Personalize your pilot

Model Airplane News, Jun 2001 by Stilley, Faye

Easy tips to make one-of-a-kind figures by Faye Stilley

MODEL AIRPLANE NEWS

HOW TO Meet Wilhelm. He looks right at home in my Fokker, doesn't he? He didn't look like this at the hobby shop; he looked like a plastic dummy. He definitely needed some "fixing up" to be suitable for a WW I aircraft. An airplane making a low pass looks totally unrealistic if there isn't a pilot figure in the cockpit; the whole illusion is spoiled. Sure, adding a pilot figure is one more thing to do, and because so many figures aren't realistic, you may not think it's worth the effort. But there is a way to fix that problem, and when it's done well, it is both worthwhile and rewarding.

BUILDING YOUR PILOT

1 This is a Williams Brothers pilot figure-they've been around for decades. They are inexpensive, lightweight and simple to finish: just glue the halves together and paint. Original they are not, and they lack the realism that many scale builders desire; however, they are much better looking than some of the things I've seen in airplanes. Some guys cut the heads off rubber bathtub toys or stuffed animals and stick them in the cockpit. Their creations are certainly unique, but there is another way.

For this application, I attached a block of foam to the bottom of the Williams figure because he wasn't tall enough to see over the instrument panel. A block of balsa can be used for the same purpose. To prepare him for the next step in his transformation from William to Wilhelm, file or sand off the flashing around the plastic. Then shape the foam block and blend it with the plastic to form a "body." Use some balsa filler and a couple of coats of epoxy or finishing resin to give the foam a smooth surface for sanding prior to painting.

2 The original pilot figure has a nose that would look cute on a teenage girl but is hardly suitable for a fighter pilot, so I built him a proboscis that a man could be proud of out of Epoxolite-a two-part epoxy putty made by Sig Mfg. Co. As it cures, it takes on the consistency of modeling clay and can be molded into just about any shape you can think of. He also had eyes that were shaped more like those in an Egyptian wall painting than any human's I've ever seen. I added eyelids and some character lines at the outside corners. Epoxolite enables you to be as creative as you like. If you don't get it quite right the first time, it can be carved, sanded, or filed into shape after it cures.

3 The transformation continues. The original figure has a smooth, heart-- shaped face like you would expect to find on a nine-year-old-- just not manly enough for a WW I pilot. Again I used Epoxolite to fill out the face and add a double chin (I figured that between missions these guys enjoyed a lot of schnitzel and beer!). Simply put an approximate amount of putty on the area that you want to change. After a few minutes of cure time, you can shape it with a wet finger or tool (any device you think is the right size and shape). I used toothpicks, Popsicle sticks, a small pocketknife blade, a no. 11 hobby blade and a plastic coffee stirrer, but it is important to keep whichever tool you use wet as you shape the putty.

After I got his face and chin filled out, he just looked like a fat guy wearing a helmet with a tight chin strap-not macho enough to be a rugged fighter pilot. I decided an old-fashioned "soup-strainer" mustache would give the look I wanted. It was simple to make; I just rolled some Epoxolite on a piece of plastic sandwich wrap until I had something that looked like a long hot dog with pointed ends. I rolled it on plastic wrap because Epoxolite is very sticky stuff until it cures, but with the help of some water, you can get it off plastic. Then I just stuck it into place, positioned it with a wet toothpick and trimmed off the ends with a hobby knife. When the Epoxolite was nearly cured, I used a wet no. 11 knife blade to make "hair" lines.

4 The original figure was wearing a long collared shirt, like something you'd expect to see on Elvis in the 1960s. No pilot in his right mind would fly an open-cockpit airplane wearing an unbuttoned shirt with long collars-they would whip around in the wind and beat his face bloody. I built a nice, big, lamb's wool collar that he could pull up around his face on those cold early-morning missions out of a few more globs of Epoxolite smoothed with a wet knife blade. Just before the putty became completely hard, I wrapped eight pins with tape and "prickled" the whole thing to simulate the texture of lamb's wool. Compare this picture with step 1, and you can see how a little putty can add a lot of character to just another pretty face. William has now made the complete transformation to Wilhelm. A paint job is all that is needed to make him flight-ready.

PAINTING THE PILOT

A good paint job on a pilot figure can enhance the overall appearance of any airplane. On the other hand, it can also spoil an otherwise good-looking model. The first step is to get yourself the proper supplies; a few colors of paint and some brushes are all that you'll need, and since hobby paints are available in very small containers, you don't have to buy large quantities or spend big bucks. There are many brands to choose from in all sorts of pre-mixed colors. The largest selection can be found in hobby stores that sell plastic models. "Flat" paints (as opposed to "glossy" paints) are most useful for painting pilot figures because people and their clothes are not usually shiny, though you may want gloss paints for eyes or buttons. You'll need a few small brushes as well; I used sizes 10/0, 5/0, 00 and some ordinary small brushes. Once you've stocked up, it's time to start painting.