, such as cast and injected polyurethane resin and vacformed plastic, are discussed where appro- priate. Cast white-metal mouldings and etched ‘metal also play an important role in detailing. The main theme of the book is the production of the best finish and final product possible, involving quite advanced techniques. “These techniques need not be intimidating. They are very easily mastered, requiring patience and practice. A list of companies, suppliers, clubs and societies is given at the end of the book. It is not intended to be exhaustive and mainly represents the companies and individuals that have provided help in the completion of this book.What is Happening to Our Hobby? David Parkins is a long-time manufacturer of etched brass/nickel silver, cast-metal and resin model kits and parts for model aircraft, vehicles, figures, boats and trains. He recently wrote this piece in the May 2001 Newsletter on his website for his Flightpath range of aircraft kits and detail sets. For many of us the highlight of the week came on Saturday morning when we went into Woolworth’s and. purchased as many two-bob Airfix kits as our pocket money allowed and, as often as not, had them all built by Saturday teatime! The author had to save for three weeks to get the Airfix Bristol Superfreighter in order to model a ‘Silver City’ aircraft, as watched with awe each week at Hur (now Bournemouth Intemational) airport. Recent market research in North America has borne out what most of us knew already - that there are ‘simply not the new and young modellers entering the modelling market to reverse the steady decline in the numbers of adherents to the hobby. In other words, the average age of modellers is increasing and will continue to do so. Go to any show and look around. ‘The market research referred to above concluded that the hobby was fairly stable for ten to twelve years and thereafter will go into steep decline. This will mean of course that each area of interest within the modelling hobby will become ever more specialist. Production runs of kits are getting, and will continue to get, ever shorter and, therefore, to hold out any hope of there being any profit for the manufacturer and hence for him to stay in business, each kit sold will have to have a higher added value attached to its selling price because it will have to recoup a larger proportion of the development and tooling costs per kit Sold. tt will not have escaped modellers that the release lists of kits from the major injection manufacturers for 2001 consist almost entirely of re-eleases. There are very few wholly new items. The main producers. have cut back their programmes and ordinary ‘high street’ model shops are closing down at an alarming rate, Itis sad to see the deciine of the hobby. Many of us will remember the feeling of satisfaction we had ‘as youngsters the first time we completed a model with which we were relatively pleased. The fact that fone had to go through some sort of ‘pain barrier’ to achieve this made it all the more satisfying. Now, attention spans are shorter, there are infinitely more sources of entertainment and almost all of them yield more instant and painless results than modelling. The other, often overlooked point is that modelling requires @ development of manipulative skills, which were, in the past, often aided by the jobs and apprenticeships youngsters had. Now these skills are disappearing from society, as more and more the manufacturing industry is replaced by the ‘service’ sector. The old adage that people who make things don't break things may also have some relevance when one considers the issues of crime and vandalism. There is no doubt that the assertion that modelling teaches patience is true. ‘Anyway, that twobob kit has gone for ever. We, as manufacturers, must try to keep our prices as. reasonable as we can, but having to recoup those development costs over ever-shorter production runs ‘an unwelcome fact of life that both manufacturers and modellers are going to have to find a way of dealing with. David Parkins ‘Managing Director, Flightpath Ltd 10 CHAPTER 1 Injected Plastic Kits The shelves of your local model or hobby carry boxes upon boxes of scale model kits. The contents of the boxes are like coloured plastic trees, with thick rods of plastic supporting the parts that will go together to make the final model. They are certainly organic in some way, evoking childhood memories and growing into a finished product in the hands of the modeller. DESIGNING AND PRODUCING APLASTIC KIT How are these model kits produced? The main medium is polystyrene-based plastic, which is injected into moulds under pressure. A typical moulding machine is capable of generating 20,000 to 25,000psi of injection pressure. This jection pressure forces the hot molten plastic A typical sight on most modeller’ shelves ~ stacks of kits awaiting attention.INJECTED PLASTIC KITS. A model kit sprue, ful of detailed component parts of the kit from the melt pool through the sprue, runners and gates and then into the cavities that form the parts. On cooling, the plastic sets, creating the parts of the kit. How do companies design the moulds? The kit manufacturer will normally obtain drawings and photographs of the full-sized aircraft, often in cooperation with the aircraft manufacture: most companies are keen to gain greater exposure for their aircraft. With the drawings and photos in front of them the kit design team will begin to consider how to break down the aircraft into individual parts. The fuselage, for be better represented by being moulded in the usual fashion of left and right halves. However, the design of some aircraft lends itself to having the fuselage moulded as upper and lower parts. Others may have their fuselage moulded in a number of parts, all coming together to construct a single assembly. The job of deciding how to achieve the kit's 12 basic part count and assembly sequence goes to the designers. Once it has been established how the aircraft will be represented in kit form, the parts are then made up as masters. Quite often, initially the parts are twice, or sometimes more than twice, the size of the final part, allowing greater detail to be incorporated into the final piece. After cach individual part has been mastered, the parts are then cast and converted into a steel mould using a pantograph, which traces the outline of each part and reduces the size. As the pantograph follows the contours of the part, a cutting tool is engraving the image into a steel mould, which becomes the ‘ool’. The tool is then hand-polished and sometimes the finer details are hand-worked and engraved into the mould surface. Joining each part will be the ‘branches’ of the plastic ‘tee’, known as the sprue. The individual parts of the kit are arranged on the sprue to give a compromise between a logical assembly sequence and an economic layout. Sometimes, the sprue may incorporate parts that are not required for a particular kit, but which may relate to another mark of the ne aircraft. It is often more economical to ncorporate all the parts on to the sprue layout for the complete of an aircraft. The parts not required for a particular kit will be identified in the instructions, The tool is used to produce a ‘test shor’ which will give the designers their first glimpse of the model in its final, built-up form. Any changes or alterations that need to be made to the tool can be done at this stage. Once the final result is satisfactory, the tool can be fitted into the moulding machine. The ma small bead-like grains of polystyrene plastic Almost all of the beads are white or slightly ‘opaque and just a few coloured grains are added co change the final colour of the kit. In the past, manufacturers would mould each kit in a colour that was as close as possible to the final finish of the actual aircraft. For example, Occidental’s Harvard kit and the De Havilland Tiger Moth, produced by Airfix, are moulded in yellow plastic, because both aircraft were A modern kit, showing a logical layout of parts on the sprue I used starts off in the form of INJECT! PLASTIC KITS finished in the Trainer Yellow scheme when in service with the Royal Air Force. This practice means that minimal painting is required. However, it is no longer practical to produce kits in this way and now the colour most commonly used by the model companies is mid-grey. The plastic beads are poured into the moulding machine through a large funnel- shaped hopper and then heated to approxi- mately 450°F (230°C) to create a river of molten plastic. This thick mass of hot plastic fluid is then forced through the cavities of the mould under extremely high pressure. Once all the spaces within the tool are filled, the mould is, cooled by water. The mould is opened and the now solid plastic parts are popped out using ejector pins. Although the plastic is cool enough to keep its shape, itis still quite soft, and marks are created where the ejector pins push the plastic out. ‘Once the parts are collected from the tool, it is a simple matter of transporting them to a packaging area where, afcer making sure that all the sprues for a particular kit are together, they are bagged, boxed and shipped out. 13,INJECTED PLASTIC KITS A FEW TERMS RELATING TO THE PRODUCTION OF KITS Sprue This is the plastic ‘tree’ on which the parts sit and the framework that runs around the parts. The sprue is created during the injection- moulding process by the hot plastic flowing through the channels of the mould. The sprue is waste plastic. The parts are attached to the sprue by small sections, or tabs, of plastic chat are engineered to be as small as possible. Some of the larger manufacturers have this down to 2 fine art, but smaller companies may not have the resources or time to bother, and this will mean a little extra time with the sanding stick. Flash This is the thin, wafer-like surplus plastic chat manages to creep between the halves of a mould. It could indicate that the mould has been in use for a long time, or that the two halves were never engineered to the same tolerances. Flash is more evident on older kits, where the tool has begun ro wear, and on short- run kits, where the moulds have not been designed to handle a significant number of production runs. Again, you need to allow for a litele extra time with the sanding stick. The photograph below clearly shows the difference in the components of a state-of-the- art Japanese kie (ight) ~ the horizontal stabilizers of Tamiya’ 1/48th scale De Havilland Me = and components from the limited-edi short-run Supermarine Seafang kit, again in 1/48th scale, by Silver Cloud. The attachment points on the Tamiya kit parts are finer and the parts are free of flash. (However, despite the heavier attachment gates and the excess plastic in the form of flash, the limited-run parts are beautifully moulded and are more than adequate to complete a model. Once the parts have been cleaned up, this kit gives modellers the opportunity to work on an aircraft that is ignored by mainstream manufacturers.) Sink Marks ‘These are small depressions or indentations in the plastic, rather like ‘dimples.’ They tend to occur on the thicker components, opposite a rib or similar structure. They concern the modeller because they cause the surface to be imperfect. Again, a litte filler and time spent sanding the parts sorts them out. Ejector Pin Marks ‘These marks are a necessary evil of the injection-moulding process. As the parts are ejected from the moulds, small indentations in Flash is very evident on the edges ofthe parts on the lef INJECTED PLASTIC KITS Ejector pin marks are usually hidden on the Some ejector pin marks willbe impossible interior surfaces of a kit's parts to hide and will need filing. The two halves of the fuselage of tis hie are slightly warped.INJECTED PLASTIC KITS the plastic are left, as it has not completely cooled when it is pushed out. The desig to hide these marks on inner su not be seen on the final kit. However, in some aces that will cases this is not possible (see the phot page 15, of the wheel and tyre fro Me262 kit in 1/72nd scale) Ejector pin marks should not be confused with sink marks, which occur naturally and ph on Revell’s randomly as the plastic cools. The ejector pin marks will be perfect circles, whereas sink marks will usually be deeper and less geomet cally perfect. Warping Some larger (mostly flat) components may suffer from warping. This is where the component half has twisted out of shape. This may be resolved dually glueing the part along its length ime and exercising patience. 