If you are new, experienced or just returning to the hobby of scale model building, then this is the channel for you. My videos feature building sequences as well as painting and finishing techniques.
I'm always trying new things and I hope that my videos inspire you to keep modeling and have fun doing it.
"Height impaired", really, I bet the design engineers in the late 30's used that exact same language, or did they just say "Short guys", what do you think?
At first, I thought it would turn out looking like it was parked for years! But it actually turned out looking still in service, pretty and well maintained 😅
My technique on styrene filling: when we come across 'non-parallel' gaps, we have a few ways to deal with this. 1) Should this tapered gap appear after joining, we can use a technique that draws on a Japanese Woodworking technique known as 'doing aiba'; take your favorite razor saw and 'open up' the gap so you have parallel edges - obviously from here we can insert that thickness of styrene and we're good (my fav razor saw for this is a shade under 10thou (or is it 20thou ???) sheet, so i also need to deburr and ever-so-slightly thin the sheet on a file or whatever. 2) Should we discover this gap before bonding, I like to go back to some of my old Vacuform techniques; in this case, we dry fit as best we can, identify the gap, and then bond styrene to the mating edge. Once cured, take the styrene down on some sandpaper on a hard surface (I'm a big fan of using a FLAT tile with sandpaper a top) to get close and refine with files until you're happy with your dry fit. I TRY and focus this sort of work on the locator HOLES side of the part (as opposed to the PIN side), but sometimes you just got to bite the bullet and remove locator pins. Honestly, performing work like this is often best done before bonding if at all possible - you will lose far less detail, and you have much less chance of introducing longer term tension into the join (as you would if you REALLY wedge styrene into a gap). Plus, it always feels nicer when you bond those parts, and all you need to do is maybe run a tool down the joint to establish a panel line, and then hit it with 800 or 1200 grit as the FIRST step! Putty is a LAST resort tool. I trust the above makes sense?
As a case study, many years ago I acquired (ie: was gifted) a 'previously started' short run kit, that the previous owner had butchered. The kit in question was the HPM Hawk 127LIF in 1/48 The instructions called for the low-pressure injection styrene parts to be prepared by sanding much the same way you would with a vacuform part - however they had failed to used a hard enough surface OR had allowed the edges of the sandpaper to curl up. Thus we were left with two fuselage sides who's mating surfaces were banana'd away from each other... Think "left )( right", with the brackets in place of what was supposed to be a "left || right" join. Enough plastic had been removed to render remediation...challenging. So out came the 25 and 50 thou sheet (no word of a lie, i estimated the nose tip and fuselage rear 'gap' to be about 2mm, while the centre of the halves were in contact) - these were cut into strips, and with some mitre'ing I built up an entirely new mating surface with 25 thou through the centre section and 50 thou for the end quarters. I did NOT try and trim the styrene at this point, simply coloured the mating surfaces with blue marker, flat-sanded until the blue was all gone, and the centre fuselage styrene was 'translucently thin'. At this point we had two parallel surfaces, and with some minor work (adding some internal strips to help with alignment of the cockpit and nose gear bay (my 'alignment reference items'), and taking a shade more off each side til the cockpit and nose gear bay were snug) we were ready to bond. If I remember right, I may have added a bead of CA on the inside flat of the styrene to reinforce it while working on the mating surfaces, but once the sides were together, everything was rigid. The lower fuselage where it was to be covered by wings, was opened and got a sprue spreader to ensure a really snug fit for the wing upper surfaces (which were also discovered to have been 'worked on' and needed maybe 10 thou at worst on each side), BUT it all came together, rescribed nicely and looked awesome under a coat of micro-filler primer. Admittedly then it spent a LONG time on the shelf of doom, likely because all that work to get the build to that state had just taken some of the excitement out of it (and i ended up building another one, this time starting with a pristine example) - but the repair job was admired a number of times at club meets and I was really happy that I all-but saved what was otherwise a basket case. It eventually was polished and painted and then before decaling, donated to a friend who wanted one of those kits to build into a jet his brother had flown solo ... so it got a minor repaint, different decals, and eventually found a good home.
oh and why did I give it away after so much work? well a) I had three or four more of these things in the stash, so was using the basket case as my 'prototype build', b) my friend was on a time frame re: the build and presentation, so it saved him weeks, and c) good karma... I'd had my fun with it... From what I could tell, when I got the kit, it was from its 'at least' second owner - he'd butchered it after having bought it from a guy who wasn't confident enough to take on a short run kit, once he saw it... So best case we have 1) person who said it was too hard, 2) person who butchered it, 3) person who saved it and refined his techniques on it, 4) person who finally finished it, and 5) person who solo'd in the 1:1 version of the jet. The kit and build has a pretty cool story. :)
Great Informative video MAP! Such a joy to watch and listen without you having to compete with distracting "music". I wish more people would film it first then add a voiceover.
