The internal tab method can yield some great results. Everything so far looks rock solid. Great Build.
[Soviet/Russian] Antonov An-14 -- Build Thread
- Thread starter Awry_Chaos
- Start date
Thanks! I'm pushing myself with this model. Trying to see what I can do. I'm learning, also, what things to change when I go to design my own models.
After cutting (carefully!) a couple of the windows out and doing some internal tabbing, I have reached this point.
Yes, I've made some mistakes but I think taking the time to gain some foresight and being careful and patient has helped. Once this part is done I think I'll be able to move a little faster.
Yes, I've made some mistakes but I think taking the time to gain some foresight and being careful and patient has helped. Once this part is done I think I'll be able to move a little faster.
Attachments
Another small update. It's coming along... slowly.
@zathros Yes, I'm cutting out the nose windows. It does make forming the nose and fuselage section easier despite creating some weakness in the structure of the model, which is helped by the internal tabbing. Also I'll be doing another layer of card to help strengthen it even more (as suggested by @Rhaven Blaack ).
@mijob That, my friend, is going to be the interesting part! I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to accomplish it, but I do have an idea of how to do it.
@Rhaven Blaack asked me if I was going to do an interior to this model (cockpit and passenger/cargo area). My answer, for this particular model, was 'no', mainly because this particular model design is not conducive to that. The model wasn't designed for that, I don't believe the model designer even considered that someone would be creating actual windows for the model. Also, to do an effective interior would require me to significantly redesign the model itself, in essence going back to the drawing board.
It's a quagmire and challenge I don't want to step into with this particular model.
Now, with all that being said, when I do other aircraft in the Antonov series of Soviet/Russian aircraft, they will have cockpits and interiors (At least some of them, depending on scale). At some point, I would like to return to this particular aircraft and do an interior.
@zathros Yes, I'm cutting out the nose windows. It does make forming the nose and fuselage section easier despite creating some weakness in the structure of the model, which is helped by the internal tabbing. Also I'll be doing another layer of card to help strengthen it even more (as suggested by @Rhaven Blaack ).
@mijob That, my friend, is going to be the interesting part! I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to accomplish it, but I do have an idea of how to do it.
@Rhaven Blaack asked me if I was going to do an interior to this model (cockpit and passenger/cargo area). My answer, for this particular model, was 'no', mainly because this particular model design is not conducive to that. The model wasn't designed for that, I don't believe the model designer even considered that someone would be creating actual windows for the model. Also, to do an effective interior would require me to significantly redesign the model itself, in essence going back to the drawing board.
It's a quagmire and challenge I don't want to step into with this particular model.
Now, with all that being said, when I do other aircraft in the Antonov series of Soviet/Russian aircraft, they will have cockpits and interiors (At least some of them, depending on scale). At some point, I would like to return to this particular aircraft and do an interior.
Attachments
Here we see a glimpse of the future. After finishing the nose section I will be moving on and assembling the rest of the forward fuselage. The blue areas which represent windows will be cut out and replaced by clear plastic.
In the pictures, you can see where the wing attaches to the fuselage (the large 'gray' area which will be cut out too).
This model, in particular, has a lot of modeling challenges. Some easier than others.
Maybe by the end of the month I'll have it finished -- or at least fully assembled. I'm considering giving it a nice paint job when assembly is complete. That will be a matter of learning how to paint models. Something that is not my strong point!
In the pictures, you can see where the wing attaches to the fuselage (the large 'gray' area which will be cut out too).
This model, in particular, has a lot of modeling challenges. Some easier than others.
Maybe by the end of the month I'll have it finished -- or at least fully assembled. I'm considering giving it a nice paint job when assembly is complete. That will be a matter of learning how to paint models. Something that is not my strong point!
Attachments
Now, as far as painting this baby I have, in essence four choices:
Oil Paints: which I'm the most skilled at using. The problem with them is the somewhat long ''drying'' times. I'll have to build thin layers up to get the result I want, much like a glazing process.
