bootneck Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 I had better get something posted on this otherwise the GB will be finished before I've even started. The problem is that I get easily distracted and absorbed into other ventures and forget my planned projects. The kit is an Airfix B737-200 which I don't remember getting, so I don't know why there isn't a box or decals with the kit. There are a few gaps and seam marks that will need fixing first. This will be my first airliner build and therefore have decided to make all my mistakes on this one. Fortunately I have found quite a bit of sound advice, on tips and techniquies, in the other builds on this GB and will be referring to them regularly. If this turns out OK then I may start another, which will be a Revell B737-800 but we'll see how I get on with this first. cheers Mike 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 Cor. You still got the passenger windows! Must be a really earlier issue of the kit . Look forward to what yo do with it in the way of colour scheme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 What livery are you thinking of doing it in Mike? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootneck Posted March 10, 2018 Author Share Posted March 10, 2018 Dunno, got to put it together first! Chris sent me a link to some 737 galleries and I'm wading my way through them to find a nice but uncomplicated livery. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandboof Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 I have a spare decal set for last boxing Southwest or Britannia . I can mail them if that helps Martin H 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armored76 Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 21 hours ago, bootneck said: Dunno, got to put it together first! Chris sent me a link to some 737 galleries and I'm wading my way through them to find a nice but uncomplicated livery. Mike Would it be possible to share that gallery with us? I can take 'No' as an answer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringbag Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 14 minutes ago, armored76 said: Would it be possible to share that gallery with us? I can take 'No' as an answer! There you go Sir https://www.flickr.com/photos/firstgen737/ Chris 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armored76 Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 Woah!!! SUPERB collection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootneck Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 16 hours ago, Grandboof said: I have a spare decal set for last boxing Southwest or Britannia . I can mail them if that helps Martin H Hi Martin, Thank you for the kind offer, however I am looking to do a simple livery where I could attempt to make my own decals for the 737. I did a set for a PBY-5A Canso and quite enjoyed working out how to do the illustrations. Mike 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armored76 Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Mike, I'm sure I'm not the only one that would like to get a glance at your decal creation process so, would you mind sharing a few words about that as you go? Many thanks in advance! Cristian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootneck Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 Hi Christian, no problem with that. It is just a case of drawing your design (or trace over an existing image) in Inkscape for example. Then print to an Inkjet printer and seal before applying to the model. I shall do some WiP's on that as I go along and post them here. Here is an example of a set I did for the tail of my 1:144 scale BAe Hawk cheers Mike 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armored76 Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Where my problems would eventually start is scaling the drawing correctly and making it fit curved shapes, like along and around the fuselage. Do you have a better method other than print paper mock-up > check fit > correct > repeat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootneck Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 No, I am an absolute amateur on this. It really is trial and error with me. Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 That Canso looks fabulous Mike, Thanks for the detail on how to design the decals. I really must have a got a learning that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootneck Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 Thanks John, I think I have decided to go for this Air China version. It looks a simple design to have a go at, although the lower cheatline might cause me some concern. I won't know unless I try it! I notice that the front and back two windows are blanked out, so I shall have to work that into the design. I'll spend a bit of time tomorrow looking for better images, hopefully an exact broadside view. Anyone know what the top and bottom views of the wings look like? cheers Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootneck Posted March 13, 2018 Author Share Posted March 13, 2018 Not much done to this yet, apart from sand the whole kit back to base plastic, as I have been waiting for a cockpit glazing set from Daco. The clear sprue arrived today and I shall now start to saw the fuselage, ready to accept the new piece. cheers Mike 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootneck Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 I've been so engrossed in trying to get the canopy area correct that I've forgotten to provide updates! So, here we go with a big-bang catch up.... First thing was to cut away the cockpit area in the fuselage, in order to insert the Daco glazing. My thanks to @Viking for providing such a comprehensive WiP on the subject. Next task was to widen the fusalage around the cockpit area to the correct width, and to match the Daco glazing. This was done by sawing through a length of the fuselage and inserting plastic pieces as wedges. Once the fuselage was the correct width, the plastic inserts were cut and filed down. This was followed with a filling of Milliput and sanded to shape The Daco glazing piece was then attached; however, I found that although the width was correct, I had cut too deep into the fuselage. This made the glazing sit about 1mm too low. Here is a closer view, showing the step between the glazing and fuselage. This was easily remedied by adding the