1st Airliner Model need help

       Are the decals supposed to act as the glass? When a final coat of gloss is put over the decals won't  they shrivel

With good decals and the proper clear coat you should be okay.  I'd try the clear coat you plan to use on a scrap section of decal to be sure.

Some folks also use one of several brands of a substance made for making small windows. One brand is Micro Krystal Klear. It is a lot like white glue, very thick so it will bridge small openings.

Mate,

The long and short of it is...painful.  To achieve the best finish, the windows must be filled with putty or superglue, sanded flush with the fuselage surface and painted...and then the decals will be placed over that.

It's A LOT of work - there's a lot of windows to fill...but if you don't, the decals will dry and stretch a little...and the little window holes will leave depressions in the decals.  If the decal windows aren't exactly aligned with the holes, this will happen - it's not drastic, but detracts from the finished look of the model.

I always fill the windows on 1/144 airliners if there are decals for the windows...it's a bit of work, but you get a better finish.

Good luck!

Agree with above.. Its best to fill the windows and sand the result flat..

As for paint dont worry.. If you have a hard time with gloss, then just use a matt white, and then when all is said and done (decals painting ect) then go over the gloss areas with a clear gloss to give it a finish and settle everything down..

Im not sure if in this would work 1/125 as I have never built a airliner in that scale. But believe it or not In 1/144 if you paint the inside of the model black and leave the windws open it doesnt look bad at all.  1/125 might be to big though to leave open.

With all due respect to my esteemed colleagues, there isn't a BEST way to deal with windows in 144th or 200th scale, only a most PREFERRED way from individual Modelers.       If you prefer your finished A380 to look like a solid airlines display or one of the resin/diecast models, which are ultra clean, by all means fill the window openings.     If you prefer it to look like what you'd see sitting at the gate looking at it from the terminal window, make the windows transparent.      Either/or, makes an attractive finished product.

If you do decide to make the windows transparent, there are ways of accoplishing this so the windows won't become concave over time, namely, applying a strip of clear decal paper that's been over-sprayed with Testor's Gloss Coat, once dry, apply coat of Future over strip... once dry, apply second clear strip and cover with Future, dry, THEN apply the kits' window decals and cover with Future.     The clear material tightens as it dries like doped airplane fabric.

Another advantage of realistic windows is visible interior window shades and the occassional gawker's face, not to mention the "glass" appearance.       The subject of filled/non-filled windows is a touchy point with airliner modelers, perpetuated mainly by decal manufacturers, but like I said it depends on the Modelers preference and either one looks great.

Take care and be sure to post some photos when you get going.

Frank

I appreciate you all taking the time to answer. Thank You.

I forgot to say that the window decals for this kit are NOT BLACK... they are clear. Its only the gray outline of the window frame (and of course the middle of it  is clear decal sheet). Certainly if they were black oval window decals I would fill the holes. I cannot here or it would look crazy or fake. Advice appreciated with this new info.

Also is there any  truth to the fact that if you add a drop of blue to gloss white it will make it a more brilliant white?

Well Id follow Franks advice in that case and leave them open.  Or check if after market decal sheets are made and fill them.  1/125 isnt my scale so I dont know if they are.

I've heard that adding a bit of blue will help prevent yellowing. Sometimes adding a clear coat will cause yellowing, too.

I prime my airliners with Tamiya's white primer in the rattle can. It is very white, covers well and goes down very smoothly. I'll then mask everything I want to remain white and keep painting. It also makes a great primer for Alclad metallic paints, for thos natural metal airliner bellies. I've also used Floquil Reefer White, but the models I've painted with it have a slightly "not quite white" look when compared to the ones painted with Tamiya primer. I guess you could say its a bit warmer than Tamiya's.

Ben

A blue toned white will always look more like a pure white does in daylight, perhaps because of the reflected blue from the atmosphere in most of the whites you see outdoors.  Most indoor lights will give a pure white a yellow or greenish cast indoors depending on whether the lighting is incandescent or flourescent, so I would guess that shifting the model towards blue will give it a better look in indoor lighting.

Ben, how do you polish the Tamiya primer for the Alclad coat?  Which Alclads do you use?

I'll usually use 1200 grit sandpaper, then go back over it with a paper towel or coffee filter. Even without polishing, you can get a pretty shiny finish. For airliners, I've found that White Aluminum looks pretty good for the natural metal belly, then various Alclad and Metalizer colors for intake lips, engines, etc.

Ben

Awesome, thx for the response Ben.