This is a very nice paper model printed in 1:33. It can be downloaded for free at www.papermodelers.com. Go to the downloads section to find it. Excellent instructions and numerous paint schemes. Because the kit is well engineered and has such good instructions it’s good for some one who has never build with card stock, paper or sheet plastic. Detailed printer set up instructions for A4 and letter or legal size and can be printed to any scale you want using the percentage chart. This kit may not be of the same incredible detail as new plastic kits but it sure will give older ones a run for the money. And its free. That part is hard to beat. If you are interested in the model and not familiar with paper and card modeling check out the gallery and forums to see some of the incredible aircraft, ships and armor these guys are building.
This is not my model. It was built by a guy named Billy Leliveld. I just downloaded the kit yesterday and was so impressed with it that I had to tell some people about it that could appreciate these things. My wife and kids aren’t all that excited about it… Right now I’m working on a 1:32 paper model of a Caudron G3. I plan to build the Tri Motor next. If you might want to try something other than the Tri-Motor that is free to download there are other free models out there and a good place to buy paper models is http://ecardmodels.com/index.php?osCsid=9ff2b6d3f1c84d7c39d3282b5edac7d4 The kits can be down loaded and are mostly priced in the $3 - $8 range. Most of the kits come from Russia, Poland and Eastern Europe. Its amazing what all is available with many subjects never done in plastic and many that probably never will be. The selection is huge for aircraft, armor and ships and other stuff too. Some of the major paper and card model publishers are GPM, Answer, Modelik, WAK, Orlik and Halinski Kartonowy. Some of the kits have English instructions, but most written instructions are minimal anyway and the the building pictures and diagrams lay out every thing. The kits can range from simple to very complex, but anyone with some basic modeling skills should be able to produce good results if they don’t mind a little trial and error. Often cutting out numerous repetitive things like wing ribs or cutting out and building up lots of wheels and scale track links for armor could be tedious though not really difficult. A lot of the kit makers offer optional die cit ribs, frames, wheels and tracks that are not expensive. The most difficult thing for me has been built up curved sections like cowls. In fact on cowls I just gave up on the traditional way and backed them with thin paper on the inside then saturate them the seams with super glue, painted them over with epoxy, sanded smooth and then paint. This was a major stumbling block with my G3. It’s my first paper model aircraft that I have now started over for the third time. I should have started with something like the Tri-Motor or a more simple kit but I always wanted a G3 so I’ll keep at it until I have on that I’m happy with and learn as I go. The nice thing about paper kits is that you can scan them or just print the file and you have brand new parts when you screw something up. Screwing something up is just a part of paper modeling. Here are a few more pictures of models other guys have built or are working on over at papermodelers.com. These are all paper and card stock models from kits.
Hello everybody here, I discovered this thread by googling my own name , and I must say I’m pleased and honored , and I want to add some comments, I build the Tri-motor alright, but the real ‘heroes’ are Peter A Zorn, who designed the original model back in the 80-ties, and Ruben Andres who digitally redrawn the model and added all the different liveries. It is just a nice internet story, the designer from the USA, the man with the knowledge of computer-design from Colombia and me , building the model in Holland , it was so nice to be part of this project resulting in one of the most interesting free models there are around, there are no boundaries, or borders on the internet for papermodeling
I recommend to anyone interested in a different modeling medium to come take a look over at papermodelers.com. We are not a purist site (though we joke about plastic kits on occasion), and welcome anyone who wants to enjoy the modeling hobby as a whole. For those interested in trying their hand, there are literally thousands of kits available, ranging from simple kits not much more complicated than your typical classroom paper airplane to some of the incredible examples shown above with thousands of parts, all in prices ranging from free to a modest price, normally far less expensive than a comparable plastic kit. There are digital downloads you print yourself, and published pre-printed kits that come as a book or magazine format that you cut the parts from. Come check it out!
As a long time “plastic” modeler, my own experience over the last two year dabbling in “paper” has greatly expanded my horizons. I have come to the realization that modeling is not just tied to a particular medium but involves the creation of the physical represenation of a real object in a (usually) smaller form. Modeling involves a wide range of skills, but the basics of logical thought and skillful handicraft is what presents the challenge (and the fun!) Results can be seen as important or not - being an individual preference - but the activity itself is what modeling is all about.
The Tri-motor project is a perfect example of the paper modeling community’s easy collaboration. Earlier, it was stated that much of the paper models originate in Europe/ Eastern Europe, but that is the traditional venues of the printed model kits. However, the internet with the growth of forums and the availability of inexpensive (or open source) 3D desgin tools has resulted in truly an explosion of designers publishing model kits over the web. Much is shared gratis and reflects the genuine love of the hobby and the feeling of community that generally prevails.
I just hope more folks appreciate the possibilities of paper modeling, and that the mainstream scale modeling media start reporting on that aspect of “fine scale modeling”.
