Cockpits - Request for Help

[Hman]

Hi, anyone got any tips for building a cockpit (consols etc) I have a couple of Airfix F5's, but they have no cockpit deatils and the with the large clear canopy,they will need something...

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Darren, please don't take this as being flippant, but for something so tiny, I personally, wouldn't bother. I have faced similar issues in both 1:72 AND 1:48 kits (the Tamiya SHAR immediately springs to mind). What I' have found that works is:-

To simply paint the INSIDE of the transparencies with two good coats of your favourite black.

When dry (24hrs will do it) dip it in Future/Kleer, then leave it on a piece of Kitchen Roll to dry for 30mins.

Build/paint your F-5's then when you're all done, carefully paint the canopy framing to match the camouflage colour - with the F-5 that's a 'no-brianer' as they have the simplest of canopy frames with no quarter panels - and you're finished

Seriously, I'm not making fun of your request, this is EXACTLY what I'd do !

HTH
Ian

[Hman]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I take your point after all being 1/72 who will notice!

[Ed S]

Another thing that works.  I do it in 72nd a lot. You can paint the console white (or just use light gray or white styrene if that is the kit color).  Then paint the console color over that.  Once it's had a couple days to cure, you can go back using a small template and a needle and scribe in some instruments and lines around the various components.  Just scribe lightly so that the white underneath shows.  Then to complete it, place a small dab of clear gloss or Future with a toothpick to simulate the instrument glass. 

Ed

[noxioux]

You can also use a pin vise and small drill bits to make tiny gauge faces in some very thin styrene.  Cut two pieces for your control surfaces, drill one, and glue it to the other one.  Paint on the overal base coat, then you can fill the small holes with white or black paint.  This works pretty well, for such a low-tech approach.  I've used it to either replace, or add detail to different cockpits in all scales.

[Weaver]

Slightly less radical version of Ian's suggestion: paint the entire inside of the cockpit black, paint the ejector seat darkish colours (dark grey frame, dark green seat), and then, if it's got one, try to make a decent job of the pilot figure using lighter-than-accurate base tones and darker translucent washes. Don't bugger about with drybrushed highlights on a figure so small: unless you're really good, they'll look overdone.

The F-5 canopy is pretty simple, but as a general tip, don't try to mask all the frame lines at once. Instead, mask ONE frame (usually the "bow" over the top of the windscreen) using nice, big, handleable bits of tape, and paint it. Then take the front bit of tape off, and mask ONE vertical windscreen frame, using the other "bow" tape as an end-stop. Then paint it. Carry on like this, until you've done all of them, one at a time. It may seem time consuming, but if you do it in between other jobs (while waiting for glue or other paint to dry, for example), it's soon done.

Both techniques applied to my Migina below. The canopy lines could have been better, but it's far from terrible. How much has been "lost" by not detailing the cockpit? Very little, I'd argue.....

[Mossie]

Yeah, I'd agree in most cases about not going to town on the cockpits when building 1/72, unless it's a helicopter or something with a lot of glazing.

If you want to keep the cockpit transparent, either, as Weaver mentions, put a pilot in which will obscure any detail you put in anyway, or do the bare minimum, a stick & a seat & maybe some masking tape straps on it.  I've found from experience that once you put a canopy on in 1/72, it distorts pretty much everything you've detailed, especially the thicker ones you find in many Airfix kits.

[Hman]

Thanks for the ideas everyone 

[Brian da Basher]

These gents haven't steered you wrong, Darren! I build mostly in 1/72 and I wish I had a dollar (or quid) for every "invisible" cockpit in my ceiling fleet.

Best to spend the time and effort on things that will be noticed.

Brian da Basher

[PanzerWulff]

If I have to I take a photocopy of a decal from one of my decal stash and white glue it to the panel
"Panzer"