Managing Scratch-Built Projects
Building a model of a large aircraft is by no means an easy feat. Aside from the high craftsmanship skills you need to possess as a modeler, you should also be persistent, patient, inquisitive, resourceful, forward-thinking, but above everything else, well-organized. In this feature, I will cast some light on how to effectively approach a scratch-built project.
Research
The starting point should always be research. First, you need to establish whether the subject is feasible given the availability of information. I know quite a few enthusiastic modelers who come up with all sorts of crazy ideas for scratch-built projects, but in the end, I see none attempted, let alone completed. Setting aside the ambitions of aspiring scratch builders, there has to be ample information for a project to be possible, both in technical as well as historical terms. Even for well-documented aircraft such as the Avro York—a derivative of the famous Lancaster bomber—and despite there being two museum exhibits in the UK, I still struggled to find adequate information on numerous occasions. In such cases, I either had to conduct further research or make very educated guesses based on any relevant material available at the time. This also demonstrates that research should be ongoing and even parallel to the construction of any given project. Overall, I always set myself a goal for the model being anything above 90% accurate. If for any reason I come to the conclusion that this will not be possible, I will simply look for another of the numerous potential modeling projects out there.
More information on research can be found in the article “Research Fundamentals for Realistic Aircraft Models”
Model Design
Design, like research, has to be ongoing throughout the project, but also subject to change given that new information may come up or simply because I may notice something I had missed before. It should also be as accurate as possible because as the project progresses, it is highly likely some incorrect calculations and design decisions at an early stage will definitely cause problems down the line as construction progresses.
Drawing from the research material, I start by deciding on which set of scale plans the build is going to be based on. Up until now, of the four scratch-built projects I have tackled, only in the case of the Short Empire flying boat did I manage to find accurate drawings. In all other cases, I had to make them myself. I have taken different approaches ranging from pencil and a large sheet of tracing paper, A4 sheets for different sections of the aircraft, and lately, 2D and 3D design software.
I have settled on two software packages, one very cheap and one rather expensive. For my 2D design needs, I chose Affinity Designer, which is an equivalent of Corel Draw but can be bought one-off at a very low price. I use this software to design photo-etched parts, both structural such as wing spars or details such as flight deck or cabin fittings. Another use I have recently adopted is the design of paint masks to be cut on my invaluable Cricut Maker cutting machine, as well as different components in larger quantities that the machine cuts for me on thin sheets of styrene plastic (normally up to 0.5mm). I also use the software to visualize and decide on the dimensions of several components that are to be later designed and printed in 3D.
My choice of 3D design software has been Fusion 360 or Autodesk Fusion, as it is now called. It is subscription-based and rather expensive, but I have found it to have tremendous potential. I know there is a free hobbyist version, but I opted for the paid option given my relatively high usage. Unfortunately, my knowledge of this software is still rather limited but has so far served me well for my modeling needs. If any part goes beyond my 3D design abilities, I tend to revert to more traditional model-making techniques.
Model Setup Considerations
The most important aspect of a scratch-built model design is the overall setup. Inspired by the technical elements of the aircraft, the model should be designed to allow access for interior detailing, be sturdy enough to withstand manipulation during construction, and stand on its landing gear without the risk of collapse. Over-engineering is essential because it is difficult to predict when the model might snap in half just as you are about to put the final touches on.
I usually adopt a modular approach in model design and construction. The nose section is typically built and detailed in one piece, the main fuselage can be divided into one to three sections (the York had a forward, mid, and aft section), and finally the tail. The wings can be either one uniform structure as in the Empire flying boat, two wing sections (left and right as is standard with most models), or even four sections, including inboard and outboard sections if the wing is too long as in the case of the Britannia or has a dihedral angle as in the case of the Avro York.
