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I must be 1 of a very select few that displays their models 'in flight'.  I see so many excellant completed builds on this site  but I always wonder why the vast majority of completed builds are shown on the ground with as many access panels, control surfaces, ladders and assorted ground associated parts included.  It's just a question, I'm curious to know the reasons as I much prefer to see the real thing in the air so try to model them likewise. 

 

 

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Sometimes I think it's because we can!

No, seriously, the reasons I tend to build my aircraft on the ground is because I like to see a cockpit if I've gone to the trouble of detailing it, my abilities at painting aircrew without them being cross-eyed or staring manically are limited, and anything on a stand is an affront and challenge to the cats.

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Since I have got into aircraft again, I keep meaning to do them landing gear up and do them on a stand, and have toyed with the idea of hanging from my display shelves on a micro thin line or something.

I have kept the alternative landing gear of my recent models in case I decide to do the aforementioned at a later date.

 

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I think for me its just a personal preference. I think theres more work involved, in sealing up landing gear doors that were designed to be posed open. Two i cant paint people to save my life so all my models would be  classified Drones as they would be pilotless.

 

Dennis

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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It's a fair question.

Only my personal point of view, but I think a gear-down, on-the-ground arrangement suits me best for supporting the model.

The in-flight display is arguably a bit more precarious, as such.

Also, I may have something of a fetish for undercarriage, tyres and whatnot - for some reason, I find a lot of it interesting to look at.

As I said, it's only a personal opinion.

And, indeed, I have enjoyed seeing many builds displayed in-flight (but none of them mine).

:winkgrin:

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I have a 1/48 Hawker Typhoon knocking around in the stash.  I have a Pilot from an Airfix Hurricane and I intend to do the Typhoon as a flying model.  So there are a couple of steps I need to do as part of the project.  

 

1.  Flying aircraft need a spinning propellor so I need to procure a suitable motor and figure out how to suspend the model and supply power to the motor.  

 

2.  I want to show the aircraft firing its rockets.  I have some ultra bright LEDs and need to figure out how to model the smoke trail and get the power to the rockets.  Thinking the combination of a bic biro and cotton wool..

 

Its a long term project, I I'll think it through before starting (I've been thinking it through for a year so far...)

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It's just my personal preference. From a modelling point of view I think they look better, give more scope to show all the extras like doors, flaps down and cockpits open, plus they sit better on the shelves.

 

From an aviation history point of view they spent more time on the ground and it's how I always remember seeing them at airfields as a kid; lines of Jags at Coltishall for example, canopies open, bits hanging down.

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I suggest you chat with @CedB, he does a lot of stuff in the air:

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Horses for courses. I build mainly for the ground with canopies open as I attend a number of shows and they are easier to present. I have taken to CedB approach with some future builds in mind, just to bring a bit of nostalgia back from my youth. The trick I feel, particularly with prop planes, is getting that dynamic look with the prop and I prefer this way:

 

IMG_8026.jpg&key=650f0883e01f9bbddb56c85

 

Choose a way that suits you, easier to store for a start.

 

Stuart

 

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1. The model configurated to on-ground is more natural  to display in cabinet. 

2. U/c has a lot of detials, so it is nice to do with it

3. There is no very good way to make propellers look like rotatating

4. This is the way I use to do ;)

regards

J-W

 

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For me, in the past i have hung up quite a few aircraft from the ceiling, and I currently have 3 or 4 up there at the moment. 

There are two particular reasons as to why I model most of mine "gear-down".

-Firstly, dusting can be a nightmare and I shudder when I remember the days of standing on my bed brushing off dust into a bin held underneath (not the wisest decision an asthmatic has ever made!)

-And secondly, as I now tend to display them on shelves i just think that often they would look out of place with their year up. Adding to that is the real possibility of breaking many under-fuselage antennas and details of displayed gear-up (cases in point being there Airfix defiant and the Airfix Nimrod (modelled as an R1)) 

 

Best wishes,

Sam

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Thanks Stuart for the mention :) 

 

twp1 the guys above have made lots of good points and I agree that it's very much personal choice, but here's my two penneth:

 

Pros

  • I don't have much 'display cupboard' space and lots of ceiling
  • To me aircraft look better in flight, their natural environment. I always think Spitfires' legs are 'too spindly'
  • You can pose several aircraft in a dogfight (OK, I need to grow up, maybe later)

31332813713_8563acee28_z.jpg

(Hoagy Carmichael in his Sea Fury became one of the few prop-driven aircraft to down a jet fighter and was the only British Pilot in a British aircraft to do so. For this action he was awarded the DSC.)

 

Cons

  • Most manufacturers design the kits for wheels down (except Airfix, thank you chaps) so...
  • You need to bash the doors and wheels to get them up 
  • Most kits don't come with crew so you need to source those, which is difficult. Some kind BMers have sent me their spares but I've had to mould some of my own to keep up. Not easy
  • Painting crew is 'therapeutic' - BM speak for tricky. I use 'Stew's method'
  • As Steve says you can't see all the work you put into the internals (except in the photos you took, enough for me)

I know there are more cons thanks pros but the first pro is a winner for me.