required thickness of plastic between the fuselage and the glazing above. With the canopy finally fitted, filled and sanded to shape, I then applied a coat of gloss white over the upper fuselage area. That appears to look about right, especially for me with my first airliner build. Now for the engines. First task was sanding off all the raised panel lines. Reading through Viking's build, I found that the kit's engines are too short and so I followed his description on how cut and insert some plastic to lengthen them. Once the engine pieces were the correct length it was time to build up the gap. A coat of Mr Hobby Surfacer 500 as been applied, as a first layer, and these will be built up and sanded to shape. Well, that's the current state of the build so far. I shall continue with the engines until they look right and ready to attach to the wings. Alongside the physical work on the model, I have also been working at my PC designing some decals for this. I quite like this Air China design and hope to finish my build in this livery. I'm sure there is a commercially available set of decals for a B737-200 but I like experimenting, so thought I'd have a go at making my own decals. I'll probably get it wrong and have to resort to buying some, but I'm going to have a good attempt at it first. This is what I have achieved so far Here is the same drawing overlaid onto a profile image Lots more to do, so back into my little cubby-hole and more beavering away! Thanks for looking. Mike 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Wow Mike, you've done an excellent job on those Mods. It's quite normal to have to fettle the fit of the clear part with strips of plasticard. Been there, done that! It has blended in beautifully, the gloss white looks very good. I'm liking the home made decals too, I've never tried to do that, so any explanation an guidance you can give here will be read with interest. Cheeers John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halcyonjet Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 You have been busy, it's looking very smart. Really like how your decals are coming on -I'm looking forward to seeing how they end up. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootneck Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 1 hour ago, Viking said: I'm liking the home made decals too, I've never tried to do that, so any explanation an guidance you can give here will be read with interest. Hi John, thank you; that certainly is an accolade if it comes from you! I shall try to explain the decal method that I use but I may have difficulty trying to describe it; however, here goes. The main thing is to get a master, in the case below it is a brand logo for AIR CHINA off the web. In simple terms the theory would be like getting tracing paper and trace over the items you want to copy, each item or colour using a separate sheet of tracing paper, and then colour them in. Others may be able to explain it easier than me, plus there are tutorials drawing package. Before I continue, please be advised that I am still very much an amateur at this. I've only made decals once before and they were for the PBY-5A Canso Firebomber and Royal Navy 100, as shown in earlier posts above. To do this digitally, I use a drawing package called Inkscape, which is a free download. First I import the base image into the drawing - in this case it is the brand name logo. The benefit of drawing your own decal this way is that the edges remain sharp and accurate; unlike re-scaling decal sheet which, being a bitmap copy, will distort if when shrunk or enlarged; and the background can affect the decal's output. Air China brand logo Then a layer is added (this is the first sheet of 'tracing paper'. By drawing onto a layer, the base image doesn't get touched and can be removed when finished. Choose which element of the base image you want to copy, in this case the red logo, and start to draw the outline. I have highlighted this by changing the outline colour on part of the logo. logo traced and outlined in blue, for clarity Once all three pieces of the logo have been drawn, I then add another layer for the lettering (this means I will be able to produce separate decals for the logo and lettering as needed. As can be seen by the red outline, on the letter 'A' of AIR, a copy has been made by drawing aroung the shape of that letter. It is helpful to think of all pictures and letters as individual images to trace over. Air China letting being drawn, outlined in red for clarity After the red logo and letters have been drawn, I have moved them up above the original; just to show what has been achieved. My drawing at top, original below. The next thing to do would be to blend the colours to match the original and, of course, SAVE YOUR WORK! I shall continue with this drawing until all the chinese script has been copied as well. Finally, all that would be needed is to remove the original 'bitmap' image and you are left with your vector image drawing which is ready to print. Finished artwork, ready for scaling and printing. One of the really great assets of making decals this way, is that they can be resized to any scale without them losing clarity or shape. There is a 'scale' button, in the toolbar under Objects, and you just select the factor to scale by and hit ''Apply'; simple as that. HTH Mike 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Great! Thanks Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootneck Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 The Chinese script has been done and is ready to print with the AIR CHINA title. The view below shows the original brand logo, title and script at the top. My drawings are shown below that. I'm quite pleased how these have come out. All I need to do now is space the Chinese letters out to match how they would be on the aircaft. I shall continue with the kit build tomorrow. Mike 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringbag Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 聰明的傢伙 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbofan Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 10 hours ago, stringbag said: 聰明的傢伙 Is there no end to your talents Chris!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootneck Posted April 17, 2018 Author Share Posted April 17, 2018 He just used Google translate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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