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When you see what the plastic guys are doing with a 1/72 aeroplane it makes you wonder what's the big deal with Top Gun and the Scale Masters.
Do the scale RC'er have 10 thumbs?

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cruzmissile

I thinks because it's one thing to "deck out" a plastic model but another to try and replicate that scale look and still make it flyable. There's only so much interior you can expose to show scale realism and still make it airworthy. For example the interior of flying models can be scaled, the wheel wells and struts, the flaps and aileron functions, exterior cosmetics, antennas, rivits...so on and so on...But with more moving parts and things that open up, it's a higher level of maintinance. I don't really know the whole aspect to this. but that's my theory.
Who ever did that plasitc model, I think it's a FW 190, did a really good job.

Slug

I have been building plastic kits for many years, alongside RC models which I have been doing almost as long.

There are several differences.

1. Plastic kits don't have to fly.
2. Plastic kits can be placed out of harms way (they ain't going to crash)
3. There are many after market kits, resin and the like, which make adding detail easier than it may seem to the observer.

I can spend days getting every little detail of a cockpit right in a 1/48 plastic kit, but hate detailing RC models, somehow the mindset is different.

I have seen some fantastic RC models, building them may require different skills but in my opinion the skill level is just as high.

Simon.

Jim_McIntyre

That's the thing, will it fly?...

In FAI, your static score counts for zilch until you post a flying score....

Also, I have yet to see a credible job in plastic of early era fabric covered aircraft....

MajorTomski

Jim, if you haven't seen a well done plastic early era biplane you aren't looking in the right places

Come join us at the ww-I modeling page at
http://www.wwi-models.org/Images/index.html

Click on any modelers name to encounter better than average modeling with wings and wires.

foxx

My Feedback: (2)

Bla your are comparing apples and oranges here . These are completely two different field of interest. RC models are three different skills or hobbies in one, which are building, art work/painting and flying, where the small plastic models are only art work. For my scale work I always buy a plastic model to help me with details. I love the artistic part of modeling but until my model flys it is only a display. There is something very magical about airplane because they fly. Can you post the website which you got these pics. Thanks

k_sonn

My Feedback: (32)

Bla:

I agree with you up to a point. Lay aside all of the opening hatches and compartments that a plastic modeler can build. Take a look at the weathering that is shown on the model. Most R/C scale modelers will say the weathering on this model is over done. I tend to disagree. You never see this level of weathering on a Top Gun or Scale Masters model. Documentation is always stated as the reason but the documentation needed for plastic model contests are just as stringent as RC scale contest and the plastic modeler always seems to find the documentation to back up the model's finish. My theroy to the reason why you do not see as much weathering as could be seen on some RC scale models is this, most RC Scale modelers are perfectionist. It is really hard for a perfectionist to take a pristine model that they have worked so hard on to get it to look pristine and make it look beat up and weathered. I have a good friend that can not bring himself to add more weathering than exhaust smoke to his models for the above mentioned reason. For what it is worth, that is my 2 cents.

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

k_sonn, Its been a while since I attended a Major IMPS contest but I don't remember seeing any documentation next to the displayed models. Perhaps things have changed? I would disagree with you about the weathering issue. Many RC builders are builders and fliers much more than they are artists. There are notable exceptions such as Dave Platt and a Score of others but many more simply don't have the artistic eye.
As an example of how scale contests are run...Several years ago, Wayne Siewart of Aerotech models competed with a KI84 (of which he sells the kit) and the plane was beautifully weathered. In my opinion it looked fantastic.. problem was that he was down graded on that finish. Not because it was bad but because it wasn't documentated.. You may disagree with that but its the way things are.. BobH

Slug

On the weathering issue.

I am a member of the IPMS (UK) and we don't need to provide documentation.

Weathering on plastic kits often seems to follow style trends rather than copying photographic evidence and so can look false for that reason.

A good current example is running black ink into panel lines on plastic kits to make them stand out, (I have never seen a real aircraft with inked in panel lines!), it makes the model look like a model.

Perhaps because of the need for documentation RC models are spared these excesses!


Simon.

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

Form follows function. I think it is hard enough to cram our servos and pistons and air tanks,(function), into someone else's FORM. Our fuel tanks and other equipment must be located in different positions than the original designs allowed. In time, smaller and smaller equipment will allow the space for more detail.

You are correct about weathering. But some R/C scale planes do have incredible weathering effects, particularly the larger gas powered ones that don't deal with the glow fuel issue.

Jim_McIntyre

Is it just me or does the weathering on the example of this thread look too perfect?
I expect to see more scratches and dents, faded sun-baked paint, scuff marks on the high traffic areas etc. This more subtle weathering is what I see at the scale meets I've attended.

