OK. This post is meant to be tongue-in-cheek. Yesterday, when I had my Snipe out at the field for an engine test I decide that most people there don't have a clue about how to really look at (as in "inspect") a good scale model. I had to laugh at the guy in the background of my video who was carefully inspecting the lawn mower but walked right past my scale model. So here are my tips for the casual scale lookie-loo:

1. Don't just count the number of wings.
2. Don't just look at the markings and ask: "It that a German plane?"
3. Don't just ask what engine it has?
4. Don't just look at the cockpit.

Instead:

1. Think about how you would go about making this yourself.
2. Ask yourself if you've ever seen this or some similar aircraft before.
3. Look at the way "the covering" has been detailed.
4. Look at the linkages and servo placements.
5. Get down low and really stare at it. What do you see?

Honestly, the way most of the guys (and they are all good guys) looked at the model, I don't think they can actually tell the difference between a carefully built scale model and an ARF. I've always beleived that the most essential skill in scale modeling is simply the ability to see detail. If you can't "see" it, you can't model it.

is your video posted somewhere so we can view it? Thanks

" Can you make it shiny?"  "Is it finished?" "What ARF is that?"  

A photo of your airplane here would help to equate your post a great deal.

Well, it's not really about MY model, it's really about any scale model, where "scale" is defined as more that "ARF scale." Honestly, even the guys who would like to be interested, just seem to lack the "depth of vision" needed to take in the details of a scale model. It's almost like you need to build several scale models youself, before your eyes really start working.

But, here's the model that I had at the field and no the video isn't posted anywhere yet. Perhaps I should post a photo of the lawn mower too, since that seemed to be giving my model some stiff competition.

The two that I hate are:

"Is that an ARF?"  Now I'm no master builder but there should be an obvious difference between my planes and an ARF.

Once we've established that it is not an ARF, then there is, "Did you build that?"  [:@]

I am surprised you didn't hear " you mean you actually built it".  My hat is off to the scale builders.  The time investment alone is a credit to the hobby.

Beautiful!! Someone no knowing the truth would easily assume the photo is of the real thing, even the pilot.

Actually most of the guys at my field think Imust be borderline insane to have spent as much time as I have. They humor me, but that's about it.

That's a helluva job you've done. Tedious tasks make you drool, don't they? Me too, but not nearly as much as you.

Yes, but did you notice the smudge around the hand-hold in the turtledeck behind the pilot?

Mechanics have greasy hands.

Beautiful, only real comment is it truly needs more weathering. Unbealievable detail; OK about the pilot, Are you sure this isn't real?

I've been wondering about this myself. The Snipe only had a short operational span during WWI since it arrived at squadrons only a couple of months before the armistice (similar to the DVIII). So there wouldn't have been much time to acquire much "usage wear." I could, however, give it more of a back from today's mission look. I might also give it a bit of a rub down with a paper towel with some semi-dried black paint which would have the effect of blending it all together and giving it a "weightier" look. This is what I did on my Legionnaire (though it a bit of a heavy-handed way).

abu- Really great work. What is the source of the pilot? - Bob

The head used in this photo is a 1/6 scale "head sculpt" from one of the Dragon 1/6 scale dolls. You can buy just the head on eBay. There's quite a bit of choice. The jacket is also from eBay.

However, since I needed the pilot to have a flying helmet, I ended up heavily modifying a different head sculpt where I cut out only the face and stuck it into a shaped ball of "wood powder clay" (available here in Japan). I then added detail with some more bits of clay and some snips of heavy paper. Finally, the whole thing was painted following the advice on the Aces of Iron website.

Truly amazing work!

Doing the head was actually surprisingly easy and took no great artistic talent. Anyone who can build a scale model can "build" a scale head.

Abu.. Isnt that pic the Nieuport that is posted on the VK site?   Both planes are suuuweeet.  I;m working on one myself but  tts been a tough build for me  with the soldering and langing gear and functional landing and flying wires, etc, etc...  </p>

http://proctor-enterprises.com/photo...rowlings-w.jpg</p>

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Same scheme but the VKmodel is more scale than my Flair Legionnaire. Really, I've just been "dressing up a pig" to use Dave Platt's words. As far as "tough builds" go, well, who would want it any other way?

I will add one scale quibble about that VK model. There were two versions of the Russian imperial cockades, one with the white outlines as seen on that model and one without as seen on my model. The one with the outlines was used on licence-built aircraft built by the Russian Dux company. But this particular aircraft (the "Bob" aircraft) didn't have the white outlines. Which I'm actually rather thankful for! It was already enough of a hassle to have to paint the cockades on both the upper and lower surfaces of the top wing!

Your workmansip is excellent Abufletcher!

Some years ago I spent a lot of time building a SE5A from plans and really put in some effort to try finishing it in a realistic way using SIGKoverall and pigmented PC10 cellulose dope. As you know WW1 planes were often very dirty and the SE5A often suffered from a lot of wrinkles in the fuselage covering. IMHO I manged to do a decent job of introducing some realistic wrinkles in the covering and managed to give the aircraft a fairly convinving dirty and worn look using pastels and oil-paint wash.

One day at the field, a visitor approached me and having had a look at the shiny Yak and Extra ARFs in the pit area he approached me, looked at the aircraft and popped the usual question "Did you build it yourelf?" Following my affirmative answer he replied "I can see that. To bad you messed up the covering so bad. Next time you should try using Monokote instead."

You are a very sick person! WishI had a tenth of your artistic skills! Beautiful planes.

Reminds of something that happened to one of my distant cousins when she was teaching elementary children in Hawai'i. She decided, as a special treat that should would make homemade ice cream. After all the work, what the children said was: "Wow, this is almost as good as store bought!"

As an expert WWI builder yourself, what specific sort of weathering techniques would you recommend? Seems like most of the weathering techniques floating around the internet are more focused on WWII types.

Hi Abu,

I dont want to speak for cocobear because Idont want to reveal any of his secrets ( Idont really know any ). Ican tell you he purposely taxied through a mud puddle to dirty up his wheels one weekend before top gun. Ithink it would also be safe for me to tell you he never cleans his airplane after he has finished it except to to remove balsa dust that has accumulated from another build. So they just get better looking with age.

Dave S.