# Never tried a model need advice?



## bigtom (Mar 24, 2012)

I have always wanted to do a plane model and I picked out an Academy 1/144 F-4E Phantom II model. 

here is a link that shows it and might explain my question better.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LX0442&P=7

The model description says what it needs but I am completely stumped as to what to do about the paint. I couldn't find any place on the site that listed Light Green FS or Green FS or any of the other paints listed in the marking section. I did find several different greens and such that look like they would be okay but I have no any idea how much paint I need. Is a 1/2 ounce bottle of each color enough or do I need several bottles? Also is Enamel paint the right kind for a plastic model plane? 

Thanks for the advice.


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## MightyMax (Jan 21, 2000)

I believe they did not completely fill in the directions. FS is short for Federal Standard. The Government has a paint chip book available with every imaginable color shade called the FS595. Each shade is assigned an FS#. The government uses colors to paint their equiptment and they are matched to the FS595 color chips. So by simply taking the color green FS123456 you will match the exact shade of that green, or grey or blue, etc. The FS595 used to be a freebie upon request from the GSA office. They now for the last several years been charging an obscene (imho) amount for it. If you have the actual instructions it may have the FS#'s then go here and plug in that # http://www.colorserver.net/

It aint an actual FS595 but it is a useful and free tool that will guide you.

If you don't have the actual FS# let me know and I will see if I can come up with the #'s you need. It looks like a standard South East Asia (SEA) scheme

Good luck

Max Bryant


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## bigtom (Mar 24, 2012)

I dont have any info on the model other than what the site lists. I haven't ordered it yet I am in a small town in the pacific north west I wouldn't be able to find any supplies in town so I need to figure out everything I need to assemble the model before I order lol. 

I am a total noob so if you can tell me what to throw into the online shopping cart including the quantity needed to complete that model so it looks half way decent id be appreciative.


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## MightyMax (Jan 21, 2000)

Hey Big Tom,

I assume since you say total noob that you don't plan on airbrushing this thing. So you will need a couple of nice quality paint brushes. The model kit you are looking at is in 1/144 scale which would make it approximately 4 inches long. Yes a 1/2 ounce bottle of paint should be plenty. If you plan on using acrylic paints you will just need water to clean your brushes. If you use enamel you will need some brush cleaner or just head down to your hardware store and buy a small can of mineral spirits.
For the glue. Most modelers use liquid cement nowadays or cyanoacryate (super glue).
I would think since you are a noob just go ahead and get the tube of testors model cement. Most of us started with that old standbye but moved into other glue once we advanced our skills.
You will need the following paint plus some black, red and white paint. You will need Med Grey FS34102, Dark Grn FS34079 Dark Tan FS30219 and Grey FS36622. Bear in mind military planes are finished in flat (not glossy) paint so the paints with the FS# will be flat the black red and white may also need to be flat. Also get yourself an Excel or Exacto knife with a couple of #11 blades. You will use these to cut parts off the trees as well as cleanup of any plastic bumps and burrs. You can get a sprue cutter that you can use to cut the parts from the sprue trees but that is a luxury that you can buy later. The knife will be your best friend. While you are at the hardware store buy an assortment of emery (black, waterproof sandpaper) you will probably need 600 grit for most modeling sanding jobs and can go to a higher grit to polish out the scratches if need be. I hope this helps

Cheers
Max


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

Also Testors has a line of FS paints they call Model Master, and they are available in enamel or acrilic and come in 1/5 ounce jars with some of the enamels in cans of spray paints.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The Model Master colors you need for the SEA Camo scheme are Camouflage Grey, Dark Tan, Dark Green, and IIRC Medium Green. Additionally you will need small quantities of Flat Black, Steel, and Gloss White. A 1/144 Phantom is TINY so one jar of each color will paint 10 of them.

I like painting with enamels, but you can also use acrylics. Testors makes all of the colors in both types of paint. I use a lot of acrylics also, but do not like the Testors ones very well.

I never got around to finishing this 1/72 Hasegawa F-4E but its done with Tamiya's USAF spray paints and some Tamiya masking tape. Tamiya makes all of the 'Nam colors in their AS series of spray paints.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

A great place to order models and supplies id www.squadron.com.

If you put the FS number into the search box, it should take you to a selection of available paints in that color.

I personally prefer Testors ModelMaster enamels, but other people prefer the acrylics. It's up to you which to try. For enamels, you'll need a jar of thinner to clean the brushes. Acrylics clean up with water.


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## bigtom (Mar 24, 2012)

Thanks for the advice on what to buy I got two f-4E Phantoms and all the paints listed along with the glue and a number 11 knife All together it ran me 39 bucks +10 for shipping. Hopefully it turns out well and I develop a new hobby to tinker with in between college classes.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Good start. Nice thing is that you quickly amass a collection of paints, tools, etc. so kit building becomes cheaper.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

You can also quickly amass a collection of models to build! Oy vey!


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

Remember when the store used to ask "do you want glue and paint with that?"


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

Every so often I'll go out to Hillsboro hobbies and get a model and the old guy on the register will ask me if I need any glue, paint or any thing else.


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## bigtom (Mar 24, 2012)

I think it would be great if we had store in town and be able to look at something before I buy. I did a search and I couldn't find anything within 45 miles so my only options until after college is done is online shops.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

I remember buying glue and being asked if I was going to build a model or sniff the glue. :freak:


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## Dave621955 (Aug 22, 2010)

John P said:


> I remember buying glue and being asked if I was going to build a model or sniff the glue. :freak:


Your ageing yourself there John ... but I remember that same question being asked to me.


