The Wright Stuff Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 I thought it might be a nice idea to start a thread on repainting ARTFs and RTFs. Not having a huge amount of time for building at the moment, and no crash damage to repair this winter, I turned my hand to refreshing some of my ARTF models with a new paint job. I started with my current favourite winter hack - the HobbyKing Skipper. I don't fly it from water, but it certainly handles boggy fields and long wet grass - in fact the boggier the better! It seems to me that aeromodellers don't tend to merge scale with 'what-if's in quite the same way that, say, railway or boat modellers do. I'm not sure why, but this is my thought process. In RAF red, the model is vaguely reminiscent (to me, when high up, anyway) of the Avro 707. Not so much 'stand-off scale', but 'standing-on-the-ground-when-the-model-is-at-100-feet' scale. When delta wings emerged on the drawing board, the characteristics of such aircraft were not well known at the time. The 707 was experimental, and built to test the tailless thick delta wing configuration chosen for the Vulcan (aerodynamically, it was a one third scale version). Suppose the tests had been unsuccessful, and a subsequent version with a conventional tail added had been built. What would it have looked like? Okay, okay, probably not too much like this, I know. But for the sake of a couple of evening's work, I quite like the result! Anyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu knowles Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 looks very nice, What paint did you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Laughton Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Had a vaguely similar idea but it’s not as good looking as Wright Stuffs! Used acrylic Silver & black paint and a tester pot of decorating matt paint for the blue covered in acrylic varnish. The supplied HK stick on decals were rubbish. I also used some left over chequer decals from a Wots Wot foamie, assorted decals from the spares box and a very cut down pilot figure. Edited By Jon Laughton on 20/02/2018 00:49:55 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Stripped and recovered a brand new Wot4 ages ago. I’m glad I did as some of the build quality was dreadful. It came to an end when the elevator servo decided to pack up mid flight... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Smitheman Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Here is my Ripmax Harmony. I added flaps, made the uc legs longer (had to move the wheel wells) replaced all the horrible plastic bits with balsa, and used a cut down Sebart Angel 50 canopy. It can do 540 deg stall turns! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wright Stuff Posted February 20, 2018 Author Share Posted February 20, 2018 Posted by stu knowles on 19/02/2018 18:35:37: looks very nice, What paint did you use? Thanks Stu. I used Humbrol Enamel - #19 (basically Post Office Red) - it's almost but not quite the same shade as Red Arrows red. I happened to have a big tin of it left over from my boat modelling days. I brushed on the paint, and used the thin Tamiya masking tape for the canopy. I then sprayed the whole thing with satin varnish after the stickers [thanks to Pyramid Models] were on... I'm very happy with the finish... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trebor Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 I've got a thing for day-glow colours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiKid Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Great idea for a thread TWS, loving those Skippers. I have a Skipper and a Polaris Ultra and have endless fun with them. I do have a bit of form for this sort of malarkey, but don't want to bomb the tread, so I will just do some dribs and drabs. Here's an ARF X-8 FPV wing that got the treatment. 95% of the model was sourced from HobbyKing (I have no shame) and it turned out to be an awesome flyer and a great slope soarer. Somewhat unexpectedly, it also turned out to be a bit of a chick magnet down at the park Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trebor Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 The chicks down my local park look nothing like that one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Ooo....a game of “spot the plane”....no, can’t find it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiKid Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Looking forward to seeing some others' efforts in customizing their ARF's. Back in the day the Parkzone Stryker was quite a hit and many newcomers to RC flying cut their teeth on Strykers as they were easy enough to control and tough as old boots. I would love to know how many Parkzone sold - must be in the tens of thousands (I have had four) and guys did all sorts of mods to them. Two upgraded ARF versions were also produced incorporating some of the mods done by modelers. I started with the stock model (brushed motor and Ni-Mh battery) in 2006 and then progressed to custom builds and paint jobs. Indoor model with 3mm depron fins and 6mm depron elevons. "Su-27 Flanker" - strengthened airframe, cut down fins and balsa elevons. "Vulcan" - don't laugh, at that time there were no Vulcan ARF's around (still the case actually, why is that?) so one had to make do. Very versatile airframe and can be powered up (with 6S and glassing) to do around 150mph. Edited By KiwiKid on 22/02/2018 12:09:06 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wright Stuff Posted February 22, 2018 Author Share Posted February 22, 2018 No laughing here. Love the 'Vulcan'... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt Kremen Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Me too! Is it too minority a sales-market for HK or a.n.other to make a commercial foamy 'Vulcan'? After all, the 'Vampire' was/is a hit with good sales, even with our US friends and they always turned out to see our full-size big delta fly at US airshows. 'Vulcan to the Skys' I say! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mowerman Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 ARC Ready 2 was very popular trainer in my precious club so all looked alike. Decided to make mine a bit different and used Plasticote dayglow colours aerosols in a camouflage patern to create Shamoflage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Feather Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Here's my HK Mk1 Vampire; much loved, had countless flights, undercarriage removed for handlaunch. But after very many flights most of the silver paint had worn off. Then in this winter's cold weather the battery died 90 seconds early on the timer . I was already on short finals as I expected the cold to shorten the duration. Unfortunately our field is bounded on two sides by a river... Model was retrieved with only minor damage, all the electrics were washed in clean water and dried out thoroughly - and everything still works. So given the now rather tatty original paintwork, that seemed like a good excuse for a new paint job and some new decals courtesy of my Silhouette cutter. Paint is B&Q sample pots, whole thing then sprayed in a lacquer sealing coat. Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Crook Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Some great paint jobs and mods above. Goes to show that an ARTF doesn't have to mean no modelling. I'm thinking of what I could do with my Skipper - Saunders Roe SR53 scheme perhaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wright Stuff Posted February 23, 2018 Author Share Posted February 23, 2018 Posted by Trevor Crook on 22/02/2018 20:07:29: Some great paint jobs and mods above. Goes to show that an ARTF doesn't have to mean no modelling. Absolutely, Trevor. That's the main reason I started this thread. I'd love to have the time for a full on plan build, but "family reasons" don't currently allow it. This sort of work keeps projects possible and sanity intact! I'll look out for the finished Saunders Roe SR53... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiKid Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 One of my local hobby shops used to specialize in slope soarers and produced a very nice sloper called the Arrow. I thought it looked like something from the drawing board of Alexander Lippisch, so set to with a conversion into a Luftwaffe Pfeil. Really a nice flier and something a bit different for the slope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiKid Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 With all the building time recently available I wonder if we have some more material for this thread. A while back I bashed a flying wing into a sort of late WW2 project type thing and have had a lot of fun flying it - also makes a great sloper with the folding prop. Edited By KiwiKid on 24/05/2020 13:23:42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marsh Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Did this years ago with a standard Multiplex Cargo, a B17 scheme, still have the model and before ARTF B17s existing this would do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 @kiwikid - I love the "Luft '46" fantasy wing, and the AW35 looky-likey! I was gobsmacked when I saw the opening pics in this thread. I've posted these on another thread, but they seem more suited here: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken anderson. Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 this one has been unrecognisable a few times when its "arrived" back from sorties...a HK Radjet...wilcos kids paint(80p) and a coat of wilcos satin varnish....load of fun... ken anderson...ne..1..Radjet dept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Bastow Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 This is my Blackhorse HE111, After its second crash and having smashed the plastic nose for a second time I decided not to fork out another 50 quid just for a bit of Perspex, so I carved a solid nose from foam and grafted it on. Repainted in a Mediterranean scheme with painted windows I think it looks ok .It still flies nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Posted by Steve J on 24/05/2020 14:42:16: My Panic Moth. Nice Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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