 

Other points?

Don't worry about prop spins - IMHO J-W is right and there's no good way to do it. You can leave the prop blades off, or (as I do) pretend the model is 'frozen' by a high shutter speed camera.

Dusting? Sorry Sam, I don't bother - as Quentin Crisp says it doesn't get any worse after the first six months :D 

 

HTH

Ced

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Personal preference, I have all of my models in display cabinets, having them lying around with undercarriage up would look odd,  also piston aircraft with stationary airscrews would not look right.  I also agree most people see real aeroplanes on the ground.

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I am like you twp1and CedB,but I tend to build older models that have the option of gear up and Frog models come with a stand,for models that need a stand I have bought a pack of stands from Airfix.

Edited by celt
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You have right twp1. Is a "tragic" history. Me I like to see the aircrafts in air space, but for practical reason ( I have no special area to the house) I must put them in a small area, so I prefer to put them standing on the whhels because if I dont do that they lay on the area like "snakes" And the other reason is my wife who says  to me " You make the house Museum. It is the second "tragic" history. I put one  (C-47) "hanging" from the ceilling and I have "nagotiations" with her for a month.:bangin:

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Undercarriage up or down, a dilemma that I have been battling with for years. I like to display my aircraft on airfield dioramas or aprons so most of them do have their undercarts down.

I also like to see aircraft sitting correctly on their wheels with cockpits and hatches open and things hanging open or down.

 

However, I have also dabbled with making some of my models so that they can be displayed in either mode ......................

 

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My 1973 FROG Whitley. The model conveniently includes a choice of undercarriage up or down optional parts which just click on.

 

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Homemade display stand from MDF and brass rod.

 

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My 1973 FROG Shackleton.

 

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A number of years ago I decided to retract its undercarriage and display it at shows in flying mode. I made a stand from MDF that slotted into the open weapons bay.

 

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My AIRFIX HS Dominie. I scratchbuilt undercarriage up and down options.

 

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My 1/72 Special Hobby BP Sea Balliol. I made the undercarriage retract by the use of brass pin pivots in the wings. The prop spins freely with the flick of a finger.

 

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I also have a Lindberg Vulcan and a Lindberg Victor which I can pose on the ground or in flight.

 

cheers,   adey

Edited by adey m
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I think this is the only model that I built with the intention of having it wheels up. I spent many happy minutes with a pair of rubber gloves on while I bent the wings upwards in boiling hot water in the kitchen sink ............

 

resized_ccb22075-443b-46b9-9068-90ba7ebc

 

The 1/144 Academy B-52G with Hound Dog missiles.

 

adey

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Because, very difficult made realistic model aircraft in flight. 

 In-flight display,  thin thread is almost always visible to the viewer. Only very few modelers can hide In-flight display or thin thread

and create the illusion of flight.

Yes, I remember Revell in-flight display on magnetic,  but as I understand this type of display has not found distribution among the modelers.(Why?)

But even if you manage to create the illusion of a realistic flight by disguising in-flight display

 or thin thread, there is the problem of realistic simulation of engine exhaust, propeller rotation, inversion flows, etc.

 

Summarizing.

 

Making a realistic object in motion is more difficult than not moving, just everything. And as they said in one cult Soviet comedy: "In our business, this is the main thing, how is it? .... realism!"

:)

B.R.

Serge

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19 hours ago, CedB said:

Hoagy Carmichael in his Sea Fury became one of the few prop-driven aircraft to down a jet fighter and was the only British Pilot in a British aircraft to do so. For this action he was awarded the DSC.)

 

I presume this is not the singer/songwriter chap?

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  • 2 months later...

Another superb collection, Adey.  Love that Dominie in the early scheme but the real showstopper is your Sea Balliol.  Looks fantastic.  Hope I can get the canopy on mine to fit as well as yours.  I hear it's a bit of a poor fit.

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On 6/6/2018 at 12:17 AM, twp1 said:

I must be 1 of a very select few that displays their models 'in flight'.  I see so many excellant completed builds on this site  but I always wonder why the vast majority of completed builds are shown on the ground with as many access panels, control surfaces, ladders and assorted ground associated parts included.  It's just a question, I'm curious to know the reasons as I much prefer to see the real thing in the air so try to model them likewise. 

 

 

I had built models with the wheels up for years but in more recent times have begun to build them 'on the ground' with one notable exception, that being WW2 fighters.  I just can't bring myself to spoil those elegant lines with an undercarriage, especially Spitfires.

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10 hours ago, Meatbox8 said:

Another superb collection, Adey.  Love that Dominie in the early scheme but the real showstopper is your Sea Balliol.  Looks fantastic.  Hope I can get the canopy on mine to fit as well as yours.  I hear it's a bit of a poor fit.

Thank you Meatbox.

 

The rear of the canopy wanted to spring away from the fuselage so I strapped it down with Tamiya tape until the glue had set, that did the trick.

 

Another thing is that the cockpit roll- over bar is too short as it comes in the kit and is shown on the instructions, it needs to extend up to the canopy roof otherwise it aint going to save the pilots if the aircraft rolls over ...................

 

regards, adey

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