Aircraft I've Flown Part III - 1/144 Revell B767-336 Double Build

[Back in the Saddle]

The 'Sweden' tail fin decals provided by Ben at V1 Decals went on beautifully - here are the two 767's together:

 

 

As mentioned before, in general the V1 decals also appear to be more accurate in size compared with Revell's. I will take a more critical look at both sets later and see what amendments are required...

 

As an aside, here is my current collection of BA WIP models (3 x 727, 2 x 767, 2 x 747, 1 x A380 and an ATR-72!):

 

 

I'm not starting anymore until I've finished most of these - some are very close to completion, so a concerted effort should do the job!

 

Back to the 767's and a better look at the detail on the nose gear doors. My thanks to Jid Webb, the photographer, for permission to use his photo:

 

 

When I make my replacements I need to replicate this as closely as possible, good references are invaluable!

 

Work on the undercarriage will also resume soon. Everything was packed away as we had building work going on in the house, but now that's finished model building is back on the agenda!

[Back in the Saddle]

I decided it's time to have a good look at the window decals, to determine which ones are best to use on these models. This picture shows the two options with the V1 decals at the top of the image - these ones have integral cabin doors and various other markings included. The Revell decals are the two strips in the centre and consist of just the windows:

 

 

I extracted the Revell windows and repositioned them immediately next to the V1 decals for comparison. The Revell ones have the darker background:

 

 

A few differences between the two! Firstly the length of the strips. If you compare the red lines, the middle section of windows (top of the picture) has the Revell decals slightly shorter than V1's. However, the front section (at the bottom of the image) has Revell's slightly longer... On average they're probably the same length overall when combined, with one difference cancelling out the other!

 

The Revell windows show the slightly irregular spacing in the middle section, which I believe was caused by BA not opting for overwind exits and having normal windows instead. The V1 decals incorrectly show the windows all equidistant from one another.

 

The print quality of the Revell decals is superior. However both sets have incorrect silver framing around each window.

 

In terms of the number of windows on the decals, both sets are incorrect with a couple of extra windows that were not on the real aircraft.

 

I have decided to use the Revell window decals for four reasons:

 

• I have two sets of these, so each model will look the same when the decals are on
• The print quality is better with Revell and they do not require cutting to shape
• Extra windows can be easily removed before decal application
• The window spacing is more accurate

 

Now I can get them applied!

 

 

[keefr22]

Morning Matt,

 

Don't know if you're aware of these;

 

https://www.authentic-airliner-decals.de/epages/17895661.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/17895661/Products/D144-BO-13-3

 

Never used them myself, but it seems most of the airliners in RFI have them now!

 

Keith

[Terry1954]

On 6/13/2022 at 5:19 PM, Back in the Saddle said:

As an aside, here is my current collection of BA WIP models (3 x 727, 2 x 767, 2 x 747, 1 x A380 and an ATR-72!):

 

A great collection of WIP's there Matt. They look pretty cool, but I do like those three 727's. Are they based on the old Airfix kit or perhaps Revell versions? I notice one is a short 100?.

 

That lot look like my Airliner WIP's which at the moment comprise 1 x 707-320, 1 x 737-200, 1 x DC-9-30, 1 x Trident 1C, 1 x BAC-111 and 1 x DC-6B, all either in advanced build state or early paint! Must get my finger out on all those!

 

The 3D decals look interesting @keefr22

 

T

[Back in the Saddle]

On 18/06/2022 at 08:40, keefr22 said:

Don't know if you're aware of these;

Thanks Keith. I have seen them before and have a set too (for a 727), but they're not quite what I'm looking for. They look great from some angles, but from other angles the forced perspective looks a bit odd to me... I think I will stick with plain black windows!

 

On 18/06/2022 at 09:44, Terry1954 said:

A great collection of WIP's there Matt. They look pretty cool, but I do like those three 727's. Are they based on the old Airfix kit or perhaps Revell versions? I notice one is a short 100?.

Thanks Terry.👍

 

There are 2 x Airfix 727-200's kits and 1 x Revell 727-100 in the picture. They are all very basic, but are proving to be great mules for my decal production project!

 

On 18/06/2022 at 09:44, Terry1954 said:

That lot look like my Airliner WIP's which at the moment comprise 1 x 707-320, 1 x 737-200, 1 x DC-9-30, 1 x Trident 1C, 1 x BAC-111 and 1 x DC-6B, all either in advanced build state or early paint! Must get my finger out on all those!

I know that feeling! Mine are all progressing, albeit slowly. I've decided not to start any more airliner models until these ones are finished... My main issue is that I build in the winter and paint outdoors in the summer (when it's warm enough to use a rattle can) - there have been precious few days that have been suitable this year in not so sunny Scotland!😆

 

I've had a long hard look at the decals for these models and they are a few pros and cons to consider.

