I need "a bit" of advice."

[[SC] Arachnicus]

I am new so please excuse me if I could not find a link or tutorial in here. Is there a basic tutorial on what to do in what order on airplane models? I am getting a airbrush for free which is nice. A fellow photographer friend of mine used to do restores on old prints and used a airbrush but has no use for it now.



And good link or advice would be appreciated. I'm sorry if this is the wrong section to post this.

[Airframes]

I don't think there is one here on the forum, but, if you follow the stages of the kit instruction sheet, you won't go far wrong.
Have a look through some of the builds here in the Modelling section, and it should give you some idea of how to go about the more tricky aspects, such as leaving off landing gear, antenna and other delicate bits, until the main painting is done, for example.
I'm afraid there is no simple answer to your request, as there is quite a lot involved, especially before even thinking about using an airbrush.
However, there are quite a number of books covering model building, from absolute beginner to more advanced work, and you may find one or two in your local Public Library - a good place to start before rushing out and paying out for what might not be what you actually need.
One piece of advice I will offer though, if you have never built a model before; don't be tempted to start on a large, complex kit with lots of detail, thinking that this will help to produce a good model. Start on a really basic, simple and inexpensive kit, in order to learn the techniques etc. Maybe even get two of the same. simple kit - build one, without paint or any 'extras', just to 'get the hang' of things, and maybe practice such things as sanding joints and seams. Then, using the second kit, take things to the next stage, painting the small parts as you go, and aiming to achieve a neat and accurate assembly sequence. finish it off by painting the model, again getting used to what's required to obtain a good paint finish, and probably using just brushes at this stage. The air brush can come later (it's a luxury, not an essential tool), once you've become accustomed to how various paints behave, and how to use them correctly.
Sorry I can't be of more help in detail, but hopefully this may go some way to helping you along the way.

[deckape]

Ahoy
Terry is right you cant go wrong by following his suggestions they are the best way to get familur with modeling aircraft a lot good food for thought are on this forum they are a great bunch of guys they will take off their shirt to help you.

boats

[Njaco]

Welcome to the forum!

Thats why Terry has the user-name he does! Try his suggestion about getting a few cheap models ( I actually bought several $1 Starfix kits at the Dollar Store to start) and then find out which is best to start a project.

[A4K]

Welcome to the forum mate, and agree with all.

Following the Kit instructions should be straightforward enough. New Airfix kits (in the red boxes) and old Heller kits even have step by step photos for new modelmakers, and of course we're all here to help in any way we can.

[Wurger]

Ditto....

[N4521U]

Yep with all.

When I got back into this, after many many years away, I got a few 1/72nd kits and started gluing away. Just wanted the old and new Yorktown markings of each type of aircraft flown off their decks. White canopies, as I just wanted the colors and markings......

Then............... I found this site. I suggest, as above, a less complex 1/72nd kit, or two. Just to get a feel for them. Keep an eye out for a like kit, and try some of the tips given on the progress shown.

You can't go wrong mate. Welcome into the fold.

[Thorlifter]

There are plenty of guys here that have tons of experience with modeling. But just to offer another site for you to refer to, try ARC Air - An Online Magazine Devoted to Scale Aircraft Modelling The guys at ARC are excellent also.

[[SC] Arachnicus]

Thank you all for your advice. I bought a cheap Lindberg kit. It's pretty easy even though it is kind of junk. It sucks because from what I heard, you assemble and paint the cockpit first, then put the basic body together, then paint. One of the first things they want you to do is assemble the props, then put the fuselage together. How am I supposed to paint the fuselage with the wings and stabilizers on with the painted engine set inside the fuselage? I guess some surgical masking?


Oh and the airbrush I got was a Badger 200.

[Njaco]

Roam around the model section and you will definately pick up some tips. BTW, most everybody does up the cockpit before the rest of the model - but it really depends on the model. I would read the instructions first, imagining how it will go together while keeping an eye on how you want to paint. Might make things go easier if you have a plan.

[Hotntot]

Agree with Airframes' advice about starting off with using brushes first. Some fine results can be got with their good use. I'm glad I started that way when I got back into it. There's a whole load more to learn with the airbrush and how to use/thin your paints to get good results. If you need to get a compressor you could go for - when the time comes - an oil-less type that includes an air filter and water trap to filter the air and remove moisture from the compressed air before it gets to your airbrush. You don't want your hard won build spoilt at the last stage of painting and finishing. Practice away on some old plastic or a cheap kit to get the feel of the airbrush before committing to a higher grade kit. And sometimes it's nice to build a fairly basic kit so as to concentrate on the camouflaging and finish with the airbrush - which can be enough to contend with when starting out - and not get bogged down with a very detailed assembly.

As you'll see on the site there are plenty of 'Start to Finish Builds' to follow to see how people order and approach each stage.

[Wurger]

Thank you all for your advice. I bought a cheap Lindberg kit. It's pretty easy even though it is kind of junk. It sucks because from what I heard, you assemble and paint the cockpit first, then put the basic body together, then paint. One of the first things they want you to do is assemble the props, then put the fuselage together. How am I supposed to paint the fuselage with the wings and stabilizers on with the painted engine set inside the fuselage? I guess some surgical masking?

To be honest, not always you have to follow a kit instructions. Of course it depends on a kit and way of moulding parts. For instance most instructions suggest that a cockpit interior has to be assembled and painted entirely before attaching to fuselage halves (one half). In fact the cockpit "hole" at a fuselage top is large enough usually to put into the cockpit interior through the aperture a pilot seat, a control stick or indicator panel. So not all parts of the cockpit interior have to be attached and you can paint them separately and attach later. Of course it is better to check it before gluing fuselage halves together . Also, sometimes there might be mistakes in a kit instuction. In the case , the knowledge about a real plane structures is very helpful. Therefore I encourage you to going through many references for aircraft before you can start a model assembling.

[mikewint]

When I bought my first air brush, I spent a hour or so just spraying water onto paper to get a feel for the spray pattern and volume of spray. Then I added food coloring to the water and practiced some more on paper. Next I used some acrylic paint in the airbrush painting styrofom boxes from restaurants. They were free and had various curvatures, inside and out, to practice keeping a constant distance from your work. Best of all they were free. I spent maybe 2 weeks doing this before I even touched a model. Best investment I ever made. It makes a tremendous difference in the way model look

[A4K]

That's good advice Mike!

[mikewint]

Thanks A4K, I know that there are some very skilled modlers out there that can use a brush and get a beautiful finish, but I am not one of those. The airbrush, Future, microsol, and using a pencil on panel lines have improved the look of my models 1000%. And the credit is to the fantastic people on this site