I need help to do my aircraft models better and add more details and decals.

Please help me!

Daniel Kuehn
Västerhaninge Sweden

While I'm not as experienced in this field as others here, I will say this "all in good time". I'm sure you heard that before. As you build more and more kits, each kit becomes a learning experience. With each one completed, you'll learn new techniques for the next one.
After a few are done you can look at that first one you did and say WOW!
Enjoy! :-)

Daniel,
Make sure to check out the David Aungst articles here on the site (under Features: Aviation). Also Hyperscale (www.hyperscale.com) is a great place for more.

Jim

Thanks guys!!

I have look't on the David Aungst thing about F-14.
I really like't it and the F-14 tomcat is my favorit airplan.I have built nearly 20 aircrafts but
almost all of them i have needed to throw away because my brother and sister have help me with destroing many of my models.

Thanks again!

daniel Kuehn
Västerhaninge Sweden

Sounds like a son I have!!

My experience with planes is that you just get better with time. There are a couple simple things you can do to vastly improve the look of your aircraft if you don't already.

If you haven't experimented with filling gaps and seams with some type of putty start to do so. I started to do it and it really boosted the appearance of my models. By far the worst one on planes is the gap created from joining the wings to the fuselage because those two pieces never fit perfectly. Here in the states I use a product called nitro stain (originally for autobody work) that works good. A good gap filling putty, coupled with some fine wet/dry sandpaper and a good emery board will make even the finest gaps and seams dissapear. I can remember how good I felt when I got my first perfect fuselage body.

Another simple item is replacement of the machine guns. Some guys use hypodermic needles cut to size but I'm able to find brass or aluminum tubing here that's the right size.

Here's an article I came across the other day over at hyperscale.com about attaching ordnance. Find the article here.

Hope this helps you out some.

Thanks Tin_can!;)

I looked on the thing with ordnance by David W.Angust.I really intresting artikel about ordnance.

Thanks!

Daniel Kuehn
Västerhaninge sweden

My advice Daniel, is to practice on cheaper, easier kits. After a while, they will start looking good to you. When they do, it's time to move up to the more expensive kits with plenty of detail. World War 2 fighters or smaller single engine jets are good starting kits. Remember, it will not look as good as the box photos at first, but some day they will!

Hey HunterCottage_JR,
I've learned alot of tricks in the pages of FSM. I keep all my magazine for future reference material. Maybe you can read some of Dad's back issues of FSM.

One of my magazine boxes got lost at sea and just haven't had the money to keep up the expensive overseas subscription , but we are doing are best...

Brian, Daniel,

if you really need some articles from FSM, I have a good collection of issues (I have nearly all of them from 1996 onwards). If you want, I could scan some articles for you.
We Europeans have to help each other

BF47,

Thanks for the offer and I will see if there is anything I can put you to work on!

Thanks from Danny and me

Hi Daniel
For tips on aircraft modelling you could also look at
www.aircraftresourcecentre.com
HTH
Peter

I tried to destroy some of the "unsatisfactory" models I had put up by steel BB bullets when I was in HK...now...if I ever have a built-up kit that I am not happy with...I have a target to do the zero in for my rifle...haha
Get back to the topic...say...if you want to put up a 1/32 Tamiya F-14, you better practise it with a 1/48 Revell-Monogram kit that costs $13 and try to grasp how a 1/32 kit is by trying the Revell Monogram 1/32 Tornado kit that costs somewhere around $25 including shipping from EBay.
Crafmanship is something you build with your experience...don't think any of us can help...I am still an amateur even if I started building a model when I was 10 years old.

Daniel,

Try the link to the site below. I have had as good of help with aircraft from the folks on this one as I do from the guys & gals on this site, they're great! P & P.. Practice and Patience! Start small and work up. It generally takes me twice as long to build an aircraft as it does armor. I have 2 tips:

#1 Clean as you go. Keep your hobby area clean, sweep off the dust and particles left from trimming and sanding and put tools etc. away where they can be easily reached/found.

#2 When you are finished with the build up phase and start to get ready to paint, wipe the fingerprints etc. off with a cotton rag moistened with alcohol to remove the oil, then let it dry. When you handle the model, wear a lite (white) cotton glove on the hand you hold the plane in. It keeps from messing up a good paint job, I know, I spent 25 hours on an aircraft build and then 4 hours on the paint only to be ruined by oily fingerprints! HTH.

http://www.kithobbyist.com/largescaleplanes/

P.S. Daniel, PM me with your address and I'll mail you something.

My best suggestion is just build. Try some new thing with each model, and keep what works. Figure out what techniques work best for you, and which you don't think are worth the effort. Enjoy the effort and don't worry if every model doesn't look like a contest winner or the photos in FSM. Just try things, and don't get too wrapped up in getting every model perfect. Sometimes it helps to make a plan for what you are going to try and what you are going to let go, before starting the model.

I concur with the advice here to start with the less expensive kits and build your skills. Most of us started that way from neccessity, because in the bad old days the cheap kits were all that was available to us. Get to where you can build an inexpensive kit well and make it look good, then spend the money for one of the really good ones.

Try to remember that the really amazing models you see here and in the magazines were built by folks with years of practise. Good Luck!

Chief i tried to acces to that site but i couldn't i don't know why but i couldn't i will try later on today.

She's working for me Hunter Jr...the site that is:

http://www.kithobbyist.com/largescaleplanes/