'Corrugated' the Blackbird had its titanium paneling Corrugated so that they could make the panels 'thinner' and thus lighter, without losing strength in the panel...
Its corrugated wing skin panelling - the external surfaces of the upper and lower wing panels were beaded and corrugated to permit the skin and structure to expand and contract in response to temperature changes during flight.
Great job, I’m starting one of these today, and this was helpful. And totally on the yellowish wires. On the skyraider I did, the kit didn’t have the wires so I made them with lead wire (ugh, so tedious) and did brass color from a reference photo and that looked pretty good, but yellow looks better I’d say. Hopefully mine will look as good as yours since I’m using this as a static display for an engine swap diorama.
For painting straight lines with a brush you could try using a mahl stick. It's the right tool for the job and you can make your own with what's lying around the house.
Someone probably beat me to it but I believe the grooves in the upper wing surfaces are just referred to as corrugations and are there to help add structure to the wing to help it deal with the stress and temperature of flying at Mach 3. Now, I read this somewhere on the internet so I can't vouch for it's accuracy.
It's not stated, but it seems that your primer coat was gloss black and you filled in the panels with mottling. Supposed I start with a gray primer, and then add dark gray and beige squiggles over the entire model. THEN cover all the panel lines with black, varying the intensity and width of the line as I go. Seems it might be easier than trying to staying with in the panel area for mottling each panel.
Ive been building Gundam models but recently decided to get a 1/48 Macross plane and im going to use this technique on it (after practicing on a few other models of course, dont wanna mess up an expensive model)
David R Lentz, USA Let us know, please, your assessment of 1) Tamiya’s 1:32nd-scale kits of the early Chance Vought F4U Corsair USMC/RN-FAA/USN Fighter series, and 2) Trumpeter’s 1:32nd-scale kit of a late-war Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair USN Carrier-Based Fighter-Bomber. I would like to see Tamiya create 1:48th-scale molds from their 1:32nd-scale early Corsair Fighter series kits, and for Trumpeter to do the same with their 1:32nd-scale late-war F4U-4 Corsair kit. If they do not, I wonder if it would be effective (practical?) to take one (possibly two) of each kit to separate in some manner the parts for scanning into a design process of some sort, from which one could reduce the scale, and with 3D printing technology to create a newer, better kit in 1:48th-scale? If so, alternately to use this idea to enlarge virtually the 1:32nd-scale molds, from which to make 1:25th-scale 3D printing of parts. I saw a business, 21st-Century Toys, that offered a 1:18th-scale replica of a Chance Vought F4U Corsair USMC/RN-FAA/USN Fighter. A website, Cybermodeler Online (“celebrating 24 years of hobby news and reviews”) mentions similar models of: Ju 87 Stuka, Spitfire Mk.I, Fw-190D, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-38 Lightning, P-40B Tomahawk, and that many of these have been released in several different color schemes. The text explains that the company’s “early 1:18th-scale P-51D Mustang and Bf 109E were simplistic, but still colorful”. I do not propose reproducing anything of the sort. Still, the Corsair model looked good. I wish they would make a more conventional polystyrene assembly kit (I would prefer a better scale; I would be just fine with 1:25th-scale) that one could build, super-detail, customise, paint, etc., to one’s preference. That is the flexibility of our kit-building.
The 1/32 Tamiya Corsairs are very nice and because of these models there is no point to the Trumpeter -1D Corsair that is full of errors and build challenges. I have not built the Trumpeter -4 Corsair but it is the only one out there. To make a "good" -4 Corsair in 48th scale, you could graft the "front" of the hasegawa -4 with the Tamiya -1D and find a good after market engine and cockpit. It would still be a considerable amount of work.
