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Pilot or no pilot?


Gardner95x

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Do you guys always put a pilot (If one comes with your kit) in the cockpit not? I have a Tamiya 1/48 ME-262 coming tomorrow and it has a pilot and I have photoetch for it too so the pilot shouldn't cover any of it up really should it? Other than the seatbelts that is.

 

Also is there anyway you can make the canopy open and close? Most of mine are open but would like the option of being able to open and close them or is this not possible?

 

Thanks

Jack

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It's entirely personal preference. I very rarely use pilot figures and many kits these days don't have a pilot or crew included. Obviously it isn't easy to paint a lifelike pilot, so that's probably why may modellers choose to leave the crew out – it's one of my reasons. Obscuring the cockpit detail is also another good reason.  

 

As to the canopy. Because the 262 canopy opens sideways, you couldn't just pose it open without glueing it, so you may have to decide on which option you want.

 

Incidentally, it's a very good kit.

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I almost never put a pilot in the cockpit as it will cover other details and I almost never build my models as in flight. Exceptions are made when there is something special about the pilot. Maybe a special pressure suit or a certain story or if it should cover a rather empty cockpit: When I build the old tool Airfix Hurricane MkI I gave it the markings of James Brindley Nicolson VC and decided to build it just before start of the flight for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. So I have no definite answer on the question but decide each case for it self.

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No pilot for me as i prefer to make my aircraft look like they are just about ready to go. But i prefer people to see my cockpits. Sometimes i pose a pilot in the photo pose (next to/in front of noseart or aircraft) or mounting up (on the wing or getting ready to climb up). 

     That being said i do have a build in the stash of an F-18C with wing folds and a few other odds and ends. I'm planning on posing the Hornet in a run-up/getting ready to taxi mode. So I will be using a Pilot/Plane captain for that build. 

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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The choice is yours. I rarely put a pilot in an aircraft which is not posed flying (where he is a rather obvious necessity) pretty much for the reasons you mention. Why have him obscure all that hard work?

 

I sometimes make little vignettes of models, and this is when I might pop a suitable pilot in place.

 

IMG_1287_small.jpg

 

Most cockpit hoods can be made to open and close with a bit of work.

 

Cheers

 

Steve

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If you decide you don't want the pilot, there are a number of us who would take him off your hands, as we prefer pilots in the seats!

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For a 262 canopy you'd need a hinge and short line that is just stretchy enough to not break when you open the canopy, yet flexible enough to hide itself when you close it. 

 

Hinge: look at flexible clear tape, Thinner is better. Youll want it folded very tightly so it sits invisibly when closed, yet holds when open. 

 

Lanyard: short bit of flexi-line or the thicker versions of elastic thread. 

 

Im curious what you find for a so,union, so keep us updated!

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I like to pose most of my models as a little vignette, so I usually include some crew and/or ground crew to give it some life- I don't always put the pilot in the plane though, it depends on what I'm trying to give an impression of.

 

I only build 1:72, I tend to think that as the scale gets larger it's much harder to make the figures look alive, if you see what I mean.

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6 hours ago, Marvel Onkey said:

I like to pose most of my models as a little vignette, so I usually include some crew and/or ground crew to give it some life- I don't always put the pilot in the plane though, it depends on what I'm trying to give an impression of.

 

I only build 1:72, I tend to think that as the scale gets larger it's much harder to make the figures look alive, if you see what I mean.

I agree. My figures are crap and don't bear close inspection. From a couple of metres away they look okay and give a sense of scale, which is important to me. Most people looking at models of WW2 aircraft have no real concept of the size of the full size subject, but they do have a pretty good idea of the size of a full size man (or woman).

Cheers

Steve

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Hi, everyone,

 

An airplane spends most of its time on the ground without a pilot in the cockpit. Only when it is about to take off or just landed would a fully-equipped-for-flight pilot be inside the cockpit (on the other side, a groundcrew in non-flying clothes might be inside performing some operations). Most models depict aircraft parked stationary on the ground, with the engine shut off, away from immediate flying. Therefore, it would be "more correct" to depict the canopy empty (and all the different moving surfaces in the "rest" position, whatever it is -up or down, open or closed-)

 

A different thing would be a vignette where some action is depicted. Or a model of an airplane in flying attitude.

 

Fernando

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  • 1 month later...

Horses for courses me thinks.

If you're displaying on the ground then it's up to you whether you have a pilot. If it's a dio then you're heading towards 'something else' like a pilot, ground crew, etc. But, if you're putting the thing into a flying attitude, as some do, then a pilot is a must, otherwise how does the aircraft get there!?

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Simple do what you want which suits you when you look at the aircraft..

 

One thing which I do like, apart from it for me bringing the craft alive, is scale.

Without a pilot viewers of your craft will not have a clue as to how larger the aircraft is.

 

Cannot see the how the pilot would obscure detail. All the bits and pieces are in front of him.

 

 

 

Edited by LaurieS
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On 8/7/2017 at 19:36, Stonar said:

The choice is yours. I rarely put a pilot in an aircraft which is not posed flying (where he is a rather obvious necessity) pretty much for the reasons you mention. Why have him obscure all that hard work?

 

I sometimes make little vignettes of models, and this is when I might pop a suitable pilot in place.

Most cockpit hoods can be made to open and close with a bit of work.

Cheers

 

Steve

 

My point Steve is what hard work are you obscuring. Having just finished a Harrier the pilot I used did not obscure the rear of the pilot or the instruments in front of him.

 

You can see it all.

 

Taking off who is to tell if he is taking off or not. Just landed. I do not think these reasons are valid for not putting in a pilot. But there is no reason either why you should put in a pilot.

 

However I do find it odd for a pilot to be in an aircraft which does not look as though it is fit for the part. The effects of wear and tear on the aircraft. To me that does not look authentic.

 

Laurie

 

http://dxaThJ.jpg

 

 

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On 22 September 2017 at 9:42 AM, colonelpablo said:

never, The pilot makes the kit a toy, 

Seems a bit harsh! But anyone who has seen the wonderful 1/72 in-flight models of Tango India Mike (where he now?) knows that is simply not true.

 

Nick

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19 hours ago, LaurieS said:

One thing which I do like, apart from it for me bringing the craft alive, is scale.

This is one thing I find missing when I go to model shows. I don't necessarily mean a pilot in the aircraft as the originator asked but if you've got a collection of say 1/72 aircraft, why not throw in a figure or a vehicle for scale purposes.

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I do like to include pilot/crew figures from time-to-time; they just help to bring the model "alive"; if you will. But, there is nothing wrong about not using them. It is personal choice; and, that is a good thing about this hobby. Zvezda has taken to include two(2) pilot figures in some of their recent Su-27SM, and Su-33 kits. One is in a sitting pose; the other is a standing pose; just starting to climb the ladder. As LaurieS, Johnny_K, and a couple of others mention, a figure(pilot, ground crewman, etc.), and/or a vehicle do help give a sense of scale. There is no right or wrong here; just what one likes best. Or(ground crew servicing, etc.) what looks good telling the story of a particular kit(of any kind).

Edited by JPuente54
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