hello everyone !

There's something I'm often displeased with in my models, it's the lights !
For the landing light, there's often a clear part so that's not too difficult. Still, I'd be more than happy to hear your tips about this.
But also, what do you use to represent wingtip lights and strobes ?

cheers !

Lights you say? Care to make a little scene of an airplane resting on an airstrip at night, but just not making it look like night? Sounds like what you need is a crash course in working with fiber optics! Yes. That's right! Fiber optics. A few simple steps and you're on your way dazzling your friends with real, working scale lights in your model. "How?" you say? Stay tuned, my article on working with fiber optics is coming. Soon.

YodaMan

That's called a 'teaser', by the way......

Penpen,
while the fiber optics suggestion is great, I take it you want to hav good looking lights for any and every plane, whether displayed on a base or not.....Sooooooooooo, what I recommend is that you search for some MV lenses. These can be found at hobby shops in the train dept. They come in a wide variety of sizes and colors, have multiple applications and look great.
Wingtip lights can be made from old toothbrush handles. Find an old, or even new one for that matter, that is clear green and red. Cut some small pieces out roughly the same size and super glue them in place. Using a fine sanding board sand them down to the correct shape. Once done with that, using a plastic polish, (Blue Magic etc) polish them back to a nice clear finish. One tooth brush will provide a supply of light for about a googaplex worth of aircraft...read LOTS!!
The MV lenses work great for landing lights, formation light like those on the bottom of P-51 wings. Blue, amber, green, red, clear, and even one thta looks very much like the IR lights on my tanks and bradleys in the motor pool. Another method for lights is 5 minute epoxy putty, but this involves mixing, adding it and continuos turning/rotating to get the lens effect just right.

Anyway, just a couple of differnet methods for the light you are looking for. HTH "Q"

I have seen people buy colored acrylic rods (small ones cost something like ninety cents here), cut a small piece that will fit into the 'notch' where the wingtip lite was, and then shape it with a file.

A little bit of Jackology:

Paint the item in chrome paint, then recoat using Tamiya clear colours. This works especially well on AFV's for brake and amber warning beacons etc.

Jack

fiber optics are ez
i use chistmas tree lights and they come in a lot of different colors
1.cut off a socket
2.insert socket in a tube
3.put putty in the end of the tube
4.insert strand before putty dries
the light source is small enough that you can hide it anywhere

TRY THIS-give a figure a lit ciggerette(using an orange bulb)
drill a small hole in the mouth and out the back of the head
insert the strand leaving it stick out the mouth 2mm
paint it white(but not the end)
run the strand down his back
then insert the strand into the light source :-)

the entire strand should be painted to prevent light from escaping

Cool idea! Heres an add on, if you like. First drill a hole from the neck to the top of the head, trying not to pass through. If you do it isn't important, as many military figures wear head gear. Drill a connecting, perpendicular hole from the mouth opening, until connecting with the first. Thread the fibre optics to follow the path. The optic fibre may then be hidden beneath a sling or similar.

Can someone explain the actual power source and connection for passing the light??. I would think this an important aspect, and unable to adequately do so myself, never having worked with the stuff.

Jack the ill informed one.

All this will be explained in time, my young Padawan.
Helpful, the article will be.

YodaMan

Are fiber optics expensive ?
I'm thinking of lighting a macross valkyrie or harlock's spaceship... :-) :-)

It really depends on how much you need. For a model, a length of three feet should be plenty, especially if there's 50 individual strands in a cable! I can't find the link I need now... I'll get back to you with it in a little bit.

YodaMan

as far as a power source i always used a toy train tranformer

i have also seen complete fiber optic kits in moder railraod shops

This would make a good feature/article Hmmmmm any takers?? Like do you plug the optics into the transformer or what? I mean I'm a total nerd when it comes to this type of operation!

Jack the Nerd

no jack
you plug in the light source into the tansformer
the optic strand gets pluged into the light source

Now that, I understand, Thanks Scott!

I don't realy like bulbs, as they create a lot of heat.
Would it be possible to use a LED instead ? Is it a powerful enough light source ?

ive never tried LEDs,although i dont see why they wouldnt work

the christmas tree lights dont seem to generate a lot of heat.but you could always use a heat sheild of some kind

Yes! LEDs are the way to go! They generate very little heat. There are some that are so bright it hurts you eyes to look at them directly! LEDs also last much, much longer than mini light bulbs. The only drawback to LEDs is that they are more expensive than light bulbs. However, recent advances in the technology have made diferent color LEDs availible. When using fiber optics, you don't really need different color LEDs to represent different color lights on the model. Basically, a fiber optic fillament is a wire that carries light from one end of the wire to the other side, whatever color the light source is. you could put some sort of color filter over the end by the light source to have a different color light displayed. (i.e., a piece of red plastic wrap covering the end of the strand near the light source to have a red light on the model.)
LEDs also last much longer than light bulbs. I think I read somewhere that you can leave an LED running continuously for about 10 years!......though I may have to verify that statement.

YodaMan

Come on Yoda !
Why don't you type faster ?
I can't wait for your article !
And I hope it's in 1 episodse only !

i think by the time we are done with this thread.we will has perfected this techniqe and will have taken the hobby to a higher level

Awww shucks! I was thinking I could get rich by doing a trilogy!

YodaMan

When will your article on fiber-optics be released Yoda.....??

Release the tease ....

At the absolute earliest.... July 1st. I need my dad's help with the LEDs (so I don't electrocute myself! ) and there hasn't been a whole lotta time to relax around here lately.... But, that'll change soon, I hope.

YodaMan