Modeling is a hobby for those who like to tinker with tools at their leisure, are fond of technology and are not indifferent to its history. What is a model? This is a small copy of a prototype, made in compliance with the scale and other similarity criteria. Before embarking on its manufacture, real modelers study the circumstances in which a prototype was created, design features and design options.
As a rule, bench modeling is carried away in childhood when the first prefabricated model is acquired by parents. The result is not always happy, but often there is a desire to try again, and this time to work more thoroughly. Moreover, the child develops such valuable personal qualities as accuracy and ability to handle tools. The main thing that you should pay attention to at this stage is good ventilation of the room (glue fumes contain harmful substances).
Getting older, a person thinks about what a model is, how much it looks like a real model of technology, and it can be an airplane, a ship, a car, a steam locomotive, or a tank. The degree of similarity is checked by photographs published on the Internet and in print media, at the same time knowledge is acquired about technical characteristics, the history of the creation and operation of the prototype.
The most popular among modelers remain airplanes. They are beautiful, their silhouettes are swift, and just looking at a quality copy can cheer you up.
The kits that are sold today are different in scale. It can be large (1:12 or 1:24), enlarged (1:48 or 1:32), medium (1:72) or rather small (1: 144). Most often, aircraft models have a scale of 1:72. The size of such models is sufficient to make out everything, and at the same time they do not take up much space.
Prefabricated models are produced by many firms both in Russia and neighboring countries, as well as in Japan, Germany, Italy, South Korea, China and other countries. Quality differs both in detailing, that is, the degree of reproduction of structural elements, and in casting technology. But this is all for a real master who knows what a model is, does not really matter. All the manufacturer’s flaws can be corrected, you only need to have desire and patience.
The most “advanced” masters use additional elements that are not in the box. Large-scale models are complemented by "etched", that is, parts made of thick foil, which creates convex reliefs in those places where they are needed. In addition, proper tinting is important, for which special paints are used.
Painting is usually done by airbrushing with preliminary application of special “masks” made of adhesive tape, paper or paraffin. Modern paints for modeling tend to self-level, so with small sizes it is quite possible to get by with a brush. The exception is white - it lays very poorly on the surface without spraying.
The final touch in achieving similarity is the application of decals and “traces of operation”, that is, traces of smoke near the exhaust pipes, oil drips, peeling paint in some places and other signs that make the scale model different from a simple toy. Such a product should be very realistic. And when the result will please, it will become clear what a model is and why it was worth so much messing with it.