Here are my random thoughts… feel free to add yours and reply to mine
Ever since I bought the Iwata Eclipse airbrush to replace the Testors Aztek, my whole painting experience has become a whole lot more enjoyable.
For my latest build, I switched from using Testors Enamel to Testors Acryl. After this experience, I will never go back. The Acryl paint rules.
Why is a 1/2 oz of paint $3? What is the markup? Seems ridiculous that if I had to buy all the colors of any plane, it’ll cost more than the kit itself.
Why are Japanese WWII aircraft not more popular here? It’s minor in comparison to just 109’s and P-51’s. The Japanese had variety comparable to US. I thought the Ki-43, Ki-44 and Ki-84 are great subjects in addition to zero.
Has anyone mixed decals just so your build looks cooler? For example, using a cool picture decal historically on a P-51 and put it on a P-47? Who would ever question it? Would you feel guilty?
What is this FUTURE that everyone talks about? I looked for it on a hobby website and could not find it. Is it equivalent to clear gloss?
When and what led you to build aircraft? For me, in the late nineties, I played an online aircraft game called Air Warrior III. I initially flew a Bf109K and then a FW-190A4 so I built models of those. I eventually mastered the La-5FN and became an ace with 8-1 kill ratio. Built a model of that as well.
2 Acrylics for the overall colour with enamels, oils, watercolour, gouche, inks, water colour pencils, ordinary pencils, pastels, felt tips for washes, details, touch ups and friendly cuddles. What I would like is an easy to use water based clear finish in matt, gloss and satin that won`t effect what its going over.
3 Because they know we will and have and will continue to pay it! Look for cheaper options, I buy varnishes in half litres (both oil and water based) at DYI stores for a fraction of the cost, and I use cellulose thinners (I think you call it laquer thinners on your side of the pond)by the gallon at £10:00 for thinning Acrylic and Enamel when airbrushing. The nice thing about it is that it will totaly break down most paints even when set solid and makes cleaning simple but check on scrap just in case first especially when building old brittle plastic kits but seems fine on hasyfujimya.
4 Don`t know.
5 All the time. I do Luft 46 stuff.
6 No idea, I use Johnsons Klear. somebody on the forum has a site which explains in great detail. Might of been Swanney sorry if I`m wrong.
Ame. While everyone has an AB they’re comfortable with, I favor the Eclipse, as well. I’d like to save my pennies and get one the of the high-end Iwata AB’s.
Again, to each his own, but acrylics work wll in this household, so that’s what I spray with. Exception being Alclad II.
Hey…let some profit be made here![:)] It’s like soft drinks at a fast food chain…that’s where the money is made. If we’re buying kits at 50% from Hobby Lobby, they have to make money somehow.
a. Outside of the Zero, Japanese WWII birds are significantly less known than German or Allied planes. b. You and I make like some of them (I like the Ki-46), but relatively speaking they had a bunch of planes that lacked aesthetic “wow”; THat being said, there is a pretty sizeable group, even on this forum, that like Japanese warplanes. I would guess if you started a GB of Japanese warplanes, there would be many participants.
I haven;t but many build “What If” builds. One that sticks out is Andy’s Corsair with “alternative markings”…pretty cool.
Look for Future at your local Target, K-mart, etc. in the floor polish section. GReat stuff, and swanny’s site is the instruction sheet for modellers.
Movies, museums and books from my father. He is a baby-boomer and loved WWII aircraft. I’m STARTING to enjoy some of the early jets, as well (P-59, P-80, F-86, etc.). It’s something we enjoy together today, and my sons are begining to enjoy…although they likes jets becuase they’re fast! I’m tryingto get my father back into this hobby and fighting GameCube to get my oldest boy into modelling.
I use an Iwata too. Best there is.[tup][bow][bow][bow]
I use Humbrol enamels, I have tried acrylics-did’nt get on with them.[tdn]
Supply and demand-they know you’ll pay it. Another reason to use enamels.[;)]
No idea.[?]
I would’nt…[2c]
Great stuff for coating canopies…would’nt work without it.[tup]
Built models nwhen I was a kid, came back to the hobby when my wife bought me a kit as a present nine years ago…(Blimey! has it been that long?)…started it on the kitchen table and got hooked. [:P][:D]
If you want to mix decals, there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s your model. If you ever get a chance to get into a regional or the nationals, I wouldn’t recommend it. If your model is entered against conventional models and carries markings that belong to some other aircraft yours will not do well. The judges can be strict to say the least.
I’m also in the process of graduating to an Iwata Eclipse from the Aztek - reading your post makes me anxious to get it so I can try it out!
I used enamels when I was a kid, and the acrylics are SO much easier to clean up with just a little water and/or Windex. That being said, I find that most of the metal colors (aluminum especially) still seem to look better with enamels than acrylics, even if it does take a lot longer to dry.
For the same reason that the models that I used to buy for $1.25 when I was a kid are $12.00+ now. . . .
Perhaps because people aren’t able to correctly pronounce the names?
No - I try to be historically acurate.
What everybody else said - you can also get it at most any grocery store in the US.
Lifelong interest in aviation - I have a Private Pilot’s license and dream of someday getting the chance to actually fly one of the old warbirds. I also used to fly in AWIII many years ago, currently spend a lot of “fantasy” time in Aces High II.
I have bought a couple of the cheap plastic ones at Wal-Mart, and have used them, but not for long, they are just cheap. I finally got a real one, a Badger 175 Crescendo and I love it!
I use Enamels for the most part, but I do use some acrylics. I have mainly MM Enamels, but some MM acrylics for washes, Tamiya acrylics, some Polly Scale Acrylics, and 2 bottles of Alcad that I haven’t used yet [:D]
Beats me, probably has something to do with the chemicals, and shipping them to the stores or the distributor, and inflation, lets not forget that bag of gas!
I don’t know, I build mostly Vietnam era and newer…
I haven’t mixed decals, but I have thought about it, I think it would be cool to see a modern jet wearing some WWII stuff from a plane of that squadron back in the day!
Like has been said, floor polish, its got a lot of uses. I keep a bottle handy!
That started when I was a kid, watching those movies, Iron Eagle I-who knows how many sequals and Top Gun… I love the Tomcat now! The mighty Turkey will be missed!
My own hypothesis is that so little original reference material is available. My understanding is that vast amounts of drawings, photos, and other documents were destroyed toward the end of the war by the Japanese and Allied attacks on airbases, manufacturing plants, etc. I’m still dismayed that the Squadron/Signal Aircraft “In Action” series includes ONLY ONE TITLE covering a Japanese aircraft (the Zero of course). And that is out of over 120 series books published to date! However, I will give credit to Squadron/Signal for their recent release of two “In Action” ship titles on Heavy and Light IJN Cruisers. In contrast, Nazi propaganda print and film media were widely used to make records of Luftwaffe aircraft in action and a quantity of this documentation survived the war to help make German aircraft a popular modeling subject.
I started building models in the mid-60s in elementary school. It was the “XBox” entertainment of its day. Every boy (and I suspect some girls ;^) built plastic models. Since I started so young, I have fond childhood memories of models and modeling. I guess my current involvement in modeling may be my “mid-life” manifestation of “The Peter Pan Syndrome”. I recently acquired a mint-condition 1/72 Revell Ju-88 that was released around 1967. I never owned this kit before and opening the box and examining the contents was a magical experience! Like a time machine! Only one part was off the sprue and it included the coupon for the 7" 33 1/3 RPM record offer that Revell was running at that time. I felt the same experience that I would have had as a 7-year-old kid again! I love this hobby!