Katchmarek

My Feedback: (29)

Hi All, There was recently a weathering thread on the Warbirds forum it may interest some of you to check it out? Anyway, as for this thread, I think it is difficult to make an honest judgment based on the photos shown here. Things tend to look different in photos, and even more so when the resolution is lost by reducing the size to be acceptable here. I think that plastic modeling definitely allows the builder to be much more creative. By that I mean, you can go out and by a 1/72 or 1/48 airplane kit and there is almost an endless supply of aftermarket goodies that can be purchased to trick out the model...resin parts, photo etched parts, the detail is amazing. In RC to really detail a cockpit, you can buy a kit that has the basic shapes and the like, but to make it look truly realistic, everything else has to be recreated from scratch! Plus as mentioned, plastics don't really have to fly or even function for that matter...it just has to look good, not work good too! As for documentation in RC models, I personally think it is taken too far. You need 3 views at the very least of your subject, color chips, and pics of just about every angle of your subject. Lets face it, the documentation requirements alone probably disqualify 99% of all possible subjects. Why do you think we keep seeing the same aircraft depicted time and time again...because there are only a very few subjects available where the documentation requirements can't be met.
I guess too, that when you get down too it, it becomes just a matter of time. There is only a handful of modelers who are willing to spends literally hundreds of hours detailing a 1/4 scale cockpit, do all the panel lines and rivets...and then have the cajoles to actually go out and attempt to fly this work of art. Heck, when you get into almost any level of scale versus say an ARF the pucker factor increases 10 fold for most pilots. If we put the same amount of detail into a flying model as they do a plastic, some of us would never have a bowel movement again as long as we lived if we ever tried to fly such an airplane. Oh yeh, one last thing...to really trick out a 1/48 plastic, whats the price tag...$100...maybe $150...now do the same level of detailing on a 1/4 scale flying model...how deep are your pockets??? Just an average 1/4 warbird with just a nice paint job, no panel line and the like is gonna run probably at least $1,500 ...now spend the time and $$ to scratch build all those nice little super detailed goodies...$5,000 ... $10,000. See what I mean.
Happy flying...er uh building...er....
Rob Bailey / Pickupsticks

bobripley-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

I have been building plastic model airplanes since I was a little boy but only discovered the folks that REALLY detail a plastic model subject about six years ago. There is very little in common with the two hobbies except the love of scale aircraft. The judging is completely different as I found out when I entered my first plastic model contest. I built a 1/72-scale model of the Memphis Bell complete with my documentation package. There I am all smug and full of myself thinking that I had this category won that is until the other guys started setting out their planes. Not only did I not win but also out of a dozen 1/72-scale planes in my category my work looked like a decent plastic model but those other planes looked like shrunk down version of the real thing. Absolutely amazing! The workmanship and attention detail is mid boggling and they got me hooked.

However, as mentioned before plastic modelers have no concern for weight, you don’t have to make it fly, and they store those little guys in shoeboxes. Also, they do tend to weather their subjects much more then is seen on R/C scale models but then again that is another challenge in modeling the little ones.

Here is a picture of one of my latest 1/72 scale efforts.

bobripley-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

One of many thing that I have learned from the plastic modelers is subtle weathering and attention to details can elevate a nice looking model to “That Looks Real” status. A took me about a month to weather my Hawker Hurricane but, in my opinion the extra work is well worth the effort.

ScaleRules

My Feedback: (5)

bobripley,

Can't realy see the weathering for the shadows but the flaps look great.

Give us some more details on the R/C Model!!!

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You know, what get me about the plastic guys is that there aeroplanes look so damned real!
You take a pic of a 1/4 Spit' for example and compare it with a picture of the real thing and it's easy to see which is the model... iI mean easy! These plastic fellows... boy this is seriously convincing stuff.

I never fails to astound me when you open a magazine like Fly Past and check out the center spread picture... again say a Spitfire. Now here's a full sized aeroplane scaled down´, with a lenth of say 35cm. Look at the panel fit... God damned awful! Now we build a quarter scale RC model and spend hours getting the pannel fit good, use a little chart tape when we'er priming to get some dimention and and spend time rubbing in some coals to simulate weathering... but the real thing just isn't like that.

We have a full sized Spit' close to where I live and have visited it on numerous ocasions.... It's rough. Nothing fits correctly...(well in our RC terms) gapping holes, sheet metal riveted on top of other sheet metal... beaten with a hammer, scratchs bags, dints... it's nothing like the well sanded, smooth finished and fitted examples you see within our community.

These plastic guys pull it of 110%.

Reg Hinnant

My Feedback: (9)

What’s interesting about this thread is its relevant to even 1:1 modeling. Roger Freeman had completed a stunning full-size N28 for a museum. I was awed by his craftsmanship and tried to joke that it put the "real" ones to shame. He told me that he would be accused of being a shoddy builder if he constructed it to match the old pictures of the "real" ones.
I'm afraid I agree on the documentation issue, however, if you want to play the game well, you learn the rules and use them to be competitive. It really limits the subjects to model and penalizes the works of art that some folks create.

I admire all of the people in all modeling disciplines. We all have a lot we can learn from the train guys (silver soldering from the "steam gurus"), plastic guys (try some weathering and "realism" techniques), RC scale guys. (Ever tried working with litho plate?) & RC guys in general (teach me to fly better or not crash so much)

BTW years ago Boddington had an article called "Plastic plagiarism" on picking up lots of detailing from plastic models.

I try to always keep learning new things!
It makes the hobby more fun!

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

Here's a picture of Boyingtons plane as depicted when he posed for the shot. This plane is a TF 1/7 scale corsair I completed a few years ago.. I weathered it.. but not to a large extent as the plane was a Photo Op. plane... Regards BobH