Whisperjet Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 Hi guys I'm currently working on a 1/72 Heller Boeing 707. I just wanted a big plane, so I had no particular airline in mind when I started it. Now I discovered the 26 decals set for an American Airlines 707. I assume I can make one from the Heller kit (engine types etc)? Now I was wondering about the livery. I'm considering using very thin adhesive aluminium foil for the bare metal look. But judging from the pictures the AA 707s were never really shiny/polished? Or is it just the old pictures? It looks like the wings and the wing/fuselage transition were painted in light grey + coroguard? See a picture below of my trial. Is it an overkill? Thank you and best regards from Switzerland. Stefan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippiebg Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 (edited) The Heller kit represents an early 707-320B and is almost right for American Airlines 707-320B/Cs. Tiny details differ -- more importantly landing gear doors (AA 707-320B/Cs had two side doors, rather than the single door on earlier aircraft) and less importantly engine side inlet doors (AA's were the repositioned, larger, later type that Heller does not represent). Homework using photographs pays off. American Airlines had their aircraft highly polished at service entry. The finish lasted four or five years before fading progressively. I remember this from a posting on the Airlinermodelling Yahoo group by a former American Airlines employee. Homework pays as regards the period into which you are placing your model. Metail foil has two sides -- shiny and "brushed", so you can experiment. But why ask us? Do what your eyes suggest is suitable, and aim to please yourself! Corrosion protection to top and bottom wing and tailplane inspar areas was standard on Boeings from the early-mid Sixties, so all AA 707-320B/Cs did have it. The wing/fuselage fairing was fibreglass, and painted in Boeing Airplane Company grey -- a light grey with beige-ish overtones which you can mix yourself or buy ready mixed from more than one paint maker ("BAC grey"). --- Just to add that JAT Yugoslav 737-300s, which entered service highly polished in 1986/7 faded very badly by 1990. AA seems to have cared for their machies better, though the mirror look often faded badly, especially on cargo aircraft. Look at photographs and make your own mind up. Edited December 11, 2016 by skippiebg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 AA aircraft started out highly polished, but as time went by the polish dulled. Pick a photo and match it with your model. The wings and tailplanes were standard Boeing grey/corogard, and there was varying amounts of grey on other parts of the aircraft as well, most notably the radome tail cone, and w/c servicing doors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busnproplinerfan Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 I like this foil, is it easy to get and how big are the sheets? BMF is nice but tears easily 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whisperjet Posted December 21, 2016 Author Share Posted December 21, 2016 Hi Thank you very much for your feedback. The foil I am intending to use can be found in most hardware stores. I bought a roll of 50m which is 50mms wide. Apparently it is used for insulation. Regarding the American Airlines color scheme, I am still trying to find out which ares were painted (or not). Were the wings (except for the Coroguard) and the tail fin polished metal as well? They appear to be different on pictures. What about the engines? They look flat as well? Any inputs are welcome! Thank you Stefan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 The wings and tailplanes were painted in Boeing grey except for the leading edges (and of course the corrogard inspar areas). The engines were unpainted, but dulled quite quickly. The suck-in doors on the nacelles were grey, as well as a portion of the turbocompressor hump. Only a few small panels at the top of the fin were grey; the rest was bare metal. Here's a representative example: Photos of the starboard side are difficult to find, but here's one showing the lav service door just above and aft of the nose gear doors: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busnproplinerfan Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 On 12/21/2016 at 3:23 PM, Whisperjet said: Hi Thank you very much for your feedback. The foil I am intending to use can be found in most hardware stores. I bought a roll of 50m which is 50mms wide. Apparently it is used for insulation. Regarding the American Airlines color scheme, I am still trying to find out which ares were painted (or not). Were the wings (except for the Coroguard) and the tail fin polished metal as well? They appear to be different on pictures. What about the engines? They look flat as well? Any inputs are welcome! Thank you Stefan Are you talking about aluminum duct tape? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Great topic - will follow with interest René Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fazzman Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 No doubt this has been said a million times on metallic finishes, but this takes me back to the rub-n-buff days of the 70's & 80's..that's all we had, apart from the trusty 'kitchen foil fixed at differing angles/tacky gloss varnish adhesive' method!! Hmmm...strokes chin.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busnproplinerfan Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 On 3/23/2017 at 3:58 PM, Fazzman said: No doubt this has been said a million times on metallic finishes, but this takes me back to the rub-n-buff days of the 70's & 80's..that's all we had, apart from the trusty 'kitchen foil fixed at differing angles/tacky gloss varnish adhesive' method!! Hmmm...strokes chin.... At least now we have better foil adhesive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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