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Simulated weight on tires


ericg

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Ok, I have to get this off my chest. I have been seeing a few really nicely done models posted on a Facebook page lately from a few different builders that have not got any weight whatsoever simulated on the tires, ie; no flat spot. These models could pass off as the real thing if they were photographed against a real background. No pretentious over pre/post shading of the panel lines, weathering consistent with an operational airframe rather than something straight from the boneyard and also nicely constructed. When it comes to the wheels/tires, it looks like these parts have been snipped from the sprue, painted and then stuck on the model with no consideration for the fact that they support a heavily loaded aircraft. At first I thought it was the modeler trying to stick to weird interpretation of an 'OOB' rule but these models have had a reasonable amount of aftermarket thrown at them. Is it a new trend like Spanish style or is it something else?

 

Thoughts?

Edited by ericg
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This is the reason why I â¤ï¸loveâ¤ï¸ vinyl rubber tyres.

You get an automatically flattened tyre with the weight of the model

You can display the model suspended or on a shelf (disregarding compressed oleos)

You get a beautifully clean edge between tyre and hub

It's easier to make

 

The Tamiya Mosquito having pre-flattened plastic tyres was a major disappointment. And I mean ***huge***

 

I realise I'm in a tiny minority and that many modeullers consider vinyl rubber too toylike, but they work for me

 

Tony

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Id say OVER flattened can be just as bad as UNDER flattened. I tend to use the flat side of a straight razor to scrape a 100% flat spot on the tires, switching up/varying the directions in which I scrape to keep things 100% flat and even.

 

DEFINITELY need weighted tires on a model though. Any really well built model that doesn't, always looks like a ballerina on her tippy-toes. 

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to simulate weight on a tire, I usually go with a large ammo crate... constructed from basswood, properly painted and marked, and placed carefully atop the tire. I have always felt that ammo crates are the most suitable weight to use for a combat aircraft....

 

Hehehehe. Seriously. I agree that tires should have a little bulge and flat spot on bottom to give the right "look" - which may vary depending on whether it is displayed as pre or post combat - generally just study photos of the real thing and try to reproduce it. As for the 'medium' , I prefer resin tires- I dislike any vinyl types, and can live with molded plastic ... The only rubber tires I've ever liked were those on the Tamiya 1/12 Formula cars.

 

Joe

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This is one of my biggest pet peeves also...

 

I have seen so many otherwise immaculate builds, that were lessened because the "non-flattened" tires are a dead giveaway that I was looking at a 5oz object....

 

It particularly surprises me because flattening the tires a bit is so easy to do.

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Yet another reason why I do my aircraft in the air...don't need to worry about getting that overweight car look..... :piliot:

 

But yes, Eric is right - it takes away from the suspension of belief that what you're looking at is actually real.

 

And shiny tires too - you put all that effort into a decent weathered/worn paintjob, but don't wear the tires?

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It particularly surprises me because flattening the tires a bit is so easy to do.

 

Actually, that's never been the case for me, which is why I've tended to shy away from doing it (despite knowing full well that I should). If I file them, they almost never come out flat or completely perpendicular, which kind of defeats the purpose. Having it done badly is definitely a worse offense than not having done it at all. I haven't tried the heating method described elsewhere since I was a kid, but it's more difficult to do on a 1/32 scale model, since they're usually way larger than your average iron. I guess heating up a foil-covered oven tray might work. Something to try on my next build.

 

Kev

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Actually, that's never been the case for me, which is why I've tended to shy away from doing it (despite knowing full well that I should). If I file them, they almost never come out flat or completely perpendicular, which kind of defeats the purpose. Having it done badly is definitely a worse offense than not having done it at all. I haven't tried the heating method described elsewhere since I was a kid, but it's more difficult to do on a 1/32 scale model, since they're usually way larger than your average iron. I guess heating up a foil-covered oven tray might work. Something to try on my next build.

 

Kev

 

I seem to recall the old Verlinden way was to boil a little water in a pan and while wearing gloves push the wheel down against the pan.

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"To flatten, or not to flatten, that is the guestion: ..."

                                                      Prince Hamlet

 

 

I guess, whatever looks good to you, the builder.

I absolutely agree with the 'your model, your way'. But these builds have been photographed and placed out there for public consumption and I assume public comment and the tires really detract from the overall presentation of the model. Especially since a lot of hard work has gone into the realistic finish of the model which looks brilliant, only to be totally screwed up by the factors listed in my original post.

 

This also ties in with a subject that was brought up a little while ago by someone about the compliment culture inherent in posting models on a public forum. 99% of the comments were positive 'great job' style stuff, yet the moment I mentioned the totally unrealistic nature of the tires someone replied to my comment in a negative nature.

 

I am certainly not someone that sits on the sidelines either. I build my models and research them to the best of my ability, post lots of pics of my build progress and most importantly I try really hard to take good photos of my finished builds (which I do many times each year) and put them online. I do expect that if I messed something up or there is something that I could do better, then I would hope that someone would bring it to my attention rather than say 'good job' for the sake of being nice, only to allow a glaring error to pass for the fear of offending the builder or his followers.

 

Eric.

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Hi Eric, I hear ya,

tires should be flattened to certain degree, that's the whole purpose of it. And yes , there are too many builds with bicycle-wheel look. I even made a jig for my 109s, then lost it and few days back made another one, it is essential, but hey, how many of you guys are thinning prop blades or trailing edges ?

Does it matter, sure, how much, I don't know.

Cheers

Martin

Edited by Martinnfb
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