While I typically build armor (I think you call them "targets") my 12-year old son has taken an interest in airplanes. He is getting ready to enter his first show in February, and we need to get his airplanes ready.

He likes to build his models "in flight", with the landing gear up and all. What is the best (read as "easiest") way to display a plane in flight?

Can you help a Treadhead out?

PS Be nice - I have built a JU-52, and have a P-47D waiting for after AMPS.

Thanks in advance.

Good question, In the old days they had stands that came in the kit but now I am not sure was looking at a couple of mine and either scratch build something or maybe steal something from a prebuilt like Corgi. I will watch and see if anyone has an Idea.

Howdy, Matt! I'm actually more of a treadhead myself (Silver at AMPS last year for my JGSDF Type 90 which appears in the latest Great Scale Modeling), although I seem to be spending more time on ships and planes lately.

Like your son, I prefer most of my planes in flight also. While it's cool to show off all of the landing gear bay detail, I think a plane is at its most beautiful in its natural element.

A quick and dirty way that I use to put my planes in flight is to drill a hole near the center of gravity (usually toward the back of the wings) in the bottom of the plane. Depending on the size and scale of the plane, I then use metal rod found at most hobby shops. I recently posed a 1/72 Japanese bomber and suicide plane on a 1/4" brass tube. The reason for using a tube is so that the glue (I always use epoxy) can not only run around the tube to secure it, but also inside the tube.

Epoxy is used because it is super strong once it cures to full strength and can handle a lot of stress. On smaller planes, you can use a smaller diameter rod or tube. For example, here is a 1/48 Raiden I posed in a climb (it's obviously not mounted at the center of gravity, but the pose isn't normal):


In this case, the rod being used is simply a length of clothes hanger wire. I made sure that the wire length inside of the plane was about 1 1/2" so the epoxy would have something to grab. Also, make sure that there is no paint where the wire will be glued and rough up the surface a little to add more bite for the epoxy.

I use a wood base (you can usually eyeball what seems right) with a hole drilled out for the rod (make sure it's fairly tight) and a small "reservoir" routered into the bottom. This is so that the rod can curl around and you can pour epoxy in to keep everything solid. Bases can usually be found in places like Michaels, but I usually end up using custom cut items. If you're using a larger diameter like the aforementioned 1/4" tube, simply use the reservoir to dump epoxy in and let a bunch of it flow down into the tube. When it dries, you'll have a solid base. Paint it whatever color you like (I usually use black so it doesn't detract from the plane).

I hope this helps and good luck!

This idea is not tried and tested by myself. Depending on the weight of the model that needs suspending a sheet of clear Perspex vertically placed and the model attached directly to it either by placing the wing through a cut slot, or suspended from above by spider wire or similar. This is just an idea and I don’t know if it will work but it does seem a simple solution to the problem.

Clear acrylic display boxes

1. with the wings wedged in the corners or on clear stubs inside the box.

2. put cotton batting in the bottom (like clouds) with a clear acrylic rod running from the base to a hole in the belly of the model.

3. If you do jets then ther plastic rod can protrude from the afterburners.