Cockpit Detail Why?

Rittersbach · 13 May 2007, 07:43 AM

Greetings All:

I was wondering why some of you fine builders go to the length and painstaking detail and accuracy when building your cockpit when all the lovely work will never been seen by anyone but you when you are building it. I can understand if you are doing an open fuselage where it can be seen. But why go to that detail, when it's going to be covered up?

IMO, roughly 40% of some of Eduards profipack kits and photoetch parts are for cockpit detail. Is that why the "weekend edition" kits are so popular?

bobs_buckles · 13 May 2007, 08:13 AM

Hi Rittersbach,
I speak for myself and not for the others.

For me, its all about enjoying what I do. I like the idea of adding something that was not in the box and pushing myself further with every new build. I do keep it to things that can be seen. Cockpit sidewalls is one of them.

Things you won't see me doing when building my DVII is super detailing the engine. There is no point unless I was thinking of opening up the engine inspection covers - I'm not!

Enjoy what you build, build what you enjoy!
Simple

Bob Von Buckle
VC & Bar bar bar

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rittersbach

Greetings All:

I was wondering why some of you fine builders go to the length and painstaking detail and accuracy when building your cockpit when all the lovely work will never been seen by anyone but you when you are building it. I can understand if you are doing an open fuselage where it can be seen. But why go to that detail, when it's going to be covered up?

IMO, roughly 40% of some of Eduards profipack kits and photoetch parts are for cockpit detail. Is that why the "weekend edition" kits are so popular?

Lufbery · 13 May 2007, 08:20 AM

Hello Rittersbach,

Well, some people don't add detail where it's not going to be seen.

I tend to fall halfway between the "don't add it if it won't be seen" and the "I'm going to build, paint, and detail everything" camps. I like fitting pieces together that won't be seen in the final product because it gives me a better sense of how the real item was built. On the other hand, if it's not going to be seen, I won't spend a lot of time on it.

The best part of WWI aircraft, though, is that so many of them have open cockpits, which makes it easy to see cockpit detail, even in 1/72 scale.

Regards,

Ocsi · 13 May 2007, 08:28 AM

I was wondering why you ask this

Mostly you have an exellent view into the cockpit and if you build a Roden kit out of the box the cockpit simply looks naked. And so you start to add things and then it never ends.

Then, if you have a model and can look from all directions you will see much more than you have in pictures published in the internet.

And finally, it is the challenge. With rising skills you will no longer except kits with lesser than 30 pieces

Regards
Öcsi

Sreiko · 13 May 2007, 08:28 AM

To detail or not to detail... it is a mater of the personal feeling. Long time ago I have make scratchbuild of Spitfire in 1/72. Cut the wings, make it open as Seafire model, open engine bay, make engine, complete interior with all possibles pipe included...

Today I am 40 old and my sense is different. It is far enough if the manufacturer provide extra detail but if not... just out the pilot inside and this will cover all details inside. But something have to be made outstanding- external view. All have to be in place, even smallest bit and painting as best as possible.

So- to detail or not to detail [ I think that Hamlet would say this better

]

Rob_Owens · 13 May 2007, 08:42 AM

especially for those old 1/28 Revell kits (and that 1/32 Falcon Vac D.VIII, which came with a cut 'n fold paper cube for the cockpit) for which even the available PE is pretty sparse.
Besides, one can never be quite sure exactly what's going to be visible on the completed model, so a tiny interior detail peeking out from behind something else adds a big "Wow!" factor.

JohnReid · 13 May 2007, 08:47 AM

"Modeling for God" Yes I do it on occasion but with dioramas I cheat a bit by taking lots of pics before I put it all together.Why? I have no idea.

BuzPezold · 13 May 2007, 10:40 AM

To make this response simple!

Because I know it's there!

However, in 1/72 one can get away with more (or less) than in larger scales, but I don't think that "memo" ever got to Alberto Casirati.

Later!

Buz

Tom L. · 14 May 2007, 05:49 PM

I doubt that I'm the only one who feels that once you've gone to lengths to detail those hard to see places, letting them go undetailed in later builds feels...wrong.

austin08 · 14 May 2007, 08:28 PM

Speaking for myself,
I find that there is also a certain amount of self education involved in building a kit that involves interior structural detail - i'm slowly in the process of buying structural plans - which involves learning how to read the plan itself

-so I find that to have the physical object/structure & crosschecking on plans is leading me to a greater understanding of the aeroplanes involved