Hawkeye’s Squawkbox

You spend hours searching the internet to find reference materials for current or future modeling projects. Some even (old school) will visit their local public library to search…wait for it…BOOKS! In a blink of an eye the book will go the way of the LP record, Beta Video Tape and the 8 Track Tape.

Modeling resources are locally available in your local community. Just pay attention to the events put on by the various local government agencies and corporations. Just yesterday our community held a “National Night Out” safety event.

As part of the event there was to be an Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter on display. However, they canceled due to severe weather in the area. So the local Medivac EC-135C Helicopter supported the event by flying in at the last minute.

Normally, these assets are not normally accessible by the public except at special events like this or during open houses at the area hospitals. I just happened to notice the helicopter landing not far from my house so I went to investigate. I had totally been caught up in other things and had forgotten about the event. Fortunately the rotor noise got my attention.

Events such as these give you the chance to do walkarounds of equipment you’d normally not have access to. In fact, this event opened up a possible door for me to revisit this aircraft while it is undergoing its next maintenance inspection to take more detailed shots. Hopefully if the powers in charge permit, a ride too!

So, regardless of what you model, watch your community for events such as this. You may not build Fire Trucks, but there is someone out there who does but doesn’t have access to them. Here is your chance to be nice and help out a fellow modeler.

Now the next time ThedaStar flies overhead, I’ll have a greater appreciation for what it does and the crew onboard, after learning more about it.

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I’ve mentioned it before but now I can provide more details about our PHOTO CONTEST. Anyone can enter as long as the subject model (any category cars, planes etc) is finished using our products (SnJ Spray Metal, Polishing Powders or Talon Series) in the process.

Entrants will be competing for several prizes. Grand Prize-$100.00 USD Gift Certificate from Sprue Brothers Models. Second place will receive two $25.00 USD Gift Certificate one from Sprue Brothers and one from Hawkeye’s Hobbies. Third place will get a $25.00 Gift Certificate from Hawkeye’s Hobbies. Other prizes may be awarded at the discretion of the judges.

Contest starts NOW! Ends August 31, 2008. No purchase necessary to enter.

Submissions should be emailed to: hawkeye@hawkeyeshobbies.com. Attach full resolution images (limit 3), provide name address and phone number along with a description of what products were used. You can enter as many models as you want. Submit each model separately. Entries containing more than one per email will be disqualified. Contact information will be kept confidential.

Submission of images imply and act as an affidavit that our products were used as a finish on the model submitted. Grants us permission to publish the image and use it in our promotional materials as we deem appropriate.

Winners will be announced September 5th, 2008 on the Hawkeye’s Hobbies and Sprue Brothers websites.

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Test fitting of parts BEFORE assembly is essential part of building a scale model. Like the adage: “measure twice cut once.” Every modeler has their own methods of assembly. I advocate what works for you to do it. Unless your results are not up to your liking.

Test fitting is the only opportunity that you’ll have to adjust, correct, adapt and align before you commit to securing the part in place with cement. Following the kits instructions don’t necessarily provide the guidance to facilitate in advance the necessary processes to achieving this vital task. Experience is how modelers with advance skills know this.

Example: Here’s a commonly seen problem with clear parts. A gap between the canopy and the fuselage. This gap should have been discovered and addressed long before the painting took place. Now the risk of damaging the paint exists to fill the gap. Some may just use a little Krystal Klear or white glue to fill in the void but that may not solve the problem. You could end up with a canopy frame that looks too thick. Note how clean the fit is on the real aircraft.

When test fitting canopies ALWAYS use all of the sections…such as in this case the windscreen section, the opening section and the aft section. If you place one wrong, then all the others will not align or fit properly. I’ve made the mistake as I illustrated on this Me262 if you cement the forward and aft sections in without checking the fit of the center section. It won’t fit!

You may find that you need to either add some styrene to fill the gap, or use a filler medium such as putty. Your best course of action will be to first dip the canopy in Future, allow it to cure, then mask the canopy inside and out to protect the sections that need to remain clear.

There are times when all that is needed is a little sanding of the canopy. Once you’re 100% sure it is going to fit snug without anything more than a hair line gap, you can set it aside until such time as it is needed.

It’s also not unheard of that you may have to do some serious filing and sanding to get a canopy to contour to the fuselage.The goal is to get the tolerance as tight as you possibly can. The tighter the less adhesive you need to secure it and the more realistic the appearance. Be sure to look at photographs of the real aircraft you are modeling. Take note of how the canopies blend into the fuselage. Some have distinct panel lines, others have none.

I prefer to attach my canopies with…get ready…liquid cements. The same ones I use throughout the build. Either Tenax or Weld-On #3. If the canopy is protected with Future, the solvents shouldn’t have any effect on the canopy sections. As with the P-47 illustrated above, the dipped canopy is also masked, which protects the clear areas from any needed filling, sanding and polishing necessary for a smooth transition between the clear and the colored styrenes.

The trick is to have as tight a tolerance of fit between the two, apply the solvent first to the fuselage, then set the canopy in place. This should give you a tight seal, which can be dressed up and touched up with a little Mr. Surfacer if needed. Then it’s ready to be painted.

Use a digital camera to take pictures of your work as you go along. Review the photos to spot flaws and errors. The camera seems to see them much better than the naked eye. The digital camera is yet another technological advancement in scale modeling. Even an inexpensive one will help you improve your modeling skills. I’m still learning about this hobby and I’ve been at it for nearly forty years!

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