15, the two fuse nd do not sit nicely typically, but not always, a wing or fusclag by tak In the photograph on pay sides have warped slightly together. A simple remeds sto star glucing at one end and firmly secure the parts together with cogether. THE MANUFACTURERS Mainstream Manufacturers Every industry has its leaders and its followers. aders in the modelling As in other industries, 2 industry have established their position by virtue of the quality of their produce. The major mainstream manufacturers are based in in, with Fujimi, Hasegawa and Tamiya being the main companies. Major names in Eu pe and the USA include Airfix, Mono- am and Revell. European and American companies are increasingly looking towards the Far East in search of ch production, and Korea as a place to produce their kits. saper methods of kit now choose panic: The Cottage Industry Some years ago, a companies existed to supply lement the model kits of the INJECTED PLASTIC KITS major manufacturers. Aeroclub, for example for many years produced white-metal detail parts for the enhancement of the scale kits nd made by Airfix, a a more diverse particular favourite is polyurethane resin which can be cast and is able to hold the finest of details. These compani that replace kit items such as ejector seats; the sate works of art simple inclusion of a Paragon replacement seat, rence to the d kit of the for example, makes all the di otherwise excellent Revell 1/3 Panavia Tornado. there are literally hundreds of small make just the odd Today compani detail part or two, but produce complete kits of their own, Companies such as Aeroclub, Aircraft in Miniature, Blue Max, Dynavector, Flightpath, Kosters, Sanger E and Silver Cloud have all now produced kits of aircraft types that were not easily available from the major manufacturers. Most importantly many of these kits represent aircraft types that eerirINJECTED PLASTIC KITS. have never been available in scale model form before. The range of detail accessories that is now available has to be seen to be believed. For example, it is now possible to include weaponry that shows a level of detail that would have been unimaginable a few years ago. Flightpath is one company that produces an excellent range of extremely well-detailed weaponry ~ its 1/32nd_ scale AIM-9L air-to-air missile is available as a pair, with over twenty individual parts making up cach missile! It is possible to buy kits for making up instrument panels that contain all the detail of the original, while True Details makes resin wheels for nearly every kit available on the market today. Their wheels are not only true to the original in terms of detail, but also have subtle bulges and flac spots chat show the tyre as it should be, as if there is weight on it! These sets may seem expensive but, given the amount of work involved, their cost is easily justified. Another area that is largely outside the remit of the mainstream manufacturers is the pro- duction of kits of the ground equipment seen all around a parked aircraft. These items might include, for example, the tow bar attached to the nosewheel of an airliner, for pushing the aircraft away from the gate. An incredible array of equipment surrounds any military aircraft from hydraulic lifts to raise ordnance to the aircraf’s pylons to a ground power unit, a ground pneumatic unit and a fire extinguisher trolley. Again, Flightpath is one of the main companies supplying kits of these important additions to any diorama. though time and patience will overcome most of the failings of a particular kit, if the kit has a slightly ‘foggy’ canopy, for example, or its cjector seats do not exhibit the same level of detail found elsewhere on the kit, you can always turn to the smaller manufacturers. Someone, somewhere, will almost certainly be working on a replacement. CHAPTER 2 Scale — Does Size Really Matter? SCALES AVAILABLE The scale of a model is basically the ratio between the model aircraft and its full-size equivalent. A 1/72nd scale model is 72 times smaller than the full-size aircraft; in verms of feet and inches, this ‘means that lin of model wingspan represents 6ft of wingspan on the full-size aircraft. For a 1/48th scale model (commonly referred to as ‘quarter- scale’), a quarter of an inch of model represents Ifcon the real aircraft. “The majority of the models in this book are in 1/48th scale, because I believe that this scale offers the best compromise in terms of physical size versus observable detail. However, there are many reasons why other scale modellers choose 1/72nd scale. It is probably the best supported in The nose of the F-4 Phantom in the three popular scales of 1/32nd, 1/48th and 1/72nd, displaying the size difference ery clearly. terms of Royal Air Force subjects and has been referred to as the traditional British scale. There are more aircraft types and decals available in this scale than in the other main scales, although detail set manufacturers tend towards the larger scales, to allow them to create wonderful replicas of engine bays, cockpits and so on. ‘American modellers have been generally happy with 1/48th scale and, as a result, many US companies have historically manufactured kits in this scale. During the 1970s, Monogram produced some stunning quarter-scale kits of American aircraft, including the B-17, B-24 and even the B-29. In other areas of modelling, military models of the world’s armies and hardware, such as tanks and artillery, have traditionally been produced inSCALE - DOES SIZE REALLY MATTER? Regardless of the small scale, some 1/144th models are very nicely detailed. 1/35th scale. A massive range of 1/24th scale kits supply the car modeller whereas motorcycle kits are supplied in 1/12th scale, For some reason, the majority of Formula One model kits are supplied in the unusual 1/20th scale, with a few available in 1/24ch. Another scale popular with the car modeller is 1/43rd and there are also some well-detailed kits in 1/12th scale, including some beautiful Formula One racing car kits from ‘Tamiya and Italian manufacturer Protar. Ship modellers also have a variety of scales from which to choose, with 1/350th and 1/700th being the ‘wo most popular. CHOOSING YOUR SCALE The 1/48th and 1/72nd scales are the main ‘standard’ ones used for aircraft model kits, but there are others currently in use. Your choice will depend on many factors. The airliner modeller, because of the sizeof the subject, has traditionally been catered for in two scales — 1/200th and 1/144th are the two most commonly used, 20 although there a few kits have been produced in 1/100th and 1/96th scales. IF airliners were to be made in the larger scales, there might be problems with display space. An Airbus A330 modelled in 1/48th scale, for example, would have a wingspan of over 125cm (50in), which would certainly look impressive, but it would be difficult to build a collection of such models. (leis always good to see a series of models in the same scale, as this gives an immediate comparison beeween the physical dimensions of the real aircraft.) Even in 1/72nd scale, the A330 would have a wingspan of over 80cm (30in). A couple of airliners have made it into 1/72nd scale, which is good news for the serious scale airliner modeller who has enough space to display them. Military aircraft are commonly manufactured in the diminutive 1/144th scale and 1/32nd scale; a few aircraft are produced in 1/24th, which is almost the sole domain of Airfix. What are the differences? Generally, a 1/24th model of. a Spitfire, with its greater size, allows the incorporation of a far higher level of detail than a SCALE ~ DOES SIZE REALLY MATTER? 