@@ModelAirplaneMaker David R Lentz, Columbus, Ohio, USA Thank you for your prompt response. Chance Vought replaced with sheet metal the fabric surfaces of the outer wings and the horizontal stabilisers of the early Corsairs, so even these parts would require replacement. In 1:48th-scale, CMK has a conversion set, though some have reported that some of the resin parts have shrunk; even if one were to find a set that had not, it seems likely that over the following years, this would occur anyway. I infer your greater wherewithal of the various advanced aspects of model building. I understand that improvements we already are seeing in 3D printing have begun to appear in aftermarket detail sets that are supplanting resin for 1) even better in quality, accuracy, etc., 2) no toxicity from the dust, 3) avoid having to hack off the pour stub(s), 4) will not shrink, 5) be easier to implement, and to incorporate into the build, and 6) may prove a better value. Would you be able to provide us a better F4U-4 WW2 Corsair conversion set? Or would you know any 3D wizards who could? Additionally, I would like some seated pilot figures in 1:32nd-, 1:48th-, and 1:72nd- scales for in-flight displays. (Does any kit maker offer 1:100th-scale or 1:144th-scale Corsair kits in any of these variants?) I would ask, please, that such sets also would include different heads, faces, hands, arms, etc., and to incorporate into the design of these a modicum of positional flexibility. (Otherwise, a squadron on patrol would take on an unintended “Attack of the Clones” vibe . . . .)
David R Lentz, USA Thanks. I had heard of this story, though I had not known the details. I since wonder how one might create an airborne diorama of the engagement at its crux, with Marine aviator Lt. “Bob” Klingman in the act of buzz-sawing the rudder of a Mitsubishi Ki-46 Imperial Japanese Army Type 100 twin-engine command reconnaissance aircraft, Allied brevity code name “Dinah”, that he had been in the process of intercepting, using just the propeller of his Chance Vought F4U-1D Corsair USMC Fighter on high-altitude intercept patrol when all six of his bent-winged warbird’s M2 Browning .50-caliber machine guns froze. In “Marine Corps pilot Robert ‘Bob’ Klingman took down enemy using his propeller”, By Team Mighty (We Are The Mighty, Military News posted Wednesday, 8 February, 2023, 7:16 a.m. PST), the unnamed author reports that, “Robert Klingman flew his F4U Corsair with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 in support of the Battle of Okinawa near the close of World War II. During operations he flew into Marine Corps history when he used his propeller to chop off the tail of [a] Japanese aircraft.” I had been typing a my response to another of your posts when it abruptly vanished, even as I endeavoured to copy the text. Not only had that simply vanished, but I lost your RU-vid video: “Six easy upgrades for WW2 fighters” (Model Airplane Maker, Friday, 31 March, 2023); it took me nearly an hour to find it again. (I am uncertain, though I may have mixed the two. Well, allergies blur my vision-though the good news is that I do not drive.) My reply to it is: Thanks. You give a good head’s up to a poor aspiring novelist, a hopeful classical vocalist, and a starving artist. You can give my email to other modellers (from a requirement on that site). Have you since seen and/or built Trumpeter’s 1:32nd-scale kit of a late-war Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair USN Carrier-Based Fighter-Bomber? And/or Tamiya’s 1:32nd-scale kit of the Chance Vought F4U series Corsair USMC/RN-FAA/USN Fighters?
...back about 50 years ago after I got home from the better part of three years with the Army in Germany, I ordered several bottles of a then new metallic paints from Archer's Hobby World in Tustin, CA....IIRC a couple of the names were 'Burnt Exhaust & titanium..they were of a very thin consistency - suitable only for airbrushing....IIRC they were eventually bought by Trestors...they were perfect for natural metal finishes and for jet exhausts...this my be what you have now...
Great info, thanks! This makes me curious..... what about the next steps? As the dried wash is rather fragile and is "dusting off" when touched by cotton bud or finger touching (is has little "grip/bite" on the smooth gloss coat)... How do you seal this weathering against following stages of weathering/blending? As the product is an Enamel product, sealing it in with an enamel clear coat will very likely dissolve/damage the carefully weathered appearance. A lacquer clear coat like MRP-048 or Mr.Color's GX-100 is likely also too "hot" for this fragile weathering. An acrylic clear coat like Aqua Gloss or Gauzy or any other Vallejo or MIG acrylic may do a better job (if not thinned with anything that may dissolve the dried wash!) How do you seal in this weathering?
