BIG X Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 Since I came back to this wonderful hobby a few months ago, everything I've built has been "undercart down" (a couple of Spits & a couple of Hurricanes etc). I'm now wondering - why not "wheels up" (surely a spitfire was simply born to fly). Which way do you prefer??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LotusArenco Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 I have been a wheels down modeller for a long time. Recently I’ve begun to appreciate the aesthetics of seeing model aircraft in their natural environment. I’ve knocked out a 109 ‘in flight’ and I’m just finishing off a Harrier GR3, which will also be ‘in flight’. I’ve also been a ‘full hull’ ship modeller, but am now seeing the appeal of waterline on a sea base. Mart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 So - we have a down to up convert eh Or in the case of ships - dry to wet I'm really thinking I should give the wheels up approach a go - but I'll need to master painting those fiddly little pilots Any more thoughts??? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parabat Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 As a kid I used to model 'wheels up' exclusively and even cut the undecarriage off toy aircraft. I now usually model gear down, but have one or two gear up. One of my favourite models is a F-14A+ on CAP over Iraq in Gulf War 1... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackG Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 I prefer wheels up too, but my problem with the pilots is very few brands provide them in their kits. Along with that, there are sometimes difficulties with thick struts/bay doors that don't allow for proper closure - just some extra work I suppose. regards, Jack 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 7 minutes ago, JackG said: I prefer wheels up too, but my problem with the pilots is very few brands provide them in their kits. Along with that, there are sometimes difficulties with thick struts/bay doors that don't allow for proper closure - just some extra work I suppose. regards, Jack Ooh - an interesting consideration & one I hadn't thought of... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecov Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 Normally I will build my models "wheels down" but sometimes I just cant be bothered painting wheels, oleos and bays and go "wheels up". Another factor I consider is that most of my models go straight into storage and having no undercarriage down means less bits to break off! Sometimes you have no choice - building a Junkers Ju87 Stuka for example! Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 12 minutes ago, Parabat said: As a kid I used to model 'wheels up' exclusively and even cut the undecarriage off toy aircraft. I now usually model gear down, but have one or two gear up. One of my favourite models is a F-14A+ on CAP over Iraq in Gulf War 1... As a kid - I did the same - but in the late sixties to early seventies this was "the fashion" - if you didn't have a bedroom ceiling full of swinging aeroplanes - you simply weren't a real little boy - it went along with scuffed knees & playing conkers SWMBO has been pretty understanding as I drift into my second childhoood - but I'm also pretty she would kill me if I hung anything from the ceiling - could be worth it for a good laugh though - imagine the language when she found out 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry c Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 When I was a child, my older brother and I had an agreement.Our models were 1/72, hung from the ceiling wheels up. His room was European Theater, mine was Pacific. Now that I am older,my models sit on a shelf, so wheels down....unless I can convince my wife to let me hang them from the ceiling. grown up but not mature, Garry c 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 4 minutes ago, davecov said: Normally I will build my models "wheels down" but sometimes I just cant be bothered painting wheels, oleos and bays and go "wheels up". Another factor I consider is that most of my models go straight into storage and having no undercarriage down means less bits to break off! Sometimes you have no choice - building a Junkers Ju87 Stuka for example! Dave Ha ha - I had thought about the Stuka - lovely as it can be "up tiddly up up" & then come "down tiddly own down" - in the words of those magnificent men Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 1 minute ago, Garry c said: grown up but not mature, Garry c I still have no idea what I want to do when I "grow up" & I'm fifty two (and a quarter) 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 When " wheels up" - you need to do something with popeller....A transparent circle? Or fuzzy blades like on photo? Or a gases from nozzle in jet. I realized that I never did "wheels up" in my almost 50 years of modelling. And likely I will not do it in future, I hope. I have to confess that It happend also to me that I am tired with painting again some next wheels - then I am doing a hydroplane . But I like sometime to see model with wheels up on BM... Cheers J-W 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Work In Progress Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 49 minutes ago, BIG X said: Ooh - an interesting consideration & one I hadn't thought of... In many cases you can by-pass the whole problem by filling in the wheel wells with Milliput and either scribing or drawing in the shut lines. I like to do older smaller 1/72 kits as wheels-up display models on stands. If I'm doing something newer, larger and more detailed it is usually wheels down and opened up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 29 minutes ago, JWM said: