simulate jet flame

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

anybody have a suggestion on how to simulate a jet flame?

2

build in a butane torch.

(really I haven’t the foggiest, though a torch would look real cool if it wasn’t for the whole tail melting off thing)

3

the best idea would probably be a tapered cone shaped piece of thin clear plastic (maybe Squadron Thermaform) painted clear blue rings and slight red. I have never tried it, but it sounds like the easiest way.

4

You might try a colored vellum from a office/art supply store. Then, form a elongated cone or tube. That’s a tough one. Let us know what you finally do.

5

Ive seen models at the shows that had simulated flames. What they did was take a very thin cellathain and airbrush the flames while flat on the table. Then roll up the celathain and insert it into the tail pipe. With a litle practice it acctually looks pretty convincing.

Trevor M

6

Every Halloween you see the pumpkins with simulated flames which are strips of orange colored fabric or cellophane blown by a small fan - batteries required.

Or if you want to go over the top, try a smoke generator as used in model trains and illuminate the smoke stream. There’s an example at: http://www.dynamicscalemodeling.com/jet_aircraft.htm The video with sound effects is interesting.

7

I have see it done with 1/72 scale aircraft. He used acrylic rod, tapered at the end and lightly painted with red, yellow and blue. It had that see through look when painted. The colors were blended together and looked very realistic. For 1/48 and bigger, I don’t know if you would be able to find acrylic rods large enough.

8

Jets don’t “flame.”

Stephan

9

They do when the afterburner is on…

10

I saw it done quite effectively at a show a number of years ago:

The guy took an acrylic rod and put it inside two acrylic tubes; he airbrushed rings of different transparent colours from the Tamiya paint range on the rod and each of the tubes before assembling them as one unit, once together and inserted into the model’s tailpipe as a support, he had a very nice conical “burner ring” effect.

That he had an LED wired up in the tail pipe to illuminate it didn’t hurt either.

11

On AB they do or these 2 Canadians are in for a short ride!

TWR: " EH… Random 14 you have a dual engine fire!!!"

TWR: “Disregard 14 I see you’ve already ejected!”

12

Actually, I am trying to simulate flame from the JATO units.

13

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, I cannot use anything electrical. It is for a museum, and there is no electrical hook-up in the plans (and they’re a little touchy about changing plans for the model builder!)

14

Thanks for the suggestion. It is actually for a 1/72 A4-E and for the JATO units.

15

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll give it a try.

16

OH MY GOD After seeing what was at that link I am never going to build another model again. What would be the point?? Those things were simple outstanding. Amazing.

17

Sorry it took so long to reply…here is what I ended up doing. This is for a display which is in the National Museum of the Marine Corp.

Ken

18

I have seen 3 methods of creating the base for the shape of the flame. They are

  1. Acrylic rods shaped for your pupose 2. Stretched sprue painted or 3. Gap filling foam. This was used in Amazing Figure Modeler to craeat flames for explosions.

Option 2 seems to be the best for a symmetrical flame. I would use the translucent paints available to paint my scheme. And last but not least is practice, practice. Good Luck[:)]