1/72nd_ representation. However, there are 1/72nd kits that have a higher level of detail than the same aircraft modelled in 1/48th. The same is true of some 1/48th kits, which have a greater level of detail than their 1/32nd equivalent. Compare the noses of the two models of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom in the photograph on page 19. The Fujimi 1/72nd kit (bottom) comes with the nose attached to the fuselage; the nose is about 2,5cm (an inch) long, On Flightpath’ 1/32nd F-4 detail set (top), the nose is just over twice as long — unsurprising, considering that 1/72nd is almost half 1/32nd scale, However, not only is the length double, but every measurement is alo almost double, making the total volume of the part much greater. To illustrate this, consider a cube with sides that are lem in lengeh. The cube has a volume of Icm cubed. If the length of each side of the cube is doubled to 2em, the volume of the cube is increased to Sem cubed. In other words, doubling the length of one side of the cube increases the volume by a factor of 8. This is an important factor when choosing a scale in which to model; although the larger aircraft may have just double the wingspan of the smaller aircraft, their toral volume increases at an alarming rate. An example of this is the Avro Valcan released by Aeroclub as a vac-form kit in 1/48th scale. Ar first sight, the wingspan and length of the kit are not that problematic in terms of display, but the toral volume of space occupied by the model is enormous! A number of manufacturers make aircraft models in the ‘airliner’ scale of 1/144th. The Chinook helicoprerin the photograph opposite is from Revell’s 1/144th range; at just over 10cm (4in) long, the fuselage can be seen to be not much larger than the nosecone of Flightpath’s 1/32nd Phantom see (see above). Imagine the diminutive size of the completed model! One advantage of this scale is that the models do not take too long to finish. The larger scales offer a much greater degree of detail, but the lack of detail in the smaller scales is nota reason to ignore them completely. Certainly, Revell’s little Chinook produces an The larger scale of 1/32nd can show some incredibly accurate detail, as is evident on these two photographs of Tamiya’s 1/32nd Phantom instrument panel The afier-market replacement parts in 1/32nd scale are often wonderfully detailed, 2SCALE ~ DOES SIZE REALLY MATTER? impressive finished model. The smaller scales offer other advantages, for example, to the modeller who wishes to model an aerobatic formation team comprising nine or more aircraft. The team buile up in 1/48th scale or even 1/72nd scale would make for quite a large display, and there would be a substantial outlay in purchasing the kits. However, the display team modelled in 1/144th scale would be very effective and would still ‘occupy a manageable display area. Ifthe aim is to display a whole team, rather than an individual aircraft, the modeller may be happy to trade the loss of detail for the overall effect of seeing, for example, nine red Hawks in formation. ‘An incredible amount of derail can be incor- porated in the larger 1/32nd scale. Hasegawa, Tamiya, Revell and Monogram all produce 1/32nd kits. Flightpath and Paragon support this scale with superb detail sets and the recent Flightpath releases for Revell’s Hawker Hunter and Tornado kits, as well as Tamiyas F-4 Phantom, are almost lifelike in this scale. ‘A comparison of the nose wheels of Revell’ 1/32nd Tornado kit and the replacement parts by Flightpath (see page 21) illustrates the degree of detail and accuracy that the manufacturers can incorporate when producing replacement sets for 1/32nd kits. The Flightpath set not only exhibits better detail, but is dimensionally more accurate as well. Selecting your scale depends on many factors, not least financial resources ~ some of the superbly derailed 1/32nd kits are not cheap. ‘The best approach is to remain flexible and to try something different every so often. Finally, there is a certain paradox to take into consideration. Considerably more work is involved in completing a 1/32nd aircraft than in finishing a 1/144th aircraft model. As a result, although these models are made to be displayed, the larger ones tend to be put away in a box and never see the light of day! “The table below shows the more usual scales and indicates how they relate to the size of the original. Commonly used scales and their applications Seale Tin of model equals 1 scale fe equals 4 4in in Ws 8in 1.sin m2 Me in 16 Mein 0.75in 20 fe 8in 0.6in 24 2k o.sin 125 2Fe lin 0.48in 32 2 gin 0375in 1135 2 Hin 0.343in 43, 3fe Zin 0.279in 48 Me 0.25in uw of 0.167in 1/100 8f din 0.120in 2s 10 Sin 0.096in 44 12h 0.083in 1/200 16 8in 0.06in 1/350 29f 2in 0.034in 11700 ssf din 0.017in 2 CHAPTER 3 Getting Started The shelves of the average hobby shop carry a wide range of products and equipment, apart from the essential glue, paint and paintbrush. What items do you need to get started? A few years ago, most modellers used thick, awful-smelling polystyrene cement glue, which came in small cubes. Enamel paints were applied by brush and, almost always, the model was buile ‘straight from the box’, with no extra parts adding detail to the original kit. Basic tools may have included a hobby knife and some wet ‘n’ dry sandpaper. As technology has advanced, the range of equipment has ex- panded enormously. Products now available include enamels that have been colour-matched to original paint chips, acrylic paints that have been ‘scale-lightened’ and matched to the original colour on the full-size aircraft, and Alchough the hobby knife is still used, many modellers now use scalpels manufactured by Swann-Morton. adhesives that have moved on far from the simple ‘tube of glue’. “These days, most modellers use an airbrush in painting their models and this is certainly necessary in order to achieve the best finish. For ‘more on painting using an airbrush, sce Chapter 6. BASIC TOOL KIT From the start you will need to equip your workbench with the following items. Re- member: always buy the best equipment chat you can afford. Hobby Knife The Swann-Morton range of scalpel handles and blades is readily available from good hobby shops. Some form of more substantial blade,GETTING STARTED The superb Xuron side cutters pethaps from the X-Acto range, is also a good idea. Note: it is not advisable to cut the part off the sprue with a knife, unless you wish never to see the part again! Paintbrushes Do not skimp when buying brushes ~ the cheaper the brush, the shorter its life expectan- cy. Buying cheap brushes is a false