Two things: it's a Blackbird! It's a Blackbird!! I'm building a 1/32 Dragon Bf 110 nightfighter and was looking for a tutorial on black. That is a beautifull bird you have there sir! I do want to warn you for putting amoniak in your paints. It can react with your airbrush and seals.
I agree with you on ammonia affecting the finish and maybe the seals on the airbrush if you let it linger in there. I use a small amount of ammonia, I mix the paint externally and then I shoot it as soon as it is ready. I immediately fill the cup in alcohol and swab everything down while I run the alcohol mixture through the brush.
Wow, great build. I did this kit a while ago. At that time I knew that you don't paint black for black, how do you darken black? In Kung Fu I tore my hamstring really bad and almost couldn't walk so I decided to build the Blackbird, a couple of days later I got a FREE aircraft calendar in the mail and there was a picture of the plane in all it's colors, spent two days shading and enhancing copying the picture almost exactly. After finishing the SR-71 there was a model contest I took it to, and low and behold I took a "Best Of Show", it was the first time for this club that an aircraft took that award, Well I was happier than a Samurai at the ball park on FREE sword day, Now I do several seminars for various clubs during their contests and also have a You Tube channel at PMCMP, This kit is the reason I now teach the art of model construction to several students. REALLY liked your build, great finish and thanks for this video !!!!!
the section closes to the rings almost looks like radome tan with something added... pink? salmon? either way, i think you did a hell of a job... going to use your technique/colors for my 1:32 FA18
So you skipped from the first coat.... to decals.. on a 'how to paint realistic black.. I actually thought I'd accidently jumped the video ahead because it's like.. an entire section of the video is missing. Even the audio is like there's a section missing as you go from talking about the first coat of paint to suddenly about decals.
Those methods you use are handy for any modeler. I’m a model railroad builder and one of the methods I use was from an article from the December 1967 issue in Model Railroader magazine. The author was scratch building a Baldwin Locomotive Works diesel engine using sheet styrene. He made his own putty by saving shavings and small scraps of the styrene and putting them in a glass jar and adding liquid cement. It’s worked for me but I like your method too.
That super glue applicator from a sewing needle is very clever. I’ve been using toothpicks for ages and have almost never been happy with the results. It always seems to be too much or too little. I’m off to the wife’s sewing box to steal a couple of needles.
Again like others have said , i am returning to my childhood hobby , which was as a 12 or 13 yr old in the 70s , but such big changes from then to now and to be honest its mind boggling , i have just started buying all the kit i may need for various builds of now and future back in the day airbrushes were not available i now have several airbrushes and a 3 ltr mini comp but unfortunately it does not allow me to change pressure and so i am spraying with it at 20 to 25 pressure which after watching your excellent video tells me i need to get another compressor that allows me to change the pressure , so until i can save up enough to buy one the weathered look will remain a dream for future builds , but your video was very informative and clear and easy to follow so thankyou for the time you have given to help newbies like me out .
Filling a gap with styrene is a good way to get red of it and it will not schrink in time. I'm always applying putty like I'm doing painting : I'm putting masking tape and only getting the area I want to fill. Some other way is to fill gapes with a mix of plastic dust and CA glue. Depending on the gap that needs to be fill. Sometimes, I'm even sanding areas with masking tape still on model to avoid sanding off important details. It's up to every modeler to find his way to do things. Yours are very instructive ! Thanks for sharing.
FANTASTIC ADVICE! The wet cotton swab for finishing putty, the sparing application of super glue using a needle, and the recommendation of a half hour being the sweet spot to sand is just invaluable advice! THANK YOU!!!
6:14 you are the only English speaker that I've watched here on RU-vid that pronounces correctly the word Vallejo (as in Bah-Yeh-Ho). Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making the effort of not saying "valehou" like literally everybody else in these model/miniature channels does.
Thank you for pointing that out! I live near the California city of Vallejo, which is pronounced with English "l" sounds (but Spanish "j"), so I had assumed the paint was pronounced the same way -- but indeed the paint is from Spain and pronounced the fully-Spanish way.
@@BrooksMoses I actually live 20 minute walk from the factory. And no they don't make it cheaper here, I pay as much as everybody else ( I guess they rather sell it expensive abroad).
