B-25J "Maid in the Shade" at local airport

Visiting airports and looking at airplanes is a good idea for aircraft modelers.  There are many fads that I see in aircraft modeling that do not necessarily reflect what airplanes look like.  So we all benefit from seeing real aircraft now and then, even if we only look at subjects that we are not actually building at the time.  Look and see which panel lines really stand out and can use preshading or washes, and which panel lines remain invisible.  How do surfaces weather.  What do exhaust stacks and engines really look like, etc.

Don Stauffer

Visiting airports and looking at airplanes is a good idea for aircraft modelers.  There are many fads that I see in aircraft modeling that do not necessarily reflect what airplanes look like.  So we all benefit from seeing real aircraft now and then, even if we only look at subjects that we are not actually building at the time.  Look and see which panel lines really stand out and can use preshading or washes, and which panel lines remain invisible.  How do surfaces weather.  What do exhaust stacks and engines really look like, etc.

Well said Mr. Stauffer.  I couldn't agree more.

Gary

Some of "my pictures" of her have been posted in the FSM Ready Room forum if anybody's interested.

Cool pictures!  A couple of months ago there was a B-17, a B-25, and a P-51 doing these same kind of flights/rides out of John Wayne Airport in Orange County.  I couldn't afford to fly but  was fortunate that my apartment was in their flight path. Got a free airshow every day 5 or 6 times a day!  Only saw the P-51 once though. Probably because I think the rides on the Mustang were $1,000+.