1/48 Civilian Aircraft

[jetpack]

There's only a handfull of private or civilian aircraft models out there (Minicraft / Academy) and wondering if there has ever been aftermarket details or decal sheets available for any of them.

I'm currently working on a Minicraft Beechcraft Bonanza V35 and wishing for different color decals and vacuum formed windows.

Edited July 28, 2008 by jetpack

[EDWMatt]

Not a lot of light-plane decals out there, sorry to say.

Most seem to be for the Minicraft 172, and they tend to be for airline trainers.

Greg Drawbaugh (Draw Decals) makes several 172 sheets, and he makes a generic sheet of slanted-style "N" numbers.

http://www.drawdecal.com/typesearch.htm

Jim Botaitis (JBot Decals), http://www.jbot.ca/welcome.shtml, also has some Cessna sheets. He shows some artwork for a couple Bonanza 36's (different airplane than the Minicraft kit, however), but they may not be available yet, as there is no scales or price listed yet.

That Bonanza looks sweet! Nice to see someone else building light-plane kits. I've got a few "to do" in my pile, like the 172 I soloed, the 150 Aerobat I once owned, my buddy's Cherokee 140, an old Hawk Mixmaster and the elusive "Attack Bonanza"

Have you seen the new RofG Super Cub yet? Very nice.

[jRatz]

I bugged Greg about Cessna slant codes at Atlanta IPMS Nats in '05; glad to see they're out.

He'll be at Va Beach & is now #1 on my shopping list.

I can now do the 172 I soloed & got my PP in.

John

Edited July 29, 2008 by jRatz

[Cap'n Wannabe]

Geez, that's a nice looking Bonanza! I"ve got a few of the Minicraft kits - the Cessna 172, 150, Cherokee 140, also Bandai - Super Cub, Hawk - Cessna 337, Modelcraft - C172 & Nichimo 172. There's also a 1/72 172 on the way.. My Revell Super Cub's on order at the LHS - we don't quite have them yet here in OZ

[EDWMatt]

Something else that occurred to me after I posted yesterday, is Microscale decals: http://www.microscale.com/

The make about 20 different sheets of solid color decals that can be cut into stripes. They also make some sheets of striping of various widths in several colors. I've used these sheets in the past to produce civil schemes.

They also make decals for "Pinewood Derby" cars that might have elements that can be adapted to civil aircraft.

[ResinBuilder]

Nice work!

Check with Hawkeye Models Australia also for civilian decals in 1/144, 1/72, 1/48. They have some neat looking aircraft going on. I bought some from him in Kansas at the Nats one year.

LINK to hawkeye Decals

Edited July 30, 2008 by ResinBuilder

[jetpack]

Wow, thanks for all the help and comments!!!

I checked out all the links. I think the best route for me to go for the paint might be to get some solid decal sheets and the number sheet. That was one thing I was worried about were the decals. The one for mine are in fine shape, just not my flavor, and masking would be nearly impossible due to such a fine fuselage stripe, and the slant numbers inside the color. I wonder what my luck would be if I tried contacting Minicraft for one of their varieties. Ive seen at least three different schemes that they have packaged. The decal color has never matched the box art.

The windows I've cut and fitted so far would work, but I was not looking forward to fitting the windshield due to it being a bubble. I found some clear packaging that looks approximate to the curves, but still would be difficult to fit.

Going with the Squadron clear window sheet, and filling and sanding the window openings with (plaster, clay???) and drawing down over the fuse sounds interesting to try out. I will have to learn more how to go about this. The kit pieces themselves would not make very good masters.

Edited July 30, 2008 by jetpack

[EDWMatt]

Wow, thanks for all the help and comments!!!

I checked out all the links. I think the best route for me to go for the paint might be to get some solid decal sheets and the number sheet. That was one thing I was worried about were the decals. The one for mine are in fine shape, just not my flavor, and masking would be nearly impossible due to such a fine fuselage stripe, and the slant numbers inside the color. I wonder what my luck would be if I tried contacting Minicraft for one of their varieties. Ive seen at least three different schemes that they have packaged. The decal color has never matched the box art.

The windows I've cut and fitted so far would work, but I was not looking forward to fitting the windshield due to it being a bubble. I found some clear packaging that looks approximate to the curves, but still would be difficult to fit.

Going with the Squadron clear window sheet, and filling and sanding the window openings with (plaster, clay???) and drawing down over the fuse sounds interesting to try out. I will have to learn more how to go about this. The kit pieces themselves would not make very good masters.

So the Minicraft boxings have decal stripes? Both my Academy boxings don't have any stripes, just generic registration decals and the "Beechcraft" and "Bonanza" markings (it also has "Piper" and "Cessna" markings for the other civil kits, too!)

I just glued the side windows in mine, sanded everything smooth and polished them out. Doesn't look too bad, but they still are a little thick.

You might want to try "smash forming" a new windshield from clear sheet over the kit original.

Be sure to keep us posted on the build. I'd love to see the finished product!

[Paddesky]

Hi JetPack, 

How did you manage to have landing lights on your Bonanza mod? Can you please share your final pics with us? 

Thank you

[Gwen Phoenix]

On 2/27/2022 at 7:27 PM, Paddesky said:

 How did you manage to have landing lights on your Bonanza mod? Can you please share your final pics with us? 

 

I'm quite certain that those lights are included in the kit. I also recall my husband built this same kit and converted it into Bruce Gernon's A36 - N4146A, as MiniCraft kindly sent him the vertical tail plane arrangement and three-blade screw from the F33 kit.

 

On 7/28/2008 at 2:32 PM, jetpack said:

I'm currently working on a Minicraft Beechcraft Bonanza V35 and wishing for different color decals and vacuum formed windows.

 

No love for the different colour decals, but you could easily use the rather thick clear parts in the kit to press-form (or vac-form) new ones from clear PETG sheets, which is what my husband did.

This is a very nice kit by MiniCraft. If you liked this kit, then you ought to check out their Beechcraft Mentor A/B kit.

Cheers,

 

Gwen 

Edited March 11, 2022 by Gwen Phoenix
missing info

[JohnEB]

Don't forget the grandfathers of plastic general aviation kits, the Monogram Piper Tri-Pacer and Cessna 180 (on wheels and amphib floats).

Both came out in the late '50s,  and like the later kits, had separate engines, opening doors and nice interiors.

They were listed as 1/48, but now Scalemates shows them as 1/32 and 1/41, respectively.

The 180  is worth doing since no one has made other kits of it  (it saw some foreign military use as the U-17). 

It could also be converted into other  "razorback", ('50s to early '60s) Cessnas. By adding a nosewheel,  it would be easy to convert one into a pre-1962 182 or early 172.

If someone wanted a unique military model, it could be made into a OE-2, a later variant of the Cessna O-1 Bird Dog based on the Cessna 180 (instead of the Cessna 170).

Edited March 14, 2022 by JohnEB
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