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## bigtom (Mar 24, 2012)

lol I have no intentions of sniffing anything that's never been my scene which is good since I'm a Criminal Justice major^^


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## MitchPD3 (Dec 27, 2001)

Hmmm, criminal justice major. Sounds like a LEO in the making!


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## bigtom (Mar 24, 2012)

That's the plan. Hopefully in about a year when I finish up my degree there will be a better job market for police and law enforcement. One of my professors is a chief of police for the town next to ours and he just had to lay off 2 officers from an all ready short handed station.


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## MitchPD3 (Dec 27, 2001)

I'm the Chief of Police in our town and so far we have been lucky. No lay offs and we already had one raise for the year. 23+ year veteren so I could talk "Cop" for hours. PM me if you have any questions.

Now back to our regularly scheduled thread.


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## bigtom (Mar 24, 2012)

I think I found a new hobby. The models came in the mail and I got the main fuselage put together. I am having a good time even if the instructions leave a lot to be desired lol. I can see my self doing these models for years to come. 

I would love to take a crack at a flying RC Plane some day. Does anyone know how long a plane like the Thunder Tiger Hawk 1500 1.5m Glider or a Super Cub / super cub micro would fly for with electric batteries? And on the subject of batteries how long does it take to charge a lipo battery to a full charge in between flights?


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

And another one hooked! Eeeexcellent!


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

SteveR said:


> Remember when the store used to ask "do you want glue and paint with that?"


I bought a kit some time last year in one of the few remaining local model shops, and was asked if I needed glue or paints - nice traditional standards, though I think it's the crippling recession that spurred the question. Unfortunately, since supplies of glue have been unreliable for years now, I tend to buy lots of tubes in one go, so I didn't need to buy any with the kit.


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## bigtom (Mar 24, 2012)

I stayed up way to late but I got the whole model put together. I am pretty happy with the project it looks like a F-4E Phantom II it just needs a paint job and it will be finished. I had a blast putting it together and hopefully the painting goes as well as the construction. 

Lol I got a drop of Testors Cement on my t-shirt will that come out in the wash or did I just get my first designated shirt to wear when making future models?


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## Steve244 (Jul 22, 2001)

nope that ain't coming out in the wash...


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Steve244 said:


> nope that ain't coming out in the wash...


heck, you can't be doing a good job unless you get glue on something... shirt, chair, counter top, the dog...


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## bigtom (Mar 24, 2012)

I got it all painted with 2 coats and I think it looks pretty good and I am as happy with it as I can get. I still have a very small decal sheet and I cant figure out how to apply it it says to cut it off the sheet dip in water and apply. I cut off a small corner dipped it in water and it didnt stick to anything and it looks identical to the rest of the sheet just with out the detail. How to do this before I ruin my paint job and screw up the decals?


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

One of the quick ways my wife and I can tell whose sweatshirt is whose is by the paint and glue stains on, well, ALL of mine.


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## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

Flying RC airplanes huh? I did that for almost 10 years. 

First, RC airplanes are dangerous and safety must be the first concern. also, don't start with a 'toy' type airplane, or you will never be able to get the hang of 4 channel models. there are RC Flying clubs all over, and I would suggest joining it along with joining the Academy of Model Aircraft for insurance. The club will require some sort of special insurance to fly at their site. They also will give you help and instruction as you learn to fly safely.

Usually, someone else will determine if the airplane you brought can be learned with. A ducted fan jet would be a bad idea, but a tricycle gear, wing over trainer would be OK. A tail dragger is a little more of a handful, especially taking off from a paved surface. 

They will take off your plane for you, trim it so you can start to do gentle circles in the sky, first to the right, then to the left and then figure 8's. Then you will learn to fly the pattern and do landing approaches and loops and rolls. lastly, you'll learn take-offs and how to deal with an engine out so you'll be able to get your model back safely. 

Your instructor(s) may yank the transmitter out of your hands or take control with a buddy cable to save your plane if possible.

The new small electric airplanes from EFlight and such are lightweight, and use very tiny servo's and are delicate, so they aren't really beater planes. They use a "Bind and Fly" system on the 2.4 GhZ band like cell phones n such. A Transmitter(say a DX6i) will be fine for up to 9 different models! 

The LiPo batteries charge up in less time than the old NiCads, and the smallest 3.7v types can even be charged up with a 4D cell portable charger. The TT 1500 isn't a good 1st plane with V tail being a little weird to learn. A 25 size foamy would be a better choice. Like the Advance 25e by E-flite.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

You will want to cut around each decal. The decals are printed on a carrier film that has a water activated adhesive. When you dip each decal in warm water and let them sit a minute, the adhesive softens and you can slide the decal off of the backing paper onto your model. its usually good to apply the decal onto a drop of water so you can float it around a bit to get it positioned correctly. Then, carefully wick up the water and press the decal down with a paint brush. 

There are products like Micro Set and Micro Sol that help position and fix decals in place. Decals also stick better to gloss paint so many modelers will apply a clear gloss coat to the model first, apply decals, then add a clear flat coat if necessary.


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## wrk-N-prgrss (Mar 31, 2007)

i built model airplanes almost exclusively when i was growing up. i did not have an airbrush to use for cammo patterns either. one of the things i found to be and extremely effective method to getting that feathered look on the edges of the cammo where the different colors meet was dry brushing very lightly right around the edges. made some really good patterns using this method. recommend finding something to practice it on before using it on your model though. good luck to you. look forward to seeing your first model.


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## airrover (Apr 13, 2012)

Introduce a shop to you, there you can find some part for the plane: www.hobbyrover.com


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