LF Airfix 1:144 Boeing 747 Decals - British Airways + advice.

[piescoffer]

This is one of my first attempts at making a large airfix airliner and it hasn't gone very well. Painted it by hand and found it very hard to get a decent finish with white gloss with a small brush - what is the best way to get a decent finish with these? Is it possible to spray them with aerosols or an airbrush?

Managed to get it looking half decent and started applying the decals and managed to spoil one of the BA letterings and 3 of the red lines that go around the aircraft.

Have found the kit in general of poor quality and difficult to fit the parts together without having gaps, am thinknig about scrapping it and buying a revell kit instead if I can't get the spare decals - I have emailed airfix already to see if they can supply the letterings and also the front wheel carrier that was missing from the box.

[Jennings]

Gloss paint is very hard to do with a brush. Perhaps a better method would be to use flat or semi-gloss paint, then overcoat with Future, which does brush well.

The Airfix 747 is an ancient kit, and it actually came out before the real 747 did. Which explains why it's so utterly inaccurate.

J

[usgecko]

It sure isn't a throw together kit.

Here were my results with a great deal of extra work on the kit including aftermarket decals to supplement the airfix ones.

Edited January 15, 2011 by usgecko

[Woody71]

I use Halfords Appliance white for the white bits. The hardest part of making tubeliners (IMO) is filling, smoothing, filling, smoothing.....to get the seams smooth along the centre. I'm currently making a Revell 742 and I've spent 4 days getting the fuselage to a standard I'm happy with. The masking tape will cost more than the damn kit !!!!!

That BA 747 is a work of art, You've done it alot of justice. I bought one of these, and realised I didn't have the skill to do what you've clearly done to this, superb.

Edited January 15, 2011 by Woody71

[piescoffer]

What kind of filler do you use to fill the seams - I am new to model building as you can probably tell :D

[Unang]

Whenever it comes to whites I always use Tamiya White Primer (spray can). Invest in an airbrush would be my only other advice. Even a cheapy off ebay will give you a good result (after some practice). Good luck with the build!