Any adice for using aftermarket parts for kits not originally designed for?

Howdy Blacksheeptwoonefour,

I'm not surprised you are not in favor of metal foil. It looks too clean, but see I was in the Air Force and our jets were always freshly scrubbed and shiney when we flew them; Marine/Navy/Army? Meh.

read the above with your sarcasm meter on high filter!

Cheers

I hate the looks of using BMF on aircraft kits. #1 being it looks unrealistic because no fighter jets are that shiny. Some are but have grimy look to them. #2 being decals sticking to BMF then sealing it with what? 

I prefer the look using Bare Metal Silver paint. That makes the aircraft more realistic than using BMF. Just sayin'....

Howdy,

Thanks for hints and ideas everyone.  Looks like I'll either restore the 1/32 Phantom or my 1/48 Liberator first.

Right now learning how to use bare metal foil on a 1/48 (scale is questionable) cheapo P-38. Also getting to learn about eliminating ejection marks, molding flash (this kit could be renamed a 'Flash Lightning' and raised panel lines and rivets.

Cheers

Chris

Hi;

 I know this probably won't help much . I use aftermarket stuff all the time for things other than what it was for . Of course this works okay for ships . I really don't know about planes .       T.B.

I have done this a few times as somties there are no no AM for the kit your doing, especially oldr kits.

My main advice would be check, check, check and check again. Be aware that the kit your Am was designed for may not be the same size as the kit you have, even though they are the same subject in the same scale. A few years back i used an Eduard PE set designed for an Italeri MiG 23, but i used it on a Hasegawa MiG 23. It was soon apparent that the Italeri kit cockpit was bigger, so i had to do some trimming.

Also, many AM sets will point out the kit part you AM piece is replacing or has to be fixed to. But you kit parts will not be labelled the same, and they may not be there at all. Or, they could be moulded as part of a larger piece.

It is deffinatly doable. Last year i used some AM, both resin and PE, that was designed for the Dragon P-61 from the mid 90's. But i used it on the Airfix P-61 from the mid 60's.

Just be sure to check and dry fit everything.

Sure, why not?  I used a True Details 1/48 Wildcat resin cockpit set on the old Monogram F4F kit, for example.  Especially for resin sets, even if the set is designed specifically for a given kit, it's not likely that you'll be able just to drop it in place.  You'll probably have to sand and file both the kit parts and the resin parts, to adjust the fit properly. 

I would try it.  If nothing else, it's a good exercise of your modeling skills.

Best regards,

Brad

I do it all the time for non-structural details.  I have swapped engines between kits, armament, etc.  I have used aftermarket wheels for planes they were not marketed for, but were same size and design.  I have modified and used kit canopies for scratch projects. 

It is also possible to use major structural elements (wings, empanage, etc.) of one kit for another of same prototype, but this is not always successful.  Best to make careful measurements of the parts if possible before trying it.

As far as AM parts (ie: cockpits, etc...) you wil have to make sure it will fit in a Revell kit. If you have Hasegawa AM cockpit, it probably won't fit. Find the AM pit to go with the Revell kit.

you can give it a shot. New metal landing gear and decals would be easy. you use future like any clearcoat. anything more you do will be a learning adventure for you. If you have questions on something specific the guys will certainly help you with it. research what is available for your specific kit, the cost and work involved. the aftermarket stuff can be more expensive and more challenging than the kit was.