Enamel paints: Patience. The biggest issue I have with enamels is getting them to look like a real paint job and not like I coated the model with hundreds of layers of paint. In the past, I've found enamels don't scale too well. Maybe thinning them would work.
Water-based paints: Paints like acrylic, watercolour, and tempera. I'm not skilled at all with these and it will take much experimentation to see what I can come up with and get a good result. Another issue, water-based paints like to bleed, so that's a challenge I'll have to watch out for.
Airbrushing: More of a technique. Right now I'm using our dining room for my model building area and airbrushing isn't really an option. Maybe in the future when I can build a enclosed space and get an airbrush and compressor setup. I could always do it outside, but that's something for summer. Even though we're having a nice winter it's still cold outside!
Oil Paints: which I'm the most skilled at using. The problem with them is the somewhat long ''drying'' times. I'll have to build thin layers up to get the result I want, much like a glazing process.
Enamel paints: Patience. The biggest issue I have with enamels is getting them to look like a real paint job and not like I coated the model with hundreds of layers of paint. In the past, I've found enamels don't scale too well. Maybe thinning them would work.
Water-based paints: Paints like acrylic, watercolour, and tempera. I'm not skilled at all with these and it will take much experimentation to see what I can come up with and get a good result. Another issue, water-based paints like to bleed, so that's a challenge I'll have to watch out for.
Airbrushing: More of a technique. Right now I'm using our dining room for my model building area and airbrushing isn't really an option. Maybe in the future when I can build a enclosed space and get an airbrush and compressor setup. I could always do it outside, but that's something for summer. Even though we're having a nice winter it's still cold outside!
You can try to use iGIMP to colour the template. I did that with the royal guard tie interceptor.
www.zealot.com
edit with link to royal guard
Royal Guard / Imperial Guard Tie Interceptor
When I was browsing the internet I found this beauty. The royal guard TIE interceptor. Is it possible to change the colours from the pdf files of UHU's Tie interceptor? This will become the first papercraft royal guard Tie interceptor
www.zealot.com
edit with link to royal guard
For painting paper, your best bet would be water colors, but they will never be opaque. Acrylics will be opaque, but may cause warpage of the paper if applied to "wet" I use AV Vallejo, and The Army Painter acrylics, but I coat my models with a clear spray can acrylic first. The clear spray can acrylic, once dry, "waterproofs" the paper. Some hobbyists have good luck using craft store acrylics, like Apple Barrel from Walmart and such. Vallejo and TAP can be found online, and at Local Hobby Shops.
Any other questions about paints, let me know.
Any other questions about paints, let me know.
Thanks for the tip!You can try to use inkscape to colour the template. I did that with the royal guard tie interceptor.
Royal Guard / Imperial Guard Tie Interceptor
When I was browsing the internet I found this beauty. The royal guard TIE interceptor. Is it possible to change the colours from the pdf files of UHU's Tie interceptor? This will become the first papercraft royal guard Tie interceptor
edit with link to royal guard
I plan to do that with future models. Eventually, I'll work GIMP (and Krita) and Inkscape into my modeling and finishing processes. And at some point, Blender. Blender has some nifty tools that could be used.
Who knows, at some point, we might be 3D printing our paper! After all, they're already ''printing'' organs and probably skin, so paper wouldn't be much more of a stretch.
Currently I am using Krylon Triple Thick, Crystal Clear Acrylic Glaze Matte Finish. It does double duty of coating paper to be painted, and as a final flat coat to models and miniatures. I get mine for about $7 USD a can at Hobby Lobby. but one spray can will do many models.
- Apr 5, 2013
- 13,876
- 10,216
- 228
Darkened plastic windows, not black, but almost, will do wonders. 
That's actually a brilliant idea! Thanks! I'm pondering on how to do it.Darkened plastic windows, not black, but almost, will do wonders.