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FOREWORD
It
may seem strange but one of the more difficult things about
writing this book as to decide upon a title. The term 'plastic
modelling' to most people means plastic kit toddling and whilst
a section is included which deals with kits and methods of
improving tern, the book as a whole is concerned with the
modelling of aeroplanes mostly of the early ays of flying,
using plastic materials, which is rather different. The scale
model aircraft obby is as old as the aeroplane itself, arid
the only new thing is the range of materials now available.
There
are basically two types of plastic modeller; the first is
the man who has been building rnodels for many years, probably
starting in the days of 'solids' when wood had to be cut,
shaped, sanded and filled. He may have used balsa or even
cardboard and when plastic kits arrived on the scene he merely
took them in his stride. He is the type who is nost likely
to have dabbled in plastic card modelling. As far as he was
concerned, plastic was merely a new medium and he found that
all his previous experience helped him to adapt to it. Building
models in the old days was a long and laborious task and there
were few aids to make it easier. This engendered adaptability
and a talent for improvisation which most experienced modellers
possess.
The other type of modeller and the most numerous today is
the man or boy who never really built a model until the plastic
kit arrived on the scene. His skill with kits is Frequently
of a high standard but he is restricted by the kit, he must
have the parts made For him, even when he modifies or alters
he must search for other kit parts and he will 'ven buy special
'conversion' kits to help him. He does not lack talent nor
imagination as tong as it is within the milieu of the plastic
kit.
For many years, I, like many others, modelled on my own until
I decided to join the International Plastic Modellers Society.
This was beneficial from the start both socially and from
a modelling point of view. Almost all of my models in recent
years have been plastic card creations built from scratch
and I was surprised by the interest and the questions I was
asked and am still being asked about methods of construction.
It is in an effort to answer many of these questions that
this book has been written, but more than that. My main aim
is to liberate the plastic modeller from the kit, to ~ow him
what can be done and to assure him that the satisfaction he
may get from his kit model is nothing compared to that he
would experience from 'free' modelling. If he has the skill
to build a good model out of a kit then he has enough to launch
into plastic card modelling. What he must lose is his dependence
on the 'instant' component, he must learn to make his own.
There
are many techniques in plastic card modelling and I do not
claim to include all of them in this book. However, all the
techniques have been used by me and when there is more than
one method of doing something I have included the one that
has had the best result although it may not necessarily be
the easiest.
The book is concerned almost entirely with 'vintage' aeroplanes
and as far as I am concerned this covers the period from the
Wright Brothers to the end of Worid War 2. The techniques
described can, of course, be applied to all models and not
just model aeroplanes. For exarnple, those AFV modellers who
laboriously stick six or seven layers of plastic card together
and carve it and sand it as though it were a wooden block
may find that it is far easier to mould a tank turret, and
far quicker. Car bodies can be made in the same way and many
of the techniques can apply to warships (one mould, six turrets
- all identical - for instance).
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