economy. Good brushes, preferably sable, should form an essential part of your tool kit. They are available from all art stores. Get a decent range of sizes, from the ultra-fine 000 to the larger 4in-wide brushes, which are used to cover greater areas or to ‘dry-brush’ (see page 80). Cutters or Snipers The best way to get the part from the sprue is to snip it off. This will leave a small piece of the gate left attached to the part, but this can easily be cleaned up with a sanding stick. If you cut the part off with a knife or scalpel, you risk cutting into the part. Recently introduced, the Xuron range of tools is not the cheapest, but the pieces come with a lifetime guarantee, and cut cleanly and very close to the part being removed. If your budget does not quite run t0 the Xuron range, a small set of electrical snippers, available form most DIY stores, will be sufficient 24 A razor saw can come in very handy when you least expect it, Razor Saw A good razor saw is certainly worth investing in if you wish to start opening the kit up, di playing the engine or gun bays, or replacing the control surfaces with after-market resin ones Look for a fine gauge and a good sturdy handle. ‘Tweezers Spring-loaded, straight and bent tweezers all come in very handy. Tamiya offers a couple of very good versions in their range of tools, but the local chemist is also a useful source. Pliers A selection of pliers will be useful as an aid in holding the smaller parts, especially when working with etched metal pieces. A DIY shop will be able to supply sets of miniature pliers that are perfect for the job. Sanding Sticks The sanding stick is essentially a sandwich of sandpaper and foam held on a plastic stick. They come in a multitude of grades, from a very coarse grit to extremely fine. There is also a triple grade stick available, which is used for final polishing. Local chemists also have a good supply of nail polishers, which are almost identical, but half the cost. A selection of varying grades of sanding sticks: four Squadron products and a three-way fingernail buffer (bottom), available from any high sireet pharmacy. Needle files and their handle. A selection of plastic cements. GETTH START! Needle Files When working with metal parts, these files are essential, to smooth and polish the parts. They also come in handy when opening panels in the model as they cut through the plastic with greater control than a knife. A good set of needle files will include various sections or shapes. The most useful, however, are the round and square-section files. Adhesives The choice of adhesive is certainly down to personal preference but remember that all glues do not stick everything. For larger assemblies, there is nothing wrong with the old polystyrene cement, but there are better alternatives. One good range comes from Faller; supplied in small plastic bottles with needle applicators, they are available in Standard and Super Expert formu- lations. “Super glues’ or, more accurately, Cyano- acrylate adhesives, are becoming more popular and they really do stick just about everything. ‘They are essential for the sticking together of mixed media, such as resin to plastic, or metal to resin, and so on. They are available in different viscosities, which all have their uses. ‘White PVA adhesives are great for sticking on clear canopies, as they do nor ‘fog’ the parts. Paints The technology behind the manufacture of the paints used by modellers has improved dramatically since the 1970s, when tins of thick paint were the norm. The choice today ~ again, down to personal preference — is between enamels, which are oil-based, and acrylics, which are water-based. Both enamels and acrylics require their own specific thinner; mineral thinners are used with enamels and an acrylic thinner should be used with acrylics, although distilled water can also be used. The technology behind the manufacture of hobby paints has moved on further and faster than in other areas of the hobby, and a number of manufacturers offer good paints. The AcroMaster range of acrylic paints, which is very good, is now 25,GETTING STARTED The AeroMaster acrylic pains range is highly recommended. Humbrol have been producing model paints for years and the range of colours available is very comprehensive Xtracolor enamels from Hannants. 26 available from the US under the Polly $ brand. Humbrol, the parent company that owns Airfix, has a huge range of colours in its recently reformulated and rebranded Super Enamel range. They have a much finer pigment than before, which gives a much smoother finish. I use the enamel Xtracolor range from Hannants, mainly because they are a good representation of the original colour, but also because they dry to a gloss finish. This provides a better surface for the application of decals. A gloss surface is smoother than a matt or semi-gloss finish and it is less likely that air will be trapped underneath the decal, causing ‘silvering’. Once the decals have been applied, the model, complete with its gloss finish, can then be made matt or semi-gloss by using an appropriate varnish. For more on the applica~ tion of water-slide decals, see page 44. Kir manufacturers supplying their own range of hobby paints include Revell and ‘Tamiya, while Gunze Sangyo of Japan and Testors Model Master in the US are also well known to most modellers. Start off with the paints required to build the particular kit that you have just chosen and then add to your collection with subsequent projects. AIRBRUSH The airbrush is a serious piece of modelling hardware but, for the best paint finish, it easily beats the more traditional approach of using brushes. The airbrush sprays a much finer and more even coat of paint on to the model surface than could ever be achieved with a paintbrush ‘The overall quality of an airbrushed finish over a hand-painted one should quickly persuade you to save up for one, of to put one on your Christmas list. Paying more for a quality product will be worth it in the long run and, although there are cheaper alternatives, you should consider in- vesting in an airbrush from Iwata or Paasche. If they ate properly looked after, their equipment An airbrush should be part of the serious modeller's toolbox. and components will have a much greater life expectancy than cheaper brands. ‘An essential item when using an airbrush is a source of air; this can be provided by anything from a compressor to the inner tube of a car tyre, Cans of compressed air are available, but this can get expensive if you do a lot of air- brushing. ‘A good compressor/airbrush combination will probably be the single most expensive purchase when setting up your workspace for your hobby, but investing in good-quality