This might at first seem an inappropriate topic for this forum, but bear with me...

I am currently working on a 1/48th scale diorama involving a F4U-1D corsair of VMF-232 at Okinawa. The plane has returned from a mission shot up, sliding off the runway into to grass of Kadena airfield. A groundcrewman is supporting the wounded pilot as a jeep pulls up to transport him to the medical tent.

As I have been working on this project it occured to me how differently armor and aircraft modelers approach our kits. As part of my research, I searched high and low for aircraft that are built with damage. There are very few of them out there. By comparison, armor modelers (of which I am one, just taking a little break), LOVE to display our stuff with dirt and grime and damage.

In the grand scheme of things, this matters very little, but I thought it was an interesting observation. When we build aircraft, we seem to try to make them as pretty as possible; when we build armor, we try to put them is an natural a setting as possible.

What do you guys think? Am I looking in the wrong places or does there seem to be a distinct difference in the goals of aircraft versus armor modelers?

Boyd

It always seems to me like the mentality in the two "groups" is very different, in exactly the way you observed: armor modellers want models looking as if they were the real thing under real conditions, aircraft modellers want models looking like they're in a dealer's showroom. (I'm generalizing, of course.)

As for damage to aircraft models, one of the old Verlinden Way books (the one about aircraft) has a chapter one how to do this. As I recall, it was a pretty good treatment of the subject.

He did one for Kalmbach about making dioramas which had several damaged aircraft in it, including one of the B24 'Lady be Good'. I think it was called 'Modelling Military Dioramas' or similar.

I'm just like you, but the other way around
I mostly do airplane models and I build AFVs only to take a break from wings and bombs.

There are a lot of guys who like their aircraft as dirty as possible but the problem is these darn crew chiefs that love their aircraft so much that they take good care of them (these guys are terrific)

So I would nuance a little the difference, IMHO, an AFV is very easily seen dirty because it evolves in a dirty environment. The air is clean and most of the time, the aircraft stays clean too - altough navy aircraft becomes dirty quite easily.

Still we weather our airplane models with the same techniques most of you guys are using: heavily diluted paint in the panel lines, drybrush, pastels, colour pigments, you name it. The techniques are quite often the same but more nuanced on the airplanes due to realism contraints.

Here are some pix of models I did in both categories:

Revell 1/32 tornado

Tamiya 1/48 skyraider

tamiya Tiger diorama 1/35

My current unfinished project

Happy modelling - whatever you model
Olivier

Oliver, the tornado is terrific. I love the reverse thrust staining on the tail and the chipped paint! Is that the paragon flap/slat set? How did you like it?

Yes, it's been built with the paragon flaps and slats set as well as a cockpit update.

Lots of work to drop the flaps on the revell tornado but it's well worth it. The quality of the set is really good and the instruction are clear.

The good thing is that since the flaps are dropped, the wing can't swept back and we can glue them inside the fuselage. Because if it's not done, the wings will drop too much spoiling the model.

Sorry for the OT guys

Olivier

Oliver,

WOW! Very nice work in both "dimensions" of our hobby. I particularly like the frosted effect you have on your Panther dio.

I would have to agree with you about the whole crew chief thing. Curse those groundcrews!! Paricularly with modern jets and helos.

Hey, man, keep up the good work and don't hesitate to post more photos. Your stuff is quite impressive.

Boyd

Ooops, I mean Tiger diorama.

Oliver, As I was scrolling down to see that photo,I honestly thought I was looking at a pic of the real thing! Congrats on the modeling AND on the photography!!

There's a really good book called "Forsaken Deserted Aeroplanes". The following models are inspired in that book.

The model:


The real thing:


Hope you like it,

Ricardo