TFF

The common idea is if it is not going to fly good or to least be flyable might as well build it in 1/48 or 1/72 scale.

eagledancer

i usally fly mine at about 90% complete, all painted just needing small details to finish.

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

I make sure the model flies acceptably well before spending time on the detail stuff. I've had a couple that I had to re-engine after test flights, so not only means cutting and patching the cowling, but the fuselage spends a lot of time on its back while the internals are hooked up (fuel lines, push rods, etc) With my luck, there would be a pair of pliers hiding on the workbench just waiting to scratch a new paint job!
I need the peace of mind knowing the model flies well before finishing it off. I've never had oil problems with gas or 4 strokes...

Brad330l

My Feedback: (1)

What is that wonderful saying?

"A model is never finished, one simply stops working on it"

For me, 90% which means all major stuff done. The next 10% is optional and takes 90% of the build time

Cheers,

Brad

R/C Art

My Feedback: (38)

That's an interesting question.

I think much of it depends on whether you are a builder or flyer type of modeler. I don't have a lot of patience and I like flying a LOT more than building. It seems most of the time I will fly a plane as soon as it can be flown - I mean, why build it if you don't want to fly it!

Also, another big factor is "Why is the build taking place?" I mean, what is the goal.....is it to be a sport plane, a knock around plane, a scale model, a flying scale model or a competition scale model.
There are so many factors that come into to play here. Is there a deadline, like a contest date or an event date that you are trying to make.....a certain fly-in?

A couple of years ago, I built a third scale pup - the first deadline was a charity/demo fly.....the plane was test flown the moring of the event. Needless to say, it certainly was not all decked out in its envisioned glory......heck, I hadn't even picked out a color scheme yet. The plane didn't even have all the sheet metal on the front of the fuse, let alone markings. Although, to my own defense here - the rudder was painted with the red/white/blue striping.......so it was a loosely identified as the Sopwith prototype.

The very next weekend was a warbird event. It had the metal panels added, but still no paint.....the covering was solar tex antique and natural. It looked good to me with the sun shining thru the wings!
I think I flew it at a couple of dawn patrols this way.

The next occassion to get ready for was a scale contest. So this point I added the rondels cut out of solar tex and ironed on, and a tail number with some rub on lettering on the fin (I think) and flew it in fun scale as the factory proto type Sopwith pup.

Then over the next winter season, I removed the rondels and lettering, then painted the plane olive drab, painted on all the markings for a specific plane that I found ......it had a skull and cross bones on the red wheel covers that I liked.

Any whooooo.........the point here is that we do many things with our models for many reasons. There are no rules to follow here. Just go out and have fun!

This is just one example of my exploits. It seems that most of my builds go something like this......just a different set of circumstances. It any of you built as slow as I do, you might sing a differnt tune.

I'll go now, rambling off into the sunset........

abufletcher

Lots of good points there, Art.

I love flying...and I love building...but the fact of life is that I inevitably spend vastly more hours building than flying. So, inevitably I get more hours of enjoyment from building. Note also that for me in my circumstances, flying just means flying. Flying is just me...not "me and and the boys" having a great time hanging out at Dawn Patrols. Still, I love it when I'm flying, but I can't greatly increase the amount of flying I do, but I can't spend endless hours building!

It seems like I can only build one way no matter how much I might try to change. And there really aren't any dates or deadlines on my schedule. I suspect I wouldn't enjoy having to "build to a deadline."

Eindecker_pilot

I typically do the maiden flight as soon as the plane is functionally complete but without the scale details. I guess want to make sure I really like how the plane flies before make the final investment in emotional attachment that comes from detailing & weathering the airplane... Once I've done that, I keep the plane forever!

As you can see from this maiden flight of the Pup, it's only semi-finished. In the 2nd photo, you can see then maiden went well thanks to Art!

Greg


- first flight, followed by celebration root beer...

abufletcher

My problem is that with the way I like to build, the model is never functionally complete WITHOUT the details...which are what makes it functionally complete. Also I find I'm not much interested in the sorts of details that you can just "stick on a finished model." But I have to say, doing a maiden of a WWI model with a Lewis gun mounted on the top wing is just asking for trouble!

And, Greg, you can admit it! You know that "second" photo was actually taking BEFORE the first.

R/C Art

My Feedback: (38)

[quote]ORIGINAL: abufletcher

It could have been "before" and it wouldn't mattered too much.
Look closely, Don......that's Stewart's Root Beer! Nothing alcoholic for me since 1985, Praise God!

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

By the looks of the aft fuselage, I think your running a bit lean! JK Great job. Looks fantastic

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

Oh Abu, what you need to do is finish something before starting something else!