products will reward you in the long term. For more on using an airbrush, see Chapter 6 LUXURIES Once you have all your basic tools, consider buying bits and pieces that are nice to have but are not always essential you can GETTING STARTED Airbrush Spray Booth A spray booth will require a certa outlay, but must be considered if you intend to do a lot of spraying, to avoid excessive inhalation of harmful vapours and particles The booth draws air into it via a powerful fan, bringing the harmful paint particles with i. A filter then traps the larger particles and the remaining paint dust and solvent vapours are thrown out through the back, usually to a large- diameter hose, similar to that fixed to a tumble drict. This is then vented through an open window, outside, and into the local atmosphere where the vapour and particles disperse. Punch and Die Set For super-detailing and scratch-building parts of your model, a punch and die set will enable you to create neat circular holes or small discs of plastic from sheet plastic card. They are produced by Historex Agents in the UK and 27GETTING STARTED A conventional leather punch is also a handy tool. ‘Waldron in the USA. The Waldron punch and die set is certainly better quality, but itis over twice the price of the Historex set. It’s another quality versus cost decision — in my view, the Historex set is a perfectly acceptable tool to have on your modelling bench. Leather Punch A leather punch is particularly useful, for punching holes or creating circles of card or 28 The punch and die set from Historex agents is an adequate alternative to the expensive set from Waldrons. paper when the punch and die set is not big enough. They are available at good stationers and are relatively cheap. Set of Micro Drills ‘These drills will enable you to drill out gun barrels and to create realistic lightening holes in structures that have been moulded as solid parts. Kit manufacturers include as much detail as they can, but there will always be areas where Micro-sized drills are useful 10 have, especially if you are intending to incorporate farther detail into your ‘model the modeller can make improvements. With a litele extra work — simply hollowing out the engine exhausts, or drilling out gun barrels — you can create a much more detailed finished model. Scriber Scribers allow you to create or improve panel lines on your model. They vary in shape and size; two of the most useful products are supplied by airbrush manufacturer Badger, which sells a very fine scriber, and Olfa, which produces a tool called the P-cutter. The P- cutter is useful for making engraved lines chat are thicker than those created by the Badger GETTING STARTED The P-cutter from Olfe of Japan. scriber. It is also very handy for improving the larger areas that represent the gap between flying surface and a control surface, for example, an elevator. The P-cutter is also very useful when detaching the parts from the backing sheet in a vac-form kit, but more of that later on. Power Tools There are various ranges of power tools available for the hobbyist, but beware! The melting temperature of plastic is relatively low and the higher speeds at which some of these tools operate can cause problems by melting the plastic. Because of this, the Dremel range of 29rARTED tools (wit.dremel.com) is really only appro- priate for modelling when dealing with non- plastic items, such as white-metal castings; in this case, the precision of the tools really does give an advantage. They may be used more generally if they have an optional speed controller that allows a much lower rpm to be set. Minicraft (www.minicraft.co.ukfproducts.htm) makes a complete range of motor tools, drill bits and other useful tools for the modeller. Power tools in this range turn at slower speeds, thus reducing the risk of hot drill bits melting plastic kit components. Minicraft tools are becoming increasingly popular and some larger DIY chains are now stocking the products. The list of tools and accessories available to support the hobby grows weekly, and new items regularly appear in the model magazines and in local model shops. The golden rule is to stick to the basic tools initially and then build up a workshop gradually with the best-quality tools that your budget allows. SETTING UP THE WORK AREA Very few modellers will be lucky enough to have a dedicated room for their modelling. Wherever you decide to set up your work area, keeping it organized and tidy will lead to minimum disruption to your home and family life. 30 The work area should allow easy access to all materials, tools and accessories. Wall-mounted magnetic strips, designed to hold kitchen ives, are handy for keeping all cools within arm’s reach. Small plastic drawer units, de- signed to store screws, nuts and bolts, and available from hardware or DIY stores, are useful for keeping paints in order. Cheap, wall- mounted or free-standing storage units, usually in thin plywood, are useful, and desktop trink storage units are ideal for keeping the com- ponents of a project together. When deciding where to store all your materials and tools, try thinking of your workspace as you would a kitchen. Keep the most commonly used items at the front, and those that you need less often at the back. Everything should be within easy reach. When setting up your workbench, the essential things to consider are good lighting and good ventilation. If you cannot get a position with good natural light, daylight simulation bulbs will show the true colours of your paints as if they were illuminated by daylight. Good ventilation cannot be simu- lated, however. Many of the products used in modelling display a hazardous or dangerous goods symbol, often accompanied by a written warning regarding the toxicity of the product. Do not take these warnings lightly. Inhaling resin dust or solvent vapours unnecessarily can be dangerous. For more on safety considera- tions, see Chapter 21. kni Reference Material Reference material is very important to the modeller. For example, for many years modellers painted the underside of Battle of Britain Spit and Hurricanes in a standard scheme of RAF Sky, or a close representation of it. In fact, the early aircraft were painted in a half-silver, half-black scheme, and some were painted in light blue ‘This was later changed to a half-white, half-black scheme, retaining the silver under-fuselage colour, before standardizing on the single colour of Sky. This was just one example (of many) of the variations in schemes that occurred during the early war years; indeed, the latest research reveals that these variations were quite extensive. Details of these variations are covered in a recently published book