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I have recently been looking at all the super detailed resin cockpits and all the pre printed photo etch out there, and wonder how long it will be before some clever chap comes up with a way of offering pre painted resin cockpits. I know that the photo etch is screen printed, but I have seen lots of paces where people hand paint small gift items, with a breathtaking skill which are then sold for peanuts. Combine their skills with the resin parts and you could easily see pre painted resin sets appearing

Just a thought

Les

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Way back in the depths of time - probably before you were born? - the maltese model magazine Modelaid used to include with every issue a couple of pre-printed cockpits on cardboard.

You simply cut them out, folded them up into a 'bathtub' and popped them in place.

OK - they were flat - but in 1/72 scale they were adequate and good replacememts for the usually non-existent kit cockpits.

Aaaah nostalgia.......

So the idea pre-dates your suggestion - but I agree, a resin pre-painted cockpit would be a boon for most of us.

Ken

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Same. Most of my canopies are closed anyway

(I'll leave it up to you which came first, me not liking cockpits or preferring closed canopies)

LOL I was thinking of that after I posted, too. I'm more about the lines of an airframe anyways and find that open canopies ruin the optics, so it works for me.

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Ain't that the truth. A visitor called it the American Siberia. A great place if you're into constant winds from 25-80, 10 months of winter, sundogs, temperatures that can reach to 98 below, cabin fever...need I go on.

On the bright side, my squadron did have a lot of good people in it.

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I don't consider it cheating, but I don't see the point of it. I build for my own satisfaction to see how well I can make look.

That's why I build, too, but. The idea of building the cockpit often stops me from even starting something.

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I don't consider it cheating, but I don't see the point of it. I build for my own satisfaction to see how well I can make look.

So you don't use any aftermarket PE or resin?

Per the original post, this is just the natural progression of the hobby. Painted PE is pretty much the norm these days, it's probably only a matter of time before someone offers up a fully painted replacement cockpit. When they do, I'll give it a close look. If it's reasonably priced and looks better than what I could achieve, I might consider going with it. All comes down to "bang for the buck".

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Les, you make a very keen observation.

We’ve been slowly losing the element of craftsmanship in the hobby. I won’t go so far as to say that pre-painted photoetch or metal gun barrels are cheating, but every time we use ready-made products we move closer to a day where we’re collecting diecast models.

To your question, yes, I think we’ll probably see pre-made cockpits eventually. Whether they’ll actually fit is another question!

Steven Brown

Scale Model Soup

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We’ve been slowly losing the element of craftsmanship in the hobby. I won’t go so far as to say that pre-painted photoetch or metal gun barrels are cheating, but every time we use ready-made products we move closer to a day where we’re collecting diecast models.

Hear, hear!! Well said lad.

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Hear, hear!! Well said lad.

Couldn't agree more. It's getting to the point where everything is being done for us in this hobby. Eventually there'll come a day where we purchase the pre-finished parts, we'll assemble them and then proudly thump our chests saying "Look what I built!" These are the same people who scoff and thumb their noses at pre-painted Snap-Tite kits.

Eric

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I disagree. I can't stand building cockpits - but I do enjoy the entire rest of the building process! I enjoy scratchbuilding things. And kitbashing, and what-iffery, and all those other good things... I just really hate building cockpits. Just because I'd want to use a pre-finished cockpit isn't magically gonna make me stop wanting to do the rest of it myself, because the part of modelling that appeals to me is exactly what you *don't* get out of simply buying a die-cast model - the pleasure of building it up how *I* want, choosing the paint scheme *I* want and applying it, etc.

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I disagree. I can't stand building cockpits - but I do enjoy the entire rest of the building process! I enjoy scratchbuilding things. And kitbashing, and what-iffery, and all those other good things... I just really hate building cockpits. Just because I'd want to use a pre-finished cockpit isn't magically gonna make me stop wanting to do the rest of it myself, because the part of modelling that appeals to me is exactly what you *don't* get out of simply buying a die-cast model - the pleasure of building it up how *I* want, choosing the paint scheme *I* want and applying it, etc.

This ^^^ is a good post. Everyone finds enjoyment in this hobby in different ways and no one way is better then another so long as the individual modeler is happy and content. At the end of the day options are a good thing no? If you want to use pre-painted PE then that option is there...if not then don't. If pre-painted cockpits become a thing then that becomes an option for a modeler to use or not use. Simple. People still scratch build despite all of the pre-made resin, PE, and other aftermarket materials. I highly doubt having pre-painted cockpits as an option would signal the death of painting and detailing your own cockpit.

My two cents.

Cheers!

:cheers:

Don.

P.S. I bought a bunch of Revell's new pre-painted Star Wars kits for future projects (even the ones with lights and sound)... :o...SHOCK...HORROR!!

:D

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Les, you make a very keen observation.

We’ve been slowly losing the element of craftsmanship in the hobby. I won’t go so far as to say that pre-painted photoetch or metal gun barrels are cheating, but every time we use ready-made products we move closer to a day where we’re collecting diecast models.

To your question, yes, I think we’ll probably see pre-made cockpits eventually. Whether they’ll actually fit is another question!

Steven Brown

Scale Model Soup

I wouldn't agree with that as the point of many of these aftermarket accessories is an improvement over what is in the box. Not having the tools to create homemade metal barrels I buy them, I'll also leave it up to you to realize plenty of these AM accessories take their own set of skills and craftsmanship, anyone who has fiddled with PE for hours can attest to this.

I would say in many cases AM parts add time to a build rather than reduction. Cockpits might an exception seeing as so much time goes into them in proportion To the rest of the model, but I rarely think of AM as a "short cut" and in another thread recently a few ARCers were talking about foregoing AM for all its time consuming, fiddly-ness as not being worth it.

The line is where you want to draw it, plenty of old timers think you kids are spoiled today anyway with the quality of modern kits

Edited by TaiidanTomcat
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I disagree. I can't stand building cockpits - but I do enjoy the entire rest of the building process! I enjoy scratchbuilding things. And kitbashing, and what-iffery, and all those other good things... I just really hate building cockpits. Just because I'd want to use a pre-finished cockpit isn't magically gonna make me stop wanting to do the rest of it myself, because the part of modelling that appeals to me is exactly what you *don't* get out of simply buying a die-cast model - the pleasure of building it up how *I* want, choosing the paint scheme *I* want and applying it, etc.

I agree.

I absolutely admire a well painted and detailed Cockpit, its amazing to behold.

I continue to work and improve on cockpits but it's not easy and it's very time consuming in proportion to the rest of the build and depending on certain factors may not be easy to view anyway.

I am surprised we aren't seeing more pre painted "drop in" figures since so many struggle with them as well.

I also think people shouldn't turn their noses at some short cuts since they are inevitable as hobbyists age. Think eyesight/hands. Also as they get older with hundreds of kits in the stash, some short cuts before dirt nap time may be prudent. Is it better to never build them or build them with a little help?

Edited by TaiidanTomcat
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One idea I'd had a while back, and I would love to see someone explore it a little further, would be to combine pre-painted or printed photo-etch with resin and/or 3d printed parts. So you'd have a pre-printed photoetch panel with holes that correspond precisely with raised details on a resin or 3d printed part. That way, you just paint the raised switches and or lights the colors they need to be without having to be perfect, then glue the printed panel faces over them. I think with the modern technology available today, it's possible at least for 1/32 scale subject. It may be a little too much to ask for 1/48 and below. but I can see it being a very realistic finished product. Any takers on making them?

Bill

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