Some time ago there was a discussion on “stressed structure” modeling. Some folks showed a high interest of such “effect”.
At that time I think I did not realize a real purpose of such effect until I found the post below.
This is a post on Polish Modeling Forum PWM, however the pictures are speaking for itself. Some fellows did a nice excercise and presented some tricky way of showing a really “tired” structure. It is not a matter of specific aircraft but rather a techinque simulating the effect you all may be interested in.
One most important fact is that this trick shows an effect by a bit of visual lie [}:)] however in my opinion the effect is quite interesting. This picture taken directly from the post of Wojtek_Fajga (link below) shows the effect.
If you need any additional comment let me know - like a translation - however my english may not be perfect [:D] cause its not my native tong as you (some) may already know [:D]
I saw an article about a similar technique in FSM a while back, but I think it looked too even. The work done by these Polish modelers looks much better to my eye. Thank you very much for sharing, I bookmarked it for my next project!
There was also an article in Aerospace written by a modeler from the Czech Republic, a doctor if I remember correctly. The one thing about doing this technique is the ability to scrape away at a perfectly good model.
I also saw this once before. The effect is striking on the outset but after tinkering with it for a while I find the effect tends to disappear under the obligatory coats of paint and future. While suitable for BMF or especially a polished BMF project, there is way to much work involved to only see it disappear in the end.
I think it would be far better on larger a/c like 1/32.
I agree it looks good, but especially in smaller scales it would be easy to overdo it and get it out of scale. I can see that this could become another “panel line debate.” [yuck]
I personally noticed this phenomenon on old USNavy ships…where plates had been dished in around the strakes…
Then being at an airfield (NAS)…many of the old S2 Trackers…and E2B Hawkeyes…had this going on…mainly on upper wing panels…but sometimes on the fuselage too.
I’m building the Pro-modeler B-24 and am considering the stressed skin effect. I have the book LIBERATOR: AMERICAS GLOBAL BOMBER, BY Alwyn Lloyd, which has dozens of pics of B-24’s showing highly stressed skin, specially in the nose area. I had planned on using light and dark shades of OD above and below horizontal rivet lines to to produce this effect. Scraping/scooping out recessed areas between panel lines is too much for me, as I have already spent countless hours on this bird and I’m far from done. It is a labor of love, though, as the plane I’m building is one my father crewed on as a nose gunner in the Pacific theater.
