HELP - New to aircraft modelling

[Bill1974]

Hello everyone,

 

I have some experience of modelling tanks and have decided to move to aircraft.

 

I have before me an airfix fairey swordfish Mk 1 in 1:72.

 

How do I go about making this kit / aircraft?

 

It seems a completely different type of modelling as there are much smaller parts that require painting ‘whilst’ being built rather than tanks where you leave some bits and bobs in separate parts but end up with something you can prime and paint in relatively easy steps.

 

With this swordfish it has colours from the start that need priming and final colour painting from the get go? 

 

How is ‘it’ done, paint as you go or build and finish in large parts then paint?

 

I hope this makes sense.

[Selwyn]

Bill might be worth looking through the aircraft work in progress forum to give you a appreciation of what you can do.

 

Selwyn

[Work In Progress]

or for moving pictures... 

 

[Mark Harmsworth]

Well, my advice is to not start your aircraft modelling with a Swordfish - or indeed any biplane (they still make me nervous). I'm not surprised you are a bit overwhelmed. Start with something simpler  - how about a Spitfire - and maybe have the Swordfish as an objective when you've built up some experience.

 

There's a few hints and tips here:

 

Good luck

Mark

 

[rossm]

1 hour ago, Bill1974 said:

How is ‘it’ done, paint as you go or build and finish in large parts then paint?

 

Both really. You have to paint interior parts before assembly although you can do sub-assemblies if they are mostly one colour and you are sure you can easily paint the other colours needed. Some parts that are different colours from the parts they attach to are best painted separately unless you are good at accurate painting.

 

Visible engines - usually radial ones like that in the Swordfish - are best painted separately and added at the end if possible, otherwise you'll have to mask them.

 

once the interior bits are done then FOR MONOPLANES you can join the fuselage halves and attach wings and tail surfaces as long as you are sure nothing will obstruct painting awkward parts. Then you can fill joint lines which need to be filled - be careful in case some are panel lines on the full size aircraft - before painting.

 

FOR BIPLANES like the Swordfish it's usual to leave off the top wing and paint that separately so you can easily paint the fuselage and upper surface of the lower wing

 

Things that are easy to break during handling or which are different from the main colours like exhausts are best added at the end. Most kits of propeller driven aircraft will have you add the prop early on so you can fit a hidden collar to allow it to rotate but I usually forgo the rotation and tack the prop on at the end.

 

Always read the instructions and if you are not following their assembly sequence check and check again that you will not cause a problem later on. Occasionally you'll think something like "I'll add the undercarriage later as it's a different colour and it might get broken" only to find you can't get it into position when the wings are assembled.

 

 

[PatG]

Bi-planes are a real challenge even for quite experienced modelers so I would follow the previous advice and start with something much simpler, as in a monoplane.

 

As you can see the results can be quite stunning when you know what to do with bi-planes but this takes years of practice and the example shown is way beyond even what most competent modelers on this forum are able to achieve IMHO. It's OK as an incentive perhaps but in reality you are highly unlikely to match this level of work and detail in the short to medium term, if ever!

 

Pat.

Edited March 20, 2023 by PatG

[treker_ed]

Start small and build up... Even after about 150+ builds, in various scales (1/72 through to 1/24) I still won't touch bi-planes because of the rigging... They scare the 💩 out of me!

 

If you are unsure about planes, start with a simple starter kit from the likes of Airfix. They have started releasing simple, 1/72 kits with very few parts (something like under 40 or 50 parts). They really are aimed at the beginner (ok also for kids, but that's another issue completely!). 

 

https://uk.airfix.com/products/small-starter-set-new-supermarine-spitfire-mkvc-a55001

 

(I think a couple of them have been reviewed on a certain well respected modelling forum)

 

 

 

 

[Bill1974]

Thanks for all the assistance!

 

I think I'm going to give it a bash with what I have, the fairy swordfish as it's the easiest plane I have at hand.

 

I have a 1/48 italeri bell huey on order and winging it's way tomorrow or today even, as is a revell 1/72 b17 flying fortress and a revell 1:72 dambusters Lancaster.

 

I'm going to add the fairy swordfish on the work in progress page, and learn the hard way!