 

Revell's have a much better print quality, but there are a few details that are incorrect... They also have some decals that are not included, such as the cargo door outlines.

V1's decals are therefore more accurate and include the cargo doors, but the print quality is not so good!

 

I have invested in a third set of decals from FDcal, to see what these are like in comparison. I should explain I have another BA 767 waiting in the wings (which I will obviously NOT be starting yet, see above!) - these decals are destined for that model.

 

They come in two sheets, with a very nice set of windows and doors and a more average set depicting the logos, registrations and tail fin artwork:

 

 

I particularly like the shape and quality of the FDcal doors and windows, even though they are again slightly erroneous for the aircraft I am building. I will consequently use the Revell windows for all the models - they are by far the best window decals from these three suppliers. The FDcal tail fin artwork will probably receive a complete overhaul and re-print before I use them, as the colours and resolution are not as good as I would like. The pattern however looks very accurate this time, so is a great starting point.👍

 

I think I will take the best aspects from each manufacturer and amalgamate them to produce my own decals for these models. It will take a while to get this just right, but it will be worth it to get something accurate and high quality. I've had plenty of practice designing fictitious liveries for the 727's - time to use those skills to produce decals for genuine 767 liveries!

 

[keefr22]

14 hours ago, Back in the Saddle said:

They look great from some angles, but from other angles the forced perspective looks a bit odd to me..

 

TBH Matt I haven't seen any in 'real life' but I fully agree looking at them in pics - especially flight deck windows. I prefer clear FD windows but if not I like the graduated tinted decals some manufacturers do. Black cabin windows look fine to me too.

 

Keith

[maybach_man]

another great build thread. Any idea why the main bogies pointed down at the front...very unusual..did it have to do with the retraction position?

 

Cheers Geoff

[mitchem]

I'm afraid I've been AWOL for some time Matt, so it's good to have a catch up with your builds.

 

Loving the fact that your "baby steps" in decal design have reached adulthood in a blink of an eye 👍👍

 

I'm sure that I'm not the only one who is looking forward to seeing all of your builds completed.

 

mike

 

 

[Back in the Saddle]

On 22/06/2022 at 20:45, maybach_man said:

another great build thread. Any idea why the main bogies pointed down at the front...very unusual..did it have to do with the retraction position?

Thanks Geoff. It is a geometry issue regarding the main wheel struts. These are angled slightly rearwards and as they retract they rotate very slightly forwards as well as inwards. The bogie tilt is to accommodate this angle and enable the wheels to fit into the wheel wells without hitting the sides… It probably sounds more complicated than it actually is! The downside to this arrangement is that landings in the 767 tend to feel quite firm. The front of the bogie touches the runway first, pivoting the rear of the bogie which slams into the tarmac. Coupled with very rapid (automatic) spoiler deployment, lift is dumped immediately and the aircraft is on the ground!

 

On 26/06/2022 at 11:18, mitchem said:

Loving the fact that your "baby steps" in decal design have reached adulthood in a blink of an eye 👍👍

 

I'm sure that I'm not the only one who is looking forward to seeing all of your builds completed.

Thank you Mike. My initial sideline of designing decals for just one model has grown arms and legs! On the basis that I will be making at least three versions of BA ‘Utopia’ 767’s (and probably a few more in the future!), I think it’s worth the effort to get them looking correct. The new decals provided by Revell and the two different aftermarket sheets all have different issues, so this build is on hold until I’ve designed some new decals that look more appropriate.

 

Talking of which, here a few of the things I am fixing.

 

The first problem occurred when I applied the Revell doors. They are printed beautifully, but once on the fuselage they looked wrong:

 

 

I reverted to Photoshop to take a closer look and highlight the issues. The main decal below is the V1 product, with the door in the centre of the screen and the outline of the Revell door to the right:

 

The Revell door is much too deep and for some strange reason was drawn with a sloping top… The V1 door is the correct size, but the outline should vary in colour (grey and white), depending on the background colour of the “Speedmarque” logo - in this picture the outline is just grey. Finally the V1 colours looked a little dull. Here’s an image of the real thing, showing how it should look:

 

 

Time to crank up Photoshop to redesign the doors! Here is my initial attempt, fixing the issues described above:

 

 

The Revell kit also had the impossible task of trying to position the “Speedmarque” correctly - it simply can’t be done, as there are no reference points to use as an anchor:

 

 

This decal also obscured the incorrect door decals. They then required a white decal to be applied over the top, replicating the white outline around the door:

 

 

I think the home brew decals will be a huge improvement over these!😁

 

 

[Paulaero]

Keep attacking mate, does raise the Question why didn't Revell print the door over the Speedmarque....

