Filler Posted July 29, 2021 Share Posted July 29, 2021 Does anyone know if the glass of the canopy is on the outside and the ultra violet canopy shield on the inside or vice versa? Italeri have it molded with the slight ridge on the inside of the part. I am just about to mask it up, but suddenly realised I didn't know which side to mask and paint. Struggling to see clearly in any photos I've seen. In some it looks on the outside, others on the inside. I thing I do think is that the kit canopy is probably hugely over scale in thickness and thus it might look weird painting the inside even if that is how it really is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted July 29, 2021 Share Posted July 29, 2021 If this is the shield you are referring to, as seen in the links below, it looks to me that it is fitted inside the canopy- in the first linked photo, the shield does not sit proud of the external outline of the canopy, so must fit under it. Does this help? Mike https://www.acc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2302589/training-the-nations-future-fleet-of-u-2-pilots/ https://www.beale.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/933049/1000th-pilot-tames-u-2-dragon-lady/ You can see the canopy framework and plexiglass sits above the shield in this photo. http://www.airvectors.net/avu2_1.html https://sky4buy.com/U2-Spyplane-Canopy163452424164/015799 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filler Posted July 29, 2021 Author Share Posted July 29, 2021 Thanks @72modeler, they’re great references and they do look to endorse that it’s inside the plexiglass. Despite that, the more I’ve thought about it, I figure I’ll need to paint the outside as it is quite difficult to tell on the real thing, but on the 48th scale canopy it’ll probably look a little odd painted inside. The kit canopy is 0.78mm thick which would make the real canopy glass very nearly 4cm thick. And I doubt that very much. Something else I did notice is that we go to the effort of polishing and varnishing the canopy on our models, yet the photos of the Dragonlady you linked luck scratched to heck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotthldr Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 Not sure about the U2, but on other aircraft I’ve been around namely Buccaneer/Hunter/Jaguar/Phantom and Tornado, the plexiglass would be about 4cm in thickness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filler Posted July 30, 2021 Author Share Posted July 30, 2021 Really? I’d always thought the scale thickness of canopies would be over. Sounds like they’re about right then. In the case of the U-2, if that shield is affixed to the inside of the glass, it doesn’t look like there’s 4cm of glass above it. Maybe the U-2 has thinner glass to save weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janneman36 Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 This is a very nice link with pictures... https://sky4buy.com/U2-Spyplane-Canopy163452424164/015799 https://www.alamy.com/u-2-cockpit-of-the-us-air-force-advanced-technology-low-observable-image2016574.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=A0AA8985-CF2E-49CF-A480-B23EE4B6C95B&p=4090&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dlockheed%20u%202%20reconnaissance%20plane%26qt_raw%3dlockheed%20u%202%20reconnaissance%20plane%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d to me it looks like it is on the outside and inside..but it is definitely painted on the outside this is why the whitening on the edges is there as it is wear from the air that flows around it.. cheers, Jan 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filler Posted July 30, 2021 Author Share Posted July 30, 2021 Thanks Jan, that Alamy photo is pretty clear that it’s at least painted on the outside. Thanks everyone for your help. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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