When " wheels up" - you need to do something with popeller....A transparent circle? Or fuzzy blades like on photo? Or a gases from nozzle in jet. I realized that I never did "wheels up" in my almost 50 years of modelling. And likely I will not do it in future, I hope. I have to confess that It happend also to me that I am tired with painting again some next wheels - then I am doing a hydroplane . But I like sometime to see model with wheels up on BM... Cheers J-W Interesting observations about the props (all my work is prop based) - I think clear circles look "tacky" & I've seen a couple of "blurred prop" models - which just confused me - until I realised what they were supposed to portray. I have an endless supply of really tiny motors - but the wiring & power elude me (I'm no James Dyson). Let's not go there. Thanks for your your perspective - well considered. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackG Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 Well yes and no about prop blur. It is a phenom of the camera shutter speed not matching the speed of the propeller. Stationary blades on a flying model is fine, just capturing a split moment in time, or 'frozen in time' if you will. regards, Jack 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Work In Progress Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 As I've said before, if you're aiming for the appearance of a photograph of an aeroplane, then a prop blur sort of thing does that. If you're aiming for the appearance of an actual aeroplane, then it's either a clear disc for something simple, or an actually rotating prop for the finest examples. I'm not a prop blur fan but whichever approach floats your boat more is purely a matter of individual taste and preference. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don149 Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 One thing about the Tamiya 1/32 Spits and Mustangs is you can swop from up or down as you choose ! . A pity the Corsair wasn`t the same 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 28 minutes ago, JackG said: Well yes and no about prop blur. It is a phenom of the camera shutter speed not matching the speed of the propeller. Stationary blades on a flying model is fine, just capturing a split moment in time, or 'frozen in time' if you will. regards, Jack I like that thought - there was a book by H E Bates - "A moment In Time" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 21 minutes ago, Don149 said: One thing about the Tamiya 1/32 Spits and Mustangs is you can swop from up or down as you choose ! . A pity the Corsair wasn`t the same You can "supposedly" do the same with the Airfix 1/24 Spitfire Mk1A - but I've messed with 2 now & it's simply impossible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MalX Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 UP ...........every single model is up and hanging from the ceiling...........on the shelves are my model battleships but, it's much harder to paint with the undercarriage up or to lie the model down after painting 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 1 minute ago, MalX said: UP ...........every single model is up and hanging from the ceiling...........on the shelves are my model battleships but, it's much harder to paint with the undercarriage up or to lie the model down after painting Good advice - have to work around that one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Beema Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 Done a couple of UP's but I have an issue with the props. They need to be going around. Stationary props, etched props and clear disks don't quite do it form me. I'm thinking a motorising the Has Typhoon Ib, using an Airfix 1/48 pilot from the Hurricane and considering if there is a way to light the rocket motor.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 8 minutes ago, Grey Beema said: Done a couple of UP's but I have an issue with the props. They need to be going around. Stationary props, etched props and clear disks don't quite do it form me. I'm thinking a motorising the Has Typhoon Ib, using an Airfix 1/48 pilot from the Hurricane and considering if there is a way to light the rocket motor.... Careful now!!! Lighting that rocket sounds dangerous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LotusArenco Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 The only problem I had putting a tiny motor in this: -Was making sure the shaft on the propeller was perfectly aligned with the shaft on the motor. And making sure the rubbing of plastic to plastic wouldn’t be an issue. I began by just drilling into the plastic prop shaft, but missed the centre by a fraction giving a wobbly prop! I then glued a small copper tube onto the back of the nose cone and a small bit of plastic tube was just pushed onto the motor shaft then the copper tube was pushed onto that. As for the wiring, it’s as simple as you can get. Battery (small coin cell)>switch>resistor(to slow the motor down a bit,not the best way, but it works)>motor. The motors/switches/resistors etc. you can get off Amazon/Ebay, or just pull apart cheap tat from Poundland! Another problem with ‘wheels up’, is sorting out a decent base and mounting rod. I’m not a fan of the Airfix stands so I’m just using copper/brass tubing stuffed into a turned wooden base. Painting pilots is fairly easy (in 1/72 at least). Block in the colours, then splodge on a wash of darker colour and a drybrush to finish things off. Mart 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 Lovely work Mart - that is a very neat splinter scheme - where do you hide the battery & how do you replace the battery??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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