Building Model Airplanes

Building Model Airplanes: The tools you need.

After buying a model airplane, you need to assemble a few tools and items to build that plane. The most important thing to have is space to build the model airplane. You need a table that you can leave your tools on or if that is not available, a space that you can clean up quickly. The next most important item is good lighting. Depending on the model airplane kit you purchase there will be small parts and adequate lighting will help in seeing those parts.
Once you have your space and lighting setup, you need to have a few tools to help build the model airplane. All of these items listed can be purchased at an art store or hobby shop. A good pair of sprue clippers is essential. The clippers will cleanly cut off the parts from the plastic they are connected to. You'll also need a sharp hobby knife for cleaning up flash and other mold leftovers from the manufacturing process. Glue for attaching pieces is required. A plastic cement glue or a cyanoacrylate adhesive will work well. You'll also need a small set of files with different degrees of coarseness and green putty for filling in gaps in the plastic. Paint and paint brushes are also needed. Also, a gray primer of some sort is needed for applying to the model before it is painted. The last item needed is masking tape or painters tape for covering canopies or creating lines when painting. Now that all of the materials have been assembled, let's get started.

Building Model Airplanes: The process.

Building a model airplane is a step-by-step process. Pull out the instructions and leave them open. Leave all of the parts and decals in the box for a moment. Read through the instructions at least once to get an idea of the process and find out whether any special items are needed. At this point, make a note of any painting that might need to happen on the inside of the plane. You will have a decision to make if that is a requirement and if it is wanted on the finished product.
Pull the parts out of the box. Do not cut anything off the plastic ring holding the parts until they are needed. Parts will get lost if they are separated prematurely. Look at step one and look for what parts are needed. All instructions should have a number for each part that relates to the same number on the plastic holding sprue. View step 1 and carefully cut the parts off of the sprue with your sprue clipper. Once the pieces are gathered, look for excess amounts of flash, usually thin wispy pieces of plastic, and trim those away from the piece with the hobby knife. Once all of the pieces have been cleaned up, do a test of putting the pieces together before you add any glue. Make sure the pieces line up and sit correctly when attached. If the pieces do not fit together nicely, take a file and smooth down the edges that are causing the problem or trim away more from the parts as needed. Do not worry if too much is cut away; that is where the green putty comes in handy. Once the pieces fit nicely together, go ahead and glue them together. Let the glue to dry before handling them again. While the glue is drying on the first step, look at the next step. If the assembled pieces from the first step are not required then start with the second step. Continue this process until the plane is completed.
Tthere might be a step where some painting could interfere with the building process. It is up to the builder of the airplane if he or she wishes to stop and paint those items at that time. yuo take into consideration that once you pass that step you might not have the chance to paint that part again, especially if it is the interior of the fuselage.
Once the airplane is completed, look for gaps in the plastic where the parts did not sit correctly or the modeler trimmed too much away. Grab the green putty and roll out enough to fill the gap and allow it to dry completely. Once it is completely dry, it can be sanded down to match the airframe or whatever part it was added.

Building Model Airplanes: painting and decals.

Now that the airplane is completed and sitting on the table, the fun begins. It is time to paint the plane like you have researched it or copy the colors and patterns that came with the instructions. That part is up to the modeler. Before painting, use the masking tape to cover up the clear canopies or any other clear parts so they do not get paint on them. Cut the masking tape to the shape and size needed and apply. Grab a can of gray spray primer and go outside or to some other well-ventilated area. Place the plane on a cardboard box top or similar item so handling the model is kept to a minimum. Priming the model airplane will require a few days. Place the plane right side up and coat the plane in even, light strokes. Avoid pools of primer or drips. Allow the primer to dry. If you are satisfied with the top coat, flip the plane over and prime the underneath part of the airplane. Allow to dry and check if good coverage was maintained. If not, repeat the process. It is better to do a few light coats numerous times than to do one heavy coat and have ugly results.
Once the primer is dry, it is time to paint. The easiest way to start painting the airplane is to paint the main color first. Once the main color has been applied and a satisfactory appearance has been obtained, start to add the detail colors. Again going lightly with the color, doing multiple coats of paint and using the masking tape to ensure straight lines will produce a lovely looking airplane. Now that the painting is complete, add on the decals that came with the kit. Follow the picture for placement of the decals. Using the hobby knife or scissors cut out the decals one at a time. Some decals use water to make them slide off the backing paper or some decals are rub-on and others are dry transfer. Check to see which type is included. Once the decals are applied, the airplane is complete and ready for the display case or whatever other use for it was intended. Enjoy building the model airplane.