f86, to show or not to show

Do two: one opened, one closed. :D

Regards,

-Drew

For me, I like them all in one piece. An airplane just doesn't look right in a couple of pieces, unless it is in a diorama to give some kind of story to why its in two pieces. I also don't like them with wings folded unless in a diorama for the same reason. But thats what great about the hobby, you can build it however YOU want.

The first one I built, I closed it up. On the second one, I opened it up. That was a mistake. The aft section has very little detail inside and will have to be added. Any picture showing the aft section removed also shows jacks under the wings and center fuselage section to level the aircraft. These will have to be scratch built. I also plan to show the guns removed and positioned on a work bench, as if they were being reconditioned. I started this project almost two years ago and still haven't finished it.

It is on my list of things to finish, which keeps getting longer and longer.

OK, this helps, I'm leaning toward closed.
The model does suggest a 15 gram weight in the nose, what do people use as a weight and how?

I did a Mig 15 like that. I did up the engine but attched the tail section with a bit of white glue so I could hang it. Just in case some day I run out of celling space it will look good on a shelf with the engine exposed.

I used a fishing sinker weight for mine.... of course i went at it with a hammer first. I stuck it forward of the instrument panel with some double sided mounting tape and did the edges with CA glue, just to be sure.

I have pictures of RCAF sabres undergoing maintenance on the ramps in Germany with the fuselage rear on a dolly, no extra jacks in use (although they may have been taken away after the fuse was separated.

If I ever build a Sabre I'd probably do it separated in a diorame, to represent the one we worked on for an aviation museum.
Regards,
Bruce

If the engine has that much detail, its practically a seperate model in itself.

I'd make the plane in one piece and scratchbuild an engine stand, display the engine beside the plane on a tarmac diorama base and scratchbuild a tailpipe section to fit in the back end of the plane to make it look like an engine is in there. It may not be totally realistic, but at least you won't be making a sacrifice between plane and engine when it comes to displaying them.

I knew someone who had a similar dilema with one of the ICM 1/48 Spitfires. They have beautiful engines that are almost kits in themselves. He built the Spit with all the service panels in place over the ngine compartment and stuck the pipes into place where you'd expect to see them if the engine was in place. He build an engine stand and placed the completed engine with some aftermarket exhausts on it, beside the Spit.

Its one way around the dilema.