by Paul Lucas, called Camouflage and Markings No.2: The Battle for Britain — RAF May to December 1940. Specialist books are available to assist the modeller to learn more about their chosen subject. Today, reference material exists in many forms. Videos and CD-ROMs can show ait- craft in much greater detail than before, and Tamiya has recently released a set of CD- ROMs giving extensive coverage of various topics. ‘These include the Spitfire, P-51 Mustang and the Messerschmitt BF-109 and cover just about every possible detail. Video and computer graphics can bring images to life in a way that a book could never hope to, but books are always the first port of call BOOKS Books are the obvious starting point for references, along with a number of specialise magazines. Some, including the Paul Lucas publication, are extremely specific; there are 31REFERENCE MATERIAL The hobby is supported by a wide selection of monthly magazines. many books on the history of the RAR, on the aircraft types and even on individual squadrons, but Lucas targets a few months of one Second World War campaign. If your chosen field of modelling is the Luftwaffe during the Eastern Front campaigns (the Lufiwaffe also displayed little-known variations in their schemes), the colour schemes of Japanese Naval aircraft prior to the attack on Pearl Harbour or the camouflage schemes of early World War One German aircraft, then there may well be a book just for you. Modern. military and. civil aircraft are easily photo- graphed and measured by model manu- facturers, and squadron or airline schemes can be made available in decal form. However, for special squadron anniversary schemes, | the strange experimental schemes evaluated by military forces, and the liveries of the many airlines that are no longer seen at the world’s airports, you need to turn to specialist 32 publications. This is where good reference material is of enormous value. Keeping up to date with the latest research will help you to improve the accuracy of your models Books can be divided into two categories: the general book for the aviation enthusiast, which describes its subject in general terms, and the specialist modeller’s reference book, written specifically with the modeller in mind, The former might include an operational history, milestones in development, the different marks. and so on, and will include high-quality photographs of the whole aircraft, The latter is indispensable when painting the smaller de and creating a replica that is as close as po to the original, Usually dealing with a single type of aircraft, these books include generic shors as well as detail shots of such areas as the engine and cockpit. A full history of sub-types and operational history will always be included. For any modeller of Royal Air Force aircraft, The Datafile series has been warmly welcomed by ‘modellers of the subjects covered by this range of books. ‘cale Cerin DCT emery REFERENCE MATERIAL SSC Uny PSST nC RMS), Pera 737 a Fe | new Modellers Datafile series (SAM Pub 1s. Books on the Hurricane, Mosquito, Lancaster (in- cluding the Manchester and Lincoln) and the Spitfire (two volumes for the Rolls Royce Merlin-engined aircraft and the later Griffon- engined aircraft) have already been published, and the Bristol Beaufighter is due to follow. All, titles give a good written account of the aircraft excellent colour photographs of both the 1 and interior of the aircraft, and colour side views showing various colour schemes. relativ ions) covers single The monthly magazine Scale Aviation Modeller International, i always full of inspirational project Many books include extremely useful ‘shopping lists’ of kits, accessories and decals that are appropriate to the subject air for example, you want to build a Spitfire LF MK.XVI book on the Merlin- engined Spitfire points you in the right direction, recommending the conversion of a Tamiya Mk.Vb using Aeroclub accessories. The scale is 1/48th, but conversion details are also given for 1/72nd or 1/32nd scales. The Datafile books are an excellent source of material and have greater credibility because they are 33REFERENCE MATERIAL The Warpaint series from Hall Park Books. published by the same company that produces the monthly Seale Aviation Modeller International maguine. For the German Luftwaffe fan, the new Luftwaffe Colours seties (published by Classic Publications) covers the subject in detail, from the birth of the Luftwaffe through to the Second World War. h less specific regarding aircraft type, the series is a source of excellent material when researching the types flown and the multitude of schemes. Modern types are given good coverage in a 34 The history and colour ichemes of the Luftwaffe are covered in this excellent series of books, which are highly recommended to the naff modeller of Luf aircraft range of books, many of which are available in any good bookshop. Aerospace Publishing Ltd offers a very useful series. The World Air Power Journal series builds into a massive reference library and its sister title, Wings of Fame, covers dlassic and historical types. The colour photography is first class and, although each issue covers many different types of aircraft, they are always thoughtfully described and show many unusual schemes. Former editor of both the Airfix magazine and Scale Aireraft Modeller, Alan Hall is now involved with a new series of books aimed specifically at the modeller. The Warpaint series, published by Hall Park Books, features single-type illustrated books and covers a wide ange of subjects, from the well-documented lawker Hi as the F extremely well and a list of decals, and so on, is included The hardback Aviation Series from The Crowood Press, each title dealing with a single an excellent source of ter to less well-known types, such rey Gannet. Each type is covered ailable kits and subjects, and the books are written by a number of respected writers If you cannot find the book you want your local bookshop, try an online book ret such as Amazon. MUSEUMS AND SHOWS If you find that the material you need is proving elusive, or the references you have are REFERENCE MATERIAL contradicting each other, consider carrying, put your own research with a visit to a museum or air show. A visit to an air show proved invaluable to me while I was making Tamiya’s impressive 1/32nd of the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Eagle. This it offers a high level of detail in the model. The jet pipes of the full-size F-15E are lined with a ceramic surface that is designed to cope with the very high levels of heat at the business end of the two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engines. The reference material chat I had did not