Good day all,
Question, how do you scale out something if you are going to replace say the guns or pitot tube on an aircraft ? Given that all you have are the kit parts, do you need to find out the actual size of the gun barrels and scale it down ? Or is there a decent guide somewhere for innocents like moi to have a look at for this kind of info ? Still in the OOTB stage in my modelling here, apart from a few imaginative panic fixes, so to all you scratch builders, [bow]
All the best,
Mick C.
Basically that is a matter of personal preference.
Some modellers are more finiky about everything being to exact scale then others, especially fiddly little details.
Generally that is because most such details on the earlier models tended to be on the heavy side, simply because they were easier to mold and were not so easy to bend or break, like some of the spindly landing gear struts you get these days in soft plastic, that can tend to go “bowlegged” on you.
As for making a and installing a new pitot tube, just like for decal markings, I go to the internet and seek to get photos and any scale drawings that might be available for that detail.
I then take a soft lead pencil and mark the position that looks right on the wing’s leading edge.
I then take my tiny drill set, and find one that looks about right (a little on the small side is better then too big) and drill a hole in the wing’s leading edge. If need be, I first notch the spot with a triangular jeweler’s file to make a flat spot for the drill’s point.
Then I go to my junk box, which is full of intresting sprue’s and spare parts from other kits, and find something that looks close, and modify it accordingly, whether by stratching, or sanding, or filing, etc.
Then after I install it, if it doesn’t look right, I pull it out before the glue hardens, start over and make another one until I get the look I want.
OK?
Tom [C):-)]
Hey, Mick. I just emailed you a chart for machinegun/cannon barrels for use with hypodermic tubing.
If you’ve got a good doctor friend, maybe he can turn you on to some. If not, you can order it on-line from www.smallparts.com among other places.
I hope it helps.
Hello Tom,
My thanks for the walk through on this. I realise how detailed you want the detail is really how good you are at this stuff. My thoughts started with the old gun camera films you get and my understanding that on things like Spitfires etc. the openings were covered to keep out rubbish till the things were fired. So from a model point of view no problem there. But then there are guns that stick out of the wings, my Corsair in the to do stack is one, and I thought well really they are hollow tubes, so how do you get them to look right. And the same applied to pitot tubes, they are a tube !!. Your answer has given me a good idea about this now, it’s not a big bad monster of a thing. And being equiped with some very tiny drills I’ll be having a go at adding just a little more realism to my models. No I’m not doing the bullets as well, lol For me at the moment making it look right is acceptable. Thanks for the pointers. and the pitots lol.
Best Wishes
Mick C.
Hello Randie,
Well a touch of deja view here, was checking out one of my suppliers for bits and noticed they had some hypodermic needles in the bit n pieces stock. I thought ahhh very handy for GUNS etc. But then it occured to me that apart from buying a couple of ALL the sizes on offer I had no idea which would be of use. As to be honest I haven’t really got a plan for models I choose, something just takes my fancy and I’ll get one. And low and behold your post and e-mail pop up. Someone up there has finally stopped throwing things at me LOL Just perfect Randie, I’m in England so I’ll prob try and source things here, but that smallparts site is a goldmine of info, many thanks for that. And a real BIG thanks for the chart, much work I can see went into that, and I immediately saw that the Corsair I have will need one of the size of hypo needles I saw the other evening. Ahhh happy bunny time here. I know all this is small stuff in the great scratchbuilding world, but to me it’s one more little move to the better more accurate model. Not that I’m a fanatic about, lord, I’m gonna be delighted when I finish something, but I’m sure you know what I mean.
My thanks again,
Mick C.
You’re welcome, Mick.
The discussion came up about hypodermic tubing and what was the proper size. Someone listed the formula for figuring it and I took it and ran with it. I’m retired so I’ve got nothing but time anyway. Which makes me wonder why I haven’t finished a model, yet? [%-)] I guess I better get with it!!!
Take care.
Also, for 1/32 scale aircraft machine guns, I just go to Hobby Lobby and buy a 1/35th scale set of soldiers weapons, which normally include a couple of '50’s and '30’s etc, which I can modify for aircraft use.
As for hypodermic tubes, I mainly see them as OK for blast tubes, but with the actual machine gun barrels, the muzzle that stick out an inch or so tend to be slightly smaller then the perforated air-cooled jacket, as well as the actual bore diameter being smaller and leaving a heavier barrel thickness then the typical hypo tube has for a wall thickness. Franky, to me hypo tubes look like straws sticking out of the airplane’s wings.
Tom [C):-)]
As for the hypodermic needles you can always get them from a pharmacy as well. They will generally sell them without question as so many people use them for insulin, and other LEGAL injections.
OH VIPER !!! WHERE did you get that awesome avatar ??? That looks like a plane I would like to build in 1/48 scale . Is it a photo of one of britian,s fine research a/c that didn,t make the cut ??? OH , tell me , please ,please ,please, I love the looks of that bird !!! tankerbuilder E-mail me at gjgeracci@satx.rr.com and let me know o.k.