I know there is a “Reference Materials” post area but I thought I would hit all the aircraft experts who hang around here directly:) So my question is, what do you guys do for reference materials when you do a build? Do you have any go to websites or do you just scour the internet at large? What I find is that when I search (especially for a specific aircraft) I usually just get websites that are selling models or kits of the aircraft. Am I doing something wrong or do I just need to keep digging? Thanks in advance for the help!
For me its a mix of books and online sources. But when going online, you need to try and be specific for the aircraft your building. So for example I am building an F-16 and when I wanted info on the cockpit I did a search for F-16 cockpit. I usually find I get a mix of model related links and links on the real thing. I do have some saved sites, like my books they are for the stuff I build most often. But I will still do searches to try and add to it.
I have just finished it tonight for the Berney GB, not posted the final pics yet. Not one of my best, in fact far from it. First time I have built a modern US aircraft in about 15 years. But whats more my next one is an F-111. I know, shocking.
I just took some cockpit pics of an F111 at our little local museum. Let me know if you want them, if you don’t find what you want in the web, that is.
I mostly use my hundreds of books, my declassified military reports, Mil-Specs, TO’s, SACs, things like that.
Every once in a while, I go searching for an online source in order to be able to just post a link as an answer to someone’s online question. That is just to save time from having to take a photo, post it, then host it, then link to it.
If I need something that I want to build, but, don’t have a photo, I ask online, and then some expert will dig into his weapons manuals and give me his best ideas, sometimes with a good drawing of how it was done.
I mostly keep the two separate though, and use the internet for talking to other modelers, and books for references for my models.
Rex
(SWMBO’s on-going Nag is that “you don’t need a book for each model in your stash, you know!”,but, she is behind, I have 550 unbuilt models,and more books than models, lol)
You know I just can’t get as excited about buying ref books like I do kits, so I tend to buy only a few books on subjects I really like and rely on the internet and guys like Rex for the rest…[H]
And Bish- Welcome to the Kerosene burner side of things…Stock up on DDG and SEA Camo colors my friend. They are fun!
As for references it depends just how deep I want to go into detailing the kit. Often times I will pick up one of the Walk Around series books or, just simply Googled the type aircraft, cockpit, engines, ejection seats etc then click on photo’s which sometimes gives you a treasure of reference pics to choose from.
O, I have quite a bit of that Nathan. I used to build a lot more modern stuff than I do now, and while I don’t build as much, I have a nice stash of USAF aircraft.
i try to find any info (i mean hystory of plane and scale drawing) in books and magazines because internet articles has too many mistakes and it’s bery difficult to ptint draw in scale. there are very good poland books about plane so it can be in pdf. so internet is not reliable source of info (excaept pdf files ob paper books)
Thanks for the feedback guys! Did some more digging and found some good pics and info on my build (F6F-5). I definitely need to start a ref book collection as I get more into the hobby. Though I agree with Nathan that it’ll pain me to put money into books about the plane instead of the model itself:) But if it helps me get better then it’s worth it. And Mustang…I fully intend to bug the guys around here if need be[:D] You guys turn out some really awesome builds and the step by steps and tips are invaluable to us new guys. So thanks!
Thanks in advance for the help!