allow me to see how the interior surface of this jet pipe looked, so I visited an air show to sce the real thing exhibited on the static display. I was able to take my own, very specific photographs. Museums are a great way to learn about aviation in general and can help with research on specific subjects. Many do not permit flash photography indoors, but they often have outside display areas that can be photographed. Wherever you travel in the world, there will almost certainly be an aviation museum -or Display at Le Musée de V'Air et L'Espace (Museum of Air and Space) at Le Bourget, ParisREFERENCE MATERIAL heritage centre near by, providing the ideal opportunity for amassing a photographic archive. One of my favourites is the Swiss Air Force Museum at Diibendorf Airfield, Switzerland, which I have visited in search of information to enable me to do justice to the Revell 1/32nd Hawker Hunter kit. In some cases, a visit to see the real thing will help you to add detail to a kit; it may even help you to correct detail that already exists — even kit manufacturers get it wrong sometimes! Viewing the work of other modellers beneficial and inspiring, and this is best done at one of the many model shows and exhibitions that are organized for the modelling fraternity. ‘The largest such show in the UK, organized by the International Plastic Modellers Society (UK) (IPMS UK), is known by most modellers simply as “The Nationals’, It was formerly known as The National Championships and is primarily a showcase and competition for modellers all around the world, who compete an be Ex-Swiss Air Force Hunter at the Swiss Air Force Museum, Diibendorf, near Zivrich, Switzerland. = 64.7 The ousside ramp of the Le Bourget Museum is full of interesting subjects 36 REFERENCE MATERIAL against each other for the title of IPMS (UK) National Champion. In 2000, this very annual successful Scale Model world’, and it continues to attract visitors from all around the globe. The show normally « place in October and is currently held Telford, in the Midlands Other annual shows include the annual IPMS Milton Keynes event and the Fleet Air Arm museum model show. A full list of events in all areas can be found at the back of Scale Aviation Modeller International magazin Apart from the competitive element, many visitors look forward to shows as a place to enjoy a standard of modelling that not only provides them with reference material, but also gives them immediate inspiration to get home and build another kit! ent was renamed ale Modelworld has become something of a Mecca for modellers, with a large number of models on display, as well as trade stands launching or displaying the various companies’ latest products. ROYAL NAVY A lovely model of a Royal Navy F-4K Phantom displayed at the IPMS show at Telford.REFERENCE MATERIAL a et There are always plenty of bighly inspirational models on display at model shows 38 THE INTERNET There is a huge amount of reference material available online, but one of the main problems is how to find it. For example, if you enter “Messerschmitt” as a search term in one of the ch engines, such as wwu.google.com, you will be presented with a number of websites relating to the Messerschmitt bubble car of the 1960s, and one site that targets fans of the The Messerschmitt Twins, a UK-based band that is a tribute to Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark! Below are listed some of the sites that have been useful to me. The list is neither definitive nor exhaustive, and you should also remember that the Internet is fluid and ever-changing, with links disappearing and new sites appearing at an incredible rate Tony Matteliano's Scale Modelling Index (www.scalemodelindex.com) is a great place to start_a search on the Internet for anything ted to modelling. Matteliano has collected an incredible amount of information and posted ir all on one site, with useful links. The international list of scale model-related websites (wuwwscalemodel.net) is a superb com- pilation of the best Online magazine wwwshyperscale.com is sponsored by Squadron Mail Order, the oldest modelling-related mail order firm in the US, and run by Brett Green from Australia. Contributions to Hyperscale come from the global modelling community and, while there are better reference works a do take time to keep up to date with kit reviews and the latest releases. There are also some very lable, contributors inspirational photographs in the gallery section. The creators of wu modellingmadness.com claim it to be the finest review site on the web Ik certainly provides latest kits and products, which is very handy if you are contemplating buying something. Currently receiving 100,000 visits a month, the site is certainly worth a browse good assessment of the REFERENCE MATERIAL The official website of the Royal Air Force (wuvu:raf.mod.ukfrafhome.bimb) is the perfect place to start a search for information about the force, ot about the aircraft it flew. It has a wonderful historical section that not only gives details about the aircraft but also about the history of its squadrons. Every major air force has its own site. The International Plastic Modellers Society (or IPMS) is an of and encouraging the hobby of plastic modelling, Within its there are Special Interest Groups (ot SIGs), some of which are very specialist, others slightly more general. Some have their own websites. The IPMS (UK) Fleet Air Arm SIG (www.faasig.nesfirms.com) has a superb website dedicated to the FAA and its aircraft nization dedicated to supporting I believe that researching the subject is an essential part of making a scale model aircraft, and creating an exact replica of the original, but if you wish to put RAF roundels on a Mitsubishi Zero or would like to create your own hypothetical camouflage schemes, there is nothing to stop you. Indeed, there are many modellers who only model what might have been, 'as opposed to what actually was. For nple, ‘The Luftwaffe, 1946” has a strong following, with modellers taking a prototype German aircraft type that did not see active service and building it up to be a frontline aircraft, as if the Second World War did not finish in the way that history records. These modellers like to speculate as to how events would have panned out had the aircraft entered service with the Luftwaffe. Certainly, the expertise existed — the Russians, capturing the plans for the rather squat-looking Focke Wulf Ta183, went on to develop the aircraft into the famous Mig-15 fighter. In a similar example, Dr Werner von Braun was involved in the design of the early Apollo projects that placed a man on the moon — some way removed from his earlier association with the German V2 project 39