....sort of newbie with polikarpovs

[subkraft]

Hi all,

Have been reading here for a year or so. As a kid I built my way through most of the aircraft section of the late seventies Airfix catalogue. Then 'grew out of it'. A few years ago casually looking in the hobby section of a local store came across the kits....it was an eye opener. I had no idea that kits had come on like that. Immediately bought a Dragon 1:48 Horten and took it home. Resin, photo etch, aftermarket, internet, ebay.....a whole new world.

Started buying kits.....all the one's I remembered, all the one's I'd ever wanted....in 1:48. Acquired a 'stash'. A collector's stash rather than a builders....

So...now a new phase. Have been building RC ships and submarines.....but take so long. Took me six years to build one of those Flower Corvettes.

Being on here I discovered the idea and discipline of 'the build. So it was time to get into it....

So here's my first build. Always really liked those stubby little Polikarpov's. So to learn some basic techniques on what I read here is a good starter's kit I have been building a group. Why mix up all that paint and clean the airbrush for just one? So many of them were all painted the same anyway.

One's an Hobbycraft Type 17, two are Eduard Type 10's and the last is an Ark I-185, sort of last of the line I think.

Comparing the H'craft and the Eduard kits has been an education.....the shapes really are so different.

Have a few questions if anyone can...

Do you mask the canopies before or after fixing them to the model?
How do you keep them looking bright and clear after all that handling to mask them?

Thanx for this forum.....it is very good reading

Regards, Happy New Year....

Subkraft

 

[Crimea_River]

I mask my canopies before fixing them to the model. Much easier to handle them that way. As for keeping them clean, I don't find that to be much of an issue. In the rare event I find some spots, I clean them off with a toothpick or swab.

 

[Ohm-men]

Indeed. best way is to mask these before installing them on the model.
On rare occasions (when there are no "frames" on the clear parts) I mask them once installed as I found out the hard way, that when masking them prior, the frames don't always match up with the aircrafts lines.

When working with aftermarket vacu canopies (like Squadron and Falcon) I mask these while they are still on their backing sheet and cut them free once the masking is done. THis way you can avoid scratches, knife slips and greasy fingerprints on these parts.

 

[Wurger]

A good tip.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Wow, that I-185 is a real looker! Great job so far.