[Back in the Saddle]

On 15/07/2022 at 13:39, Paulaero said:

Keep attacking mate, does raise the Question why didn't Revell print the door over the Speedmarque....

Thanks Paul. That would have been so much easier...!😁

 

I am working away on the decals and will post more about those another day. In the meantime, I decided to get organised to paint the wings and tailplanes. The initial job was masking the anti-icing panels on their leading edges. For some reason the masking tape did not like sticking to the Alclad and kept peeling away:

 

 

A firm burnish with a finger immediately before painting will be required!

 

I tried using liquid mask in the corners, but this also seemed to reluctant to stay in place, running back from the corner slightly:

 

 

In the end I cut tape to the correct size and will push it down before applying paint!

 

Here is everything ready for spraying:

 

 

Hopefully another update soon!

 

[Paulaero]

Mate, it might be a bit late here but I've been really lazy on my 767 wings, I spray them Boeing grey, do the leading edged with Bare metal foil and use corogard decals.....

[Paulaero]

 

Very lazy but effective

[Back in the Saddle]

On 25/07/2022 at 09:38, Paulaero said:

Mate, it might be a bit late here but I've been really lazy on my 767 wings, I spray them Boeing grey, do the leading edged with Bare metal foil and use corogard decals.....

Hi Paul. That is lazy, but certainly effective! Too late for me unfortunately, as the slats are already sprayed. However, I might try using some corogard decals in the future, they look like a great addition. The grey is now sprayed and the masking tape removed:

 

 

A close up of the tailplanes:

 

 

Corogard next, then these are done except for some weathering👍.

 

I've also had a play around with the decals, to make something more usable than Revell's offering. This is my attempt at the decals for door 1 left, with correct colours and placement around the door outline, a revised door handle and enhanced colours on the 'Speedmarque' logo. Since taking this screenshot I have also added a door sill, Oneworld logo and darkened the porthole. V1 decal also shown, as I used this as a basis for getting the size correct:

 

 

Door 2 received a few modifications too, with enhanced door handles and 'British Airways' titles. The rear doors are also shown here - note the darker portholes and door sills in these later shots:

 

 

Finally the emergency exits (doors 3) were tidied up, with my effort on the left and the V1 decal on the right, which was used again as a template:

 

 

They good on the screen, but I needed to do a test fit to check if they looked OK in situ. Starting at the front, the decal was cut down the middle of the door to check it matched the panel lines on the model:

 

 

Door 2L was also put into position:

 

 

And finally the rear door was checked:

 

 

I was very happy with the fit on all of these, so decal production will commence soon. I just need to design some corogard panels first...!

[Paulaero]

17 hours ago, Back in the Saddle said:

Hi Paul. That is lazy, but certainly effective! Too late for me unfortunately, as the slats are already sprayed. However, I might try using some corogard decals in the future, they look like a great addition. The grey is now sprayed and the masking tape removed:

 

 

A close up of the tailplanes:

 

 

Corogard next, then these are done except for some weathering👍.

 

I've also had a play around with the decals, to make something more usable than Revell's offering. This is my attempt at the decals for door 1 left, with correct colours and placement around the door outline, a revised door handle and enhanced colours on the 'Speedmarque' logo. Since taking this screenshot I have also added a door sill, Oneworld logo and darkened the porthole. V1 decal also shown, as I used this as a basis for getting the size correct:

 

 

Door 2 received a few modifications too, with enhanced door handles and 'British Airways' titles. The rear doors are also shown here - note the darker portholes and door sills in these later shots:

 

 

Finally the emergency exits (doors 3) were tidied up, with my effort on the left and the V1 decal on the right, which was used again as a template:

 

 

They good on the screen, but I needed to do a test fit to check if they looked OK in situ. Starting at the front, the decal was cut down the middle of the door to check it matched the panel lines on the model:

 

 

Door 2L was also put into position:

 

 

And finally the rear door was checked:

 

 

I was very happy with the fit on all of these, so decal production will commence soon. I just need to design some corogard panels first...!

Mate I can highly recommend the Flying colours corogard decals, £7.99 for two full sets at the Big H.......

[mitchem]

Enjoying the Photoshop work Matt. The modelling / paint work is pretty inspirational too. 👍👍

 

mike

[Back in the Saddle]

On 31/07/2022 at 15:38, Paulaero said:

Mate I can highly recommend the Flying colours corogard decals, £7.99 for two full sets at the Big H.......

Thanks Paul, but that would be too easy...! I have painted the corogard onto the upper surfaces but will try to make some decals for the underside.

 

On 31/07/2022 at 20:13, mitchem said:

Enjoying the Photoshop work Matt. The modelling / paint work is pretty inspirational too. 👍👍

Cheers Mike! There's more to come...🙂

 

I scanned the painting guide to get the correct shape of the corogard panels; I will use this as a guide to make the aforementioned decals for the underside of the wings and tailplane. This is just an experiment to see how they turn out. If they don't look right, at least they are not so obvious under there!

