Help needed on painting clear canopy parts, specifically Storch 1/72 Academy

[LozlozBozboz]

Hi All,

 

I've been making WWI tanks since my reintroduction to modelling, thought I'd do a couple of planes for a change, Spitfire canopy painting I found fairly straightforward with a Sharpie, but for  the Storch I am having trouble as the clear pieces need a substantial bit of painting.  I'm on a budget, trying to find an efficient way of doing this (that might also allow for cleaning up any mistakes).  Basically I want to do this...

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

What scale and kit ? There might be a mask set available ? The mask sets generally run less than $10,$10£, or 10€ so might be feasible.
 

https://spruebrothers.com/edujx016-1-32-eduard-mask-fi156-fi-156-storch-has-kit-jx016/

 

 

If not you can do what I do. Get a good brand new #11 blade in your scalpel and some kabuki tape. Lay a strip of tape down on the canopy, burnish it down with an ear bud and toothpick. Then carefully score around the inside of the window frames. Bit time consuming but then again so is removing and placing pre cut masks from a dedicated set ? Once the canopy is masked paint it, let it cure and remove after all of your clear coats and weathering are complete. 
 

❌ Warning though put any masks on after the canopy is mounted ❌ 

 

I have had incidents where the mask wicked the adhesive for the canopy underneath the mask. Only to find out after I remove the masking that I have a damaged or fogged canopy pane underneath. 

Edited September 11 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[Nerazzurri]

I'm not saying it's the best option (that'd be masks), but something you might want to try is -

 

Mask each horizontal frame line in it's entirety with narrow tape, paint them, give it a day or so to dry before masking all the horizontals similarly, and painting those. 

 

I've had some success with that method.

Edited September 11 by Nerazzurri

[Casey]

It is bit hard to see the canopy on this photo, but here is an extra trick I learned some time ago, if you paint with water based acrylics

 

1) Get a transparent inkjet decal film

2) Airbrush spray it with the canopy color paint, let it dry and cure for a day or so

3) Use scalpel and ruler to slice out very thin stripes of the decal film you just created that has a canopy color to a width exactly as you need for the canopy

4) Apply them like any other decals but onto a canopy frame edges.

Edited September 11 by Casey

[Hunker]

The academy Storch 1/72 is the Heller boxing. With any Storch kit in 1/72 the canopy comes in 5 pieces, all at an angle and extremely hard to glue up properly. They not only test your patience but also the strength of the glue bond itself, as while gluing the assembled canopy to the body itself is not too hard with a bit of fiddling, the upper section has to support the weight of the wings and subsequent fitting of the wing struts, all of which add tension to an already weak joint. 

This is an easy canopy to mask before gluing and benefits from mostly straight masking, apart from the front  and the area around the gun mount in back if doing that option. The window panes are well moulded meaning that you can mask the whole thing and then cut around with a new #11p scalpel blade with no problem. 

This is one model where I wouldn't mask after the canopy is assembled simply due to the complexity of the angles underneath and the inherent weakness of any glue made for gluing transparencies without fogging, at least not before it is stuck to the body itself, and even after due to less handling is better with these things.

You really shouldn't have much problem with glue running under the masks if you're careful. It's probably much easier to paint the wings and fuselage separate, add decals, seal with a clear or semi clear coat, then take the masks off before you add the wing struts and landing gear. 

How do I know? I'm on my second rebuild of the Heller kit, all let down by weak canopy glues.

[LozlozBozboz]

15 hours ago, Hunker said:

The academy Storch 1/72 is the Heller boxing. With any Storch kit in 1/72 the canopy comes in 5 pieces, all at an angle and extremely hard to glue up properly. They not only test your patience but also the strength of the glue bond itself, as while gluing the assembled canopy to the body itself is not too hard with a bit of fiddling, the upper section has to support the weight of the wings and subsequent fitting of the wing struts, all of which add tension to an already weak joint. 

This is an easy canopy to mask before gluing and benefits from mostly straight masking, apart from the front  and the area around the gun mount in back if doing that option. The window panes are well moulded meaning that you can mask the whole thing and then cut around with a new #11p scalpel blade with no problem. 

This is one model where I wouldn't mask after the canopy is assembled simply due to the complexity of the angles underneath and the inherent weakness of any glue made for gluing transparencies without fogging, at least not before it is stuck to the body itself, and even after due to less handling is better with these things.

You really shouldn't have much problem with glue running under the masks if you're careful. It's probably much easier to paint the wings and fuselage separate, add decals, seal with a clear or semi clear coat, then take the masks off before you add the wing struts and landing gear. 

How do I know? I'm on my second rebuild of the Heller kit, all let down by weak canopy glues.

Well I'm certainly glad I asked the question, lots of immediate help and tips.  As you are familiar with this kit can you clarify something for me?  I assume the gun and frame (step 3, parts C1 and C16, glue directly onto the canopy, shame the is no housing for the gun, am I right?  Thanks again, and in advance...

[Hunker]

First let me clarify. The Academy is extremely similar to the Heller but not the same everywhere. The Academy has a separate engine and cowling while the Heller doesn't have an engine at all and the cowling is one piece to the fuselage, and the back seat in the cockpit is round on the Academy and the same as the front seat on the Heller. The canopy and everything else look to be the same on both of the kits.  So while Scalemates show it to be a new tool, it looks like they used the Heller parts and then added an engine. Other than these new parts, the instructions are similar but with different numbering. 

The instructions are the same as to the fitting of the frame and the gun, which means yes, they just stick to the canopy. 

If you are into more accuracy, then I believe the frame actually should run all the way to the back but you'll have to check around on this.

[dogsbody]

21 hours ago, Hunker said:

The academy Storch 1/72 is the Heller boxing. 

 

No, it is not a Heller re-boxing. It is Academy's own release. It came with an alternate radial engine, as used on the French-made version of the Storch.

 

 

Chris

[LozlozBozboz]

2 hours ago, Hunker said:

First let me clarify. The Academy is extremely similar to the Heller but not the same everywhere. The Academy has a separate engine and cowling while the Heller doesn't have an engine at all and the cowling is one piece to the fuselage, and the back seat in the cockpit is round on the Academy and the same as the front seat on the Heller. The canopy and everything else look to be the same on both of the kits.  So while Scalemates show it to be a new tool, it looks like they used the Heller parts and then added an engine. Other than these new parts, the instructions are similar but with different numbering. 

The instructions are the same as to the fitting of the frame and the gun, which means yes, they just stick to the canopy. 

If you are into more accuracy, then I believe the frame actually should run all the way to the back but you'll have to check around on this.

 

Well, as Dogsbody said, there are different parts, including a spare frame for the canopy, do you mean something like this? (obviously will need cutting down)  Could also be used as an anchor for the gun possibly

[Hunker]

No, not like that. I was going by memory and remembered two bars going diagonally to the back of the canopy. Looking at pictures on the net they actually start on the floor and go up to the sides at the back. I haven't found any clear pictures as to what actually holds the gun in the canopy.

As you can see, the Heller parts are so similar as to be alike

 

The frame you mention is the same as mine but your instructions have you position it backwards to mine. (part 12)

 

 

I glued mine as per my instructions. I think maybe Academy got it right though.

[LozlozBozboz]

Thanks for the info, I'll do some research