The Truth Bar

Plastic model airplane building appeals to a wide variety
of people and age groups. The subjects range from early 20th
century flying machines to modern day jet airplanes. The
included instructions are a good place to start, but creating a
highly-realistic model requires a bit of extra knowledge. Here
are some tips for creating a fantastic model:

The parts are made by injection molding, and are covered with a
material to help release them from the mold. This release agent
will also prevent paint from sticking to the model. Wash the
parts in soap and water, then air dry. Use a hair dryer if
you’d like to speed up the process.

Assemble and paint the cockpit next. The cockpit will be
permanently enclosed within the fuselage halves, and will be
nearly impossible to paint later.

Use only a thin line of glue on each side of the
fuselage, or each side of the wing. A small spot of glue
(applied with a pin) is enough to attach small parts. Excess
glue gets onto the surface of the model and must be cleaned up
later with sandpaper.

Take care to line up the wings and tail relative to the
fuselage, as a crooked airplane really stands out. Use tape to
hold the larger pieces together to check the alignment,
before adding glue.

Sometimes after gluing there will be gaps between
pieces. Fill these gaps with hobby putty, or with super
glue. When the filler is dry, remove the excess and smooth with
sandpaper.

If painting by brush, get a range of sizes (wide, medium
and fine). Try not to overlap your brush strokes, or repaint an
area that is still wet. Wait until the paint is dry then apply
another coat if necessary. After painting, clean your brushes
thoroughly with the recommended thinner, and store them upright
in an old cup.

Paint from a spray can will give a smoother finish than
the brush. Cans cool down during use, which reduces the paint
flow. Place the can in warm (not hot) water for ten minutes or
so to fix this.

The airbrush is the ultimate tool for painting model
airplanes. It is like a spray can with much more control. The
air pressure and paint volume can be controlled, allowing the
user to paint finer lines than with a spray can. If you plan to
keep building models, it is a worthwhile investment.

Canopy. The clear plastic canopy has frames that need to
be painted. Doing this with a fine point brush can be tricky
and error-prone. A better idea is to use masking tape to cover
the canopy, then use a sharp hobby knife blade to cut and remove
tape from the frame portions. Then paint, and after drying
remove the remaining tape.

Clear Coats. The water-slide decals (markings) that come
with the kit work better on a gloss surface. A clear gloss
overcoat should be applied, then after drying apply decals.
If the airplane has a naturally flat (non-glossy) surface, then
after applying the decals, paint again with a flat clear
coat.

Apply these tips, and take your time building the model. Most
importantly, have fun doing it!

If you’d like to know more, visit our website for detailed
instructions on making a museum-worthy World War 2
Airplane Model.

This article may be reprinted if proper credit is given and all
links left intact.

Copyright©2005 World War 2 Airplane Model