 

 

 

This will be a Photoshop project for another day - in the meantime I have been painting. The corogard was sprayed using a mixture of silver and grey that I concocted for my 747-436 tribute build. I wanted to use the same paint as it looked very effective and also matches my 747 model:

 

 

I then applied a Flory wash to get the wings and tailplane suitably dirty and pick out the panel lines:

 

 

Before wiping most of the dirt off again:

 

 

The tailplane upper surfaces received a similar treatment:

 

 

Possibly a bit too dirty still, but I can knock it back a bit more if required. They were rather grubby in real life...!😆

[Back in the Saddle]

I've had a look at creating the corogard sections required for this model, using the scans shown at the top of my previous post.

 

The process was relatively straightforward. I will use the tailplane section as an example, but the process was the same on the wings. Firstly I zoomed in on the image (for some reason this section is blurred, but it should be good enough for my purposes):

 

 

I then overlaid an appropriate shade of grey into the corogard area:

 

 

Before tidying up the ends:

 

 

These were then copied, re-sized and posted into a new file ready for printing:

 

 

Providing the drawings were accurate, these should fit like a glove!

 

I will print these out onto plain paper, then try a test fit. If satisfactory I will re-print them onto decal paper (along with the cabin doors and nose gear door markings) and get them applied👍.

[Fritag]

Fascinating and impressive decal work Matt.  I’ve dabbled with home-brew decals in the past; but you’re basically a pro now 

[Back in the Saddle]

On 13/08/2022 at 07:27, Fritag said:

Fascinating and impressive decal work Matt.  I’ve dabbled with home-brew decals in the past; but you’re basically a pro now 

Thanks Steve, but I wouldn't go that far! 😆

 

I printed these ones out those and offered them to the wing - to say they were a bad fit would be putting it mildly! I can only assume the Revell painting guide is exactly that - a guide, rather than a scale diagram.

 

For my second attempt I placed the parts on a flat bed scanner and used the resulting image as a template. This worked far better and gave me some decals that fit well:

 

 

Having made these, my next step was to put them all into one file ready for printing:

 

 

I still need to make some cargo door outlines, but I now have enough material to resume the decal stage of the model.👍

 

I will get these printed and varnished, then I'm ready to crack on.

[Back in the Saddle]

The corogard panels were printed out and varnished, ready for application:

 

 

About 30 minutes later they were all in place:

 

 

Once dry I will give them a dirty wash - the undersides were pretty grubby!

 

 

It was then time to turn my attention to the other decals on the sheet, as the fuselage was looking rather bare:

 

 

The first one went on, with the second decal waiting in the wings. The indentations for the door portholes were perfect for aligning the decals:

 

 

Note the plain nose gear doors. I finally have three sets of decals designed to cover these - each aircraft used different colours, so careful research was required:

 

 

A few more sessions at the bench should see a major change to the appearance of these models!

 

[FortyEighter]

Those coroguard decals are most effective Matt 😀

 

Mike

[David H]

On 2/26/2022 at 11:07 AM, Back in the Saddle said:

 

 

The joint line for the components is sensibly located at the leading edge of the elevators, making a tidier finish.👍

 

 

 

 

Amen to That!

I'M LOOKING AT YOU, EASTERN EXPRESS!!!

ahem.... aside from that annoyance the rest of their kits seem nice.

-d-

[mitchem]

I love watching a plan come together.

 

👍👍

 

mike

[Back in the Saddle]

On 24/08/2022 at 15:12, FortyEighter said:

Those coroguard decals are most effective Matt 😀

Thank you!

 

On 24/08/2022 at 17:06, David H said:

Amen to That!

I'M LOOKING AT YOU, EASTERN EXPRESS!!!

Hi David. I know exactly what you mean! 😁

 

On 24/08/2022 at 19:51, mitchem said:

I love watching a plan come together.

Cheers Mike.👍 Talking of which, here's the next stage...

 

The hardest part is getting the window decal placement correct, as there are very few guides on the model. The cabin doors make great anchor points, as their location is easy to get exactly right, due to the portholes moulded into the fuselage. I then applied the windows for the front cabin section:

 

 

Followed by the middle and rear cabins. Close cross-checking with reference pictures is vital at this stage, to get everything in the right place:

 

 

Finally for now a close up of the nose, showing the gear doors. These decals still need trimming around the edges but look very effective:

 

 

The major downside of home made decals can also be seen here - the thickness of the carrier film. In a macro shot like this the decal outlines are very obvious. In real life, as long as you view the models from a couple of feet away this is almost invisible.

 

A few more decals to be applied but they're starting to look the part!