Has anyone heard of a product called PropBlur? Or has anyone ever bought and used the product before? Anyone have any Pros, Cons, or other tips for it’s use? I’m building a 1/72 scale B-25 and I am having not so good results with the old technique of creating spinning props from clear discs. Therefor, I thought I might try PropBlurs instead.
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Rev2/1801-1900/rev1848-PropBlur-48/00.shtm
http://www.propblur.com/
I’ve used them and they are okay its really a matter of opinion some like 'em some do’nt
Okay, the FSM forum seems to breathes and eats controversy.
Best use the “Search our Community” first, then ask a question.
(56 items for “PropBlur”.) Don’t use “E-mail addresses”!!!
Use “Search our Community” (a page down). [snWcm]
Heard about 'em, thought about 'em, laughed about 'em, forgot about 'em…
Personally, I don’t think they look any better than a well-done clear prop-disc… Just different…
They might look good on a taxiing or run-up diorama, but I just don’t care for them “in-flight” at combat speeds…
I’ve never cared for the look. They remind me of four medieval battle axes stuck to the prop spinner. On , the other hand, clear plastic discs look like, well, clear plastic discs. If I want them to look like they’re in flight, I just cut the prop blades off and leave the spinner on - but since I usually do mine with the gear down and parked, it’s not a problem.
The best thing I could think of would be to intall a small electric motor and actually have the real prop spinning - that would probably look the most realistic.
the ones I saws made the plane look cartoonish and fake. It looked to thin IMO…nice idea but it did not work for me.
Thad
For me it depends on how it’s done. I havent used them, though I might try and see for myself oneday. But I’ve seen some look bad and some look really good.
The B-17 in this link looks pretty good: http://www.swannysmodels.com/B17G.html
Nothing beats a spinning propeller.
Have a twin engine German night fighter on the back burner in 1/72 scale. Have two motors out of a vehicle CD player ready to install after the wires are soldered. The great thing is their small size and they are 9 volt. Also they spin a a perfect RPM without vibration.
On a display model, it might be ok for spinning props, but on dioramas, animation of any kind is a no-go, IMNSHO… In ruins the “Snap-shot effect” … The trick with clear discs is to get the transparent yellow of the blade-tips right (if needed), as well as the “whisk” of the prop blades. I used to use liquid cement and a paint brush to get the blade onto the disc, and a yellow high-lighter for the tips… Never tried to do any striped ones…
Now, I just keep the engines “off” and don’t do “run-up” or “Take-off/Taxi” dioramas, lol… Worst-case would be, how does one “blur” a rotary engine, like on the Fokker Dr I or Niueport 17?
The PE Prop blurs DO look good in the “snap-shot”, but only when viewed from the front or back, or front and back quartering shots. They lose it if the angle is 90 degrees… Also, I don’t know about the things being so “uniform”… Spinning props just don’t do that…
Granted, Propblurs aren’t for everybody. Some people like them, while others don’t. I’d use clear discs and spray/airbrush the blurred blade effects on them if I could, but I don’t own an airbrush and I have very bad eyesight. If I could, I wish I could get this effect here:
richard_nelson_0040.jpg (JPEG Image, 1024 × 684 pixels) - Scaled (89%)
Kinda looks like the modeler put PropBlurs on a clear disc.
Concurr… Think he cut them down the middle, then reversed one half of each to widen the “blade”, but to me it looks like he got a contra-rotating prop…
I didn’t airbrush my discs, CB… I used a brush and Testor’s liquid cement to create a “wisk” on the disc…