Since I got back into modeling, I’ve consistently followed the directions on the kits and built with wheels down. I would like to do a couple with wheels up on a stand. Are there kits that give you options on that type of build or do you just ‘wheel’ it?
Bob
Boston
I’ve always built any aircraft with wheels down so I can put the model on a shelf or in a display case.
Whenever I’ve tried to build an aircraft without the landing gear down, the landing gear doors would never fit right and sit flush on the bottom of the fuselage. So I gave up.
Yes. You will have to file down the wheel well covers to fit the opening as most kits are not made to have closed wheel wells. Its not hard, but takes a little bit of work.
I agree with the others. Most kit gear doors won’t fit precisely in the closed position, so you’ll need to file, sand, fill. No big deal. It’s just like any other case of file, sand, fill. Aircraft definitely look better in flight without the gangly clunky gear hanging down. It is, of course, where they’re designed to operate.
Many airline models have the option to close the gear doors and are ‘friendlier’ than say fighter aircraft. I have about 1/2 my airliners in flight some with gear up, some down. I have closed up other types doors but like others said, there’s work to get it right.
It sort of depends, right? Some of the newer kits will have separate gear doors meant for wheels up or wheels down. I actually like doing gears up builds because then I don’t have to spend extra time building/painting/aging landing gear. My secret little tip is to stuff a crumbled ball of aluminum foil in the wheel well, then use the gear door to squish it down flush before cementing. This will help keep the gear doors from sinking below flush.
This was the first time I ever did wheels up, on my small scale (1/72) test build for a Top Gun diorama last year.
For the most part, I feel aircraft models look equally good on the ground or in in the air. For the latter, I think it’s the stand that makes the statement. An elegant stand can complement a sleek airframe, while a cheap, rickety one can detract from the overall presentation.
Although sci-fi, Hasegawa offers accessory stands for their Macross fighters, but they are bulky, and, in my eyes, ugly.
Macross Stand (Set of 2) Plastic model|HobbySearch
I sourced some aftermarket stands from Kotobukiya, which are more subtle and work well with 1/72 sized aircraft kits.
I also retrofitted the Kotobukiya support arm to another base, as the brass pipe I had originally used looked lousy.
Having an articulated arm really helps, as it allows the aircraft to be positioned in attitudes other than level or in a slight climb. Of course, this mostly works for small models - it would be impractical for a Monogram B-52!
Long ago, I used to build my aircraft in “in flight” configuration with wheels up and pilots in the seat(s). Back then it was pretty common for kits to have that option. Nowadays it is less common for kits to offer that, but it’s not too hard to work around in most cases, unless the door configuration is quite complicated. It is better to seal up the gear doors earlier rather than later in the build process when possible, where you can reinforce them from inside.
Stands are another matter though. I haven’t seen an in flight display stand on a new tool kit in many years. Jet stands are often easily improvised using acrylic rod placed into the exhaust nozzle(s)
Good luck to you on this.
I always do mine wheels down,I don’t like to hang models,I can never get the right look,and then they are dust magnets.I’m not crazy about stands either maybe some day a small airfield base or carrier deck.
Go old school and gears up then hang em on the ceiling.
Something you might want to try is to have the gear “in-transit”. A different perspective and pretty cool looking visual effect.
Great idea. Which kit is that - with the posable slats?
I believe it is the old Aurora 737. Story behind this is I picked it up from the local hobby shop owner who had it setting on a shelf in his office….yellowing and decals flaking off. Asked him if he wanted it re-finished but he just gave it to me and said to keep it. Stripped it with Purple Power and started anew. The leading edge slats and Krueger flaps were done with thin styrene stock. Takeoff flaps were set by scribing them just enough to bend them down.
Always wheels down for me. All of my builds are in some sort of a diorama setting. I like the idea of being able to tell a story. (Although there are some wicked cools displays on this thread)
The only “major” time I’ve built models and supported them on stands was when I built small XB-35, YB-49, and B-2 bomber aircraft for a special Northrop display. But even then, I still had the landing gear down on all of them due to landing gear door troubles. I think it was an Academy display stand I used. Each of the support stands/arms was a different height. The XB-35 was on the lowest support, then followed by the YB-49 on the medium height support, and the B-2 was on the highest support.
I make plane models not dioramas so i hate those wheel downs only models , for me the beauty of a plane lies in its flying form ,streamlined elegant and not broken up and looking like a tortoise in pain , i will not stop anyone doing their own as they want but forget i will even look at them.
It is honestly a joke that a brand which is considered cheap ,Airfix, makes the best way namely both , it is mostly only 2 parts more ,which i will call good customer service instead of the great box art of the flying plane but sorry you get the version which is useless on the ground.
Thanks lobopt! I new somebody make the option available. Airfix here in Boston-usa, are mostly a missing product. Any specific models you like I should look for.
Bob C.
Boston
I’ve seen quite a few of In-flight models. Some of them are posed in the coolest scenes. I’ve done a total of 3 airliners. The last one was the Revell-Germany 1/144th scale UPS 747-8F.
Well I don’t know what type of planes you like or the scale.
Also Airfix is a bit limited in models after nearly bankrupting so they use the moulds in a cycle base , but if you like WWII planes they are the only ones having the Grumman F4F with retracted wheels.
Have a Hobbyboss kit too and like the Tamiya and others the landing gear is so monoblock type on them it is virtually impossible to make the gear up without massive modelling.
I typically build wheels down, even some big 48th scale 4-engine heavies such as the Lancaster and Liberator that I did recently. But since space is a limiting factor, I’ll build larger kits wheels up to hang from my workshop ceiling most of the time, or even some like the 1941 movie P-40 I just completed.