At this stage, it is also crucial to decide on the materials and techniques to be employed throughout the project. The properties of each material to be used and the techniques required will greatly influence the construction process and ultimately the entire outcome. Experience may have to be built the hard way, given that failure is always a possibility. I try to use techniques and materials I am very familiar with, but I also tend to experiment. The advantage of building something from scratch is that if something fails, something else can be built in its place using a different approach. I have learned many valuable lessons through failure; this is how I have built my confidence to undertake such demanding projects. At the end of every model, I tend to write a list of 'lessons learned' where I reflect on things that went well and things that didn't. As long as there is a next project, there is always room to apply those lessons and improve.
Managing Outsourcing
A scratch-built model is a very time-consuming endeavor, and to be able to complete one in a reasonable amount of time, outside help is very important. There are different ways to approach this, so I will demonstrate the setup I have adopted for myself.
I have decided to undertake all design work myself. This gives me the creative freedom that I very much enjoy and saves me from having to communicate and explain the complexities and high precision tolerances that I desire for my projects to anyone. I know of other people who use designers for their modeling projects, but I have concluded that this doesn't work for me. I have also decided to do all my vacuum forming in-house using a custom setup guided by online video presentations. It is one of the old-fashioned techniques that I still enjoy performing and comes especially handy when it comes to producing, among other things, my own canopies or other transparent parts.
For my photo etching needs, and to avoid using harmful chemicals at home, I use an outside company to produce my photo etch designs. Similarly, I have my 3D printing done by someone else to save me from having to learn how to use another piece of hardware and all the workload that comes with its operation and maintenance. I also outsource decal printing for the simple reason that I only need it once every two years. Until recently, for any parts that I needed in large quantities (e.g., passenger seats) or needed to be identical (e.g., engine nacelles), I would fabricate one and send it to be copied in resin. I also used the service for canopy moulds because the solid resin copy would behave much better than a piece of PU model board with several coats of epoxy filler and sanding primers that would instantly peel off when in touch with hot molten transparent plastic. I have now substituted resin copies with 3D-printed resin parts after a successful trial of a 3D-printed canopy mould for the Empire flying boat.
To place an order for any of the above, I normally send the company or individual a .pdf file in the case of photo etch parts and decals and a .stl file for 3D designs. The lead time is normally four weeks for photo-etched parts and approximately two weeks for 3D prints and decals. To save time, I try to work on other sub-assemblies of the model while waiting for orders to arrive or do extra research or design work for other parts of the model.
Given the model’s size, each section can be treated as a separate model. In the case of the Britannia, I am treating it as if I am building three different models. One is the whole fuselage and tail assembly, the second one is the wings, including flaps and main landing gear, and the last is the scratch-built engine to be displayed open. To keep track of the tremendous amount of information I need to remember when building any of the sections, I refrain from moving to the next model section until the previous one is finished or close enough to completion. Needless to say, I never work on more than one model at a time.
Costs & Time Management
Cost is a subject that is hardly ever mentioned in modeling projects. Everything I have mentioned above has a financial cost, from the research material to consumables, hardware, and outsourced parts. Considering that my models take at least two years to complete, I spread the cost over a relatively long period. To give a rough estimate, my costs have escalated with the usage of more technology from approximately £700 for the Condor to £2500 for the Empire flying boat. Considering that some people keep buying kits they will never build, I am happy with the thought of spending about £100 a month on a hobby I really love and for models that are unique in every sense.
As a concluding note, and despite the costs involved, I would like to endorse the usage of technology as a means of saving tremendous amounts of time. There is no way I would have been able to even consider building a scratch-built Bristol Britannia in 1/48 scale in an approximate time frame of two years without this technology. In a similar fashion, the York and Empire models had two to three photo-etched frets produced as construction progressed, which not only saved me time but also provided me with parts that would have been extremely difficult to produce by hand. There are modelers who take great pride in building absolutely everything by hand, but I would rather have a collection of very impressive model airliners in the years to come rather than spend numerous years on a single model. I am not getting any younger, and a Lockheed Constellation is just begging me to be built in 1/48 scale!