I have test flown before finish, but honestly, are we ever really done with our scale birds? I am still adding stuff to my Fokker DVII. One thing is for sure, the weathering continues to get added as we fly them, whether we like it or not!

abufletcher

Actually, this is a vital part of my strategy for dealing with maiden-day nerves. As long as I've already started thinking about the next build, I don't care as much about what happens with the "old" model!

Modelers like to quote this, but really, for me, the day I fly it, I'M DONE. And it sort of goes downhill from there since if anything breaks I never seem to repair it to a perfect state...I just sort of get it flying again.

foodstick

Abu, I am glad to see you went for a 1/4 scale! I NEVER thought you would.. over the years of chatting with you online I know space is a premium there..

Have you acquired more room to store and transport your gear?

I have the same problem as you with building projects, I always seem to be most interested in the next one

I am sitting here smiling thinking of all the area of airframe that will be there to sculpt and detail.

I know it will be fun to follow your thread.

abufletcher

Actually space has never been an issue despite living in Japan. I've got two good sized workshops and a Toyota van for transport. My resistant to large scale models was partly economic but also partly because many of larger WWI models I had been seeing were actually less detailed than smaller models. I don't like big just for big's sake. I say that if people want a bigger model they should just model a bigger aircraft. What's the big deal with modeling a "1/3 scale" version of the smallest WWI airplanes? A 1/6 FE2b is a HUGE model. Much bigger than a 1/3 scale DrI or Pup.

My decision to do a 1/4 scale model was driven by my acquisition of the Seidel engine. It was classic cart before the horse. I figured if I didn't buy the Seidel right now, I never would. So I sold my much-loved but rarely used Leica M6TTL and ordered another piece of German engineering.

Given the size of the CI you see in this photo, I'm quite happy to continue building 1/6 scale 2-seaters.

eagledancer

abu what i like about the bigger airplanes it can haul the extra weight of all those details much better and when you do a slow flyby you can SEE so much more!

abufletcher

I agree absolutely that larger models offer a larger "canvas" but most of the large birds I've seen are largely devoid of fine details. So, for example, at 1/4 scale I would expect to see every patch and reinforcement strip (at scale locations) on a WWI model, just as I would expect to see rivets and panel lines on a large WWII model. And I accept that bigger models fly in a more stately, realistic manner. In terms of seeing details on a fly-by, since I'm basically the only person who's ever going to see (or care about seeing) my models on a fly-by, I'm more interested in what can be seen in a good close-up aerial photo...and even on a 1/6 scale model this includes details as small as scale aileron horns, stitching around the cockpit coaming, scale brackets on the strut ends, and even a Bowden cable going up to that Lewis gun on the wing...so the pilot can actually fire the thing!

I'm also a big believer that "scale details don't have to be heavy." In fact, true scale construction can be LIGHTER than typical model construction. And by saving weight through scale construction, that weight can be added in scale details without creating a heavy model.

beepee

I spend time reading full scale kit-builder forums and they regularly debate the same thing. Do I paint before or after first flight? Good arguements for both sides.

For me, I mostly 'finish' my birds before they go to the field for first flight. I want to get some good photos before I put her at risk. Have not done, but if I were to build a potentially difficult bird to fly (a twin?), I would give serious consideration to getting familiar with it in the air before the expense of time in finishing. If it weren't for scale, mine are pretty much finished WHEN they are airworthy.

Bedford

abufletcher

If I were building a full-scale I'd sure as hell want to get all the "details" right before climbing in an flying off in the thing! I think I must have some whole different understanding of what a "detail" is.

Oberst

Again a great topic by Abu!

I guess I'm the the only odd ball who believes it would be wise that a plane should be completely finished before the maiden. My last project the plane was 5lbs over and if I had just flew it with out any details, I would have had to rebalance the aircraft. Why continue to rebalance when I only have to do it once? Just makes more work correct?

I read about a guy who finished his warbird many years ago.( I think it was a Focke Wulf 190) It flew well and he was very happy, so he then went to work with the painting and adding the detail. He took it to a show thinking the warbird was going to have the same flight characteristics from before, and wound up loosing control and crashing on the take off.

He did admit later on that he didn't rebalance the aircraft after adding a few pounds of detail.

I haven't forgot that since reading about it, so now I always compete the aircraft 100% including the balance and throws before maiden flight. If later on I see something I could add to improve the detail, then I would make sure the balance wasn't thrown off by it.

So it is my opinion the right way is to complete the project all the way first time before flight. It's amazing how the weight of the details and paint start to add up during a build.


Pete

luckyb

We fly warbirds and usually fly in primer first. I use only automotive primers and paints. There are so many things......gearnot functioning properly. engine maladies, trim adjustments, assembly techniques, foam placement on the airplane cradles, etc. that could affect the finish or the details. Stress cracks in certain areas and a general knowledge of the plane lead me to wait a couple of flights before final? finishing...........Doug