[Work In Progress]

Best of luck! If you feel daunted at any point and want to break yourself in on an easier Swordfish, then the old Matchbox one (also reboxed by Revell) is by far the easiest of the several options to assemble, and makes a decent model, like all the Matchbox biplanes. You can pick them up on ebay and from the usual second-hand dealers

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/matchbox-pk-112-swordfish--942555

[MDriskill]

I would add that there are many web sites, YouTubes, and such aimed at beginners - a little creative googling might be in order. 
 

Also many old-fashioned paper monthly modeling magazines will usually have at least one article aimed at less experienced builders, with step-by-step illustrations, etc. "Scale Models," "Scale Aircraft Modelling," and "Model Aircraft Monthly" are good ones likely at your local newstand.

 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2023 by MDriskill

[tempestfan]

16 hours ago, treker_ed said:

Start small and build up... Even after about 150+ builds, in various scales (1/72 through to 1/24) I still won't touch bi-planes because of the rigging... They scare the 💩 out of me!

 

I have the solution for Ju - Junkers J.I...

15 hours ago, Bill1974 said:

Thanks for all the assistance!

 

I think I'm going to give it a bash with what I have, the fairy swordfish as it's the easiest plane I have at hand.

 

I have a 1/48 italeri bell huey on order and winging it's way tomorrow or today even, as is a revell 1/72 b17 flying fortress and a revell 1:72 dambusters Lancaster.

 

I'm going to add the fairy swordfish on the work in progress page, and learn the hard way!

It's basically your choice, and if you succeed with that Swordfish, you may have enjoyed a steep learning curve. But as some others - in particular @Work In Progress - have said, the new tool Airfix may be a bit ambitious and prove wasteful from your point of view. If I was in your shoes (and practically I will be if I ever again build a model 😋), I'd pick something relatively cheap and easy. One kit I've actually built is the Vista/Revell/Smer/Airfix/you name it Fulmar. Goes together well enough, not much of an interior to bother with, what's there on details is good. I've also read good things about the Hobbyboss 1/48 Fw 190D's (I have a couple unbuilt upstairs, they look good in the box), or you may consider one of the Airfix "legacy" 1/48 kits (Spit Vb, 109F, Hurri I). Not state of the art even in 1979/80, but basically accurate kits with acceptable detail. I do not see them being in great demand from builders, and they are not particularly collectible either - so you should be able to get them at a good price. Early boxings may fit better. If all else fails, you have a paint/building techniques mule.

[alt-92]

On 3/20/2023 at 7:53 PM, Bill1974 said:

rather than tanks where you leave some bits and bobs in separate parts but end up with something you can prime and paint in relatively easy steps.

You mean somewhat like this?

All the bits and bobs are in the tub. 

 

Doesn't seem that much different in approach, one generally builds up a model in the way it's most efficient. 
It helps if you're familiar with the instruction routines that are mostly in the same set of steps (cockpit, then fuselage halves together, then wings and tail).
Then it's just as much child's play as priming and painting the hull before adding all the road wheels and stuff like track links - now that scares the willies out of me.

 

[825]

You may have already picked this up but just in case, the new tool Airfix kits have very little tolerance. This means that even a coat of paint on joints, pins, holes, etc. will prevent clean joints and can knock everything out of kilter. I tend to paint as much as I can before assembly so usually make sure I scrape the paint off the surface of joints. Thankfully most of these new kits are free from flash and have few mould seams that need cleaned up, which of course,  can cause fit issues. 

 

All the best with your build. 

[PatG]

As you have decided to stick with the Swordfish then you will certainly learn a great deal during the build although, as I know from my own bitter experience, this can often result in the kit ending up in the re-cycling. So be prepared as this will not be a straightforward build even for quite accomplished modelers.

 

I only build around 3-4 kits a year so absolutely no expert but quite often I end up buying another example to correct errors, or even on occasions to start completely from scratch again, and that is without any rigging to contend with. So my current ratio is around 2:1 for kits bought to ending up with one finished product - ouch!

 

You are a brave soul so good luck and I look forward to seeing it in its full glory in RFI.

 

Pat.