Black Art videos

Model Airplane News, Dec 2001 by Yarrish, Gerry

PRODUCT WATCH

DAVE PLATT MODELS

Black Art Videos

"The Jet Set"

Dave Platt is famous for his long and impressive involvement in scale aircraft modeling. After a lifetime of developing his craft, Dave gives us his secrets, tips and techniques for building museum-- scale-quality RC airplanes in the form of his "Black Art" series of videotapes. From selecting a subject aircraft, finding 3-views and engineer ing strong structures and subassemblies to building and detailing models, Dave covers every aspect of this rewarding pastime. With "The Jet Set," Dave adds a new entry to the Black Art library and shows the complete construction of his second turbine-powered Hawker Hunter.

This five-tape series begins with some explanations of the lessons learned from the loss of his first Hunter and includes an impressive and sobering scene of the first jet's crash. Bench work begins then with a discussion of a typical turbine-power system and how all the parts will fit into his model. The tape also includes construction details of the redesigned horizontal stabilizer and elevator control system and how to make a fiberglass fuel tank. Volume 2 highlights the fabrication of the fiberglass air-intake trunk, the basic fuselage construction and planking and the turbine engine installation. As usual, Dave builds his model on a glass tabletop.

Volume 3 shows in great detail Dave's wellthought-out technique for making a scale cockpit interior for the Hunter. Also included are details for the sliding canopy, instrument hood and panel, making instrument bezels and surrounds and the intricately detailed ejection seat and launch rail. This tape is a very useful reference for anyone who builds scale models and wants the ultimate in cockpit detail. I especially liked the segment on drawing your own enlarged instrument faces on drafting Mylar and having them photo-reduced in negative format to produce crisply detailed miniature black-faced instruments with white numbers.

Volume 4 deals with the construction of the large turbine access hatch, completing the fuselage and the beginning of the wing construction. Details are shown for building the split flaps out of G-10 fiberglass material and carbon-fiber arrow-shaft material and hinging the flaps into place so the wing sheeting and trailing edge can be completed. Also shown are outer wing panel construction and plug-in wing tube installation, and nose gear and main retractable landing gear installations.

Volume 5 ends the series and shows great close-ups and an explanation of the final surface detailing and painting of the model. Dave demonstrates panel line and raised hatch replication and talks about masking off areas so you can create raised fairings with several applications of paint. Weathering techniques are also described. The tape concludes at the flying site with Dave showing the turbine engine being started and run for the first time while addressing safety issues for turbine-powered models.

Each video runs for approximately 2 hours. Each tape volume is available individually, but you can save a little money by purchasing the series all at once. The first tape costs $34.95; additional tapes (if ordered together) are $30 each-perfect for the modeler who wants to learn more about scratch-building turbine-- powered jets, or for anyone who wants to learn more about scale model-building techniques. "The Jet Set" is an investment in high-quality instruction. -Gerry Yarrish

Dave Platt Models,1306 Havre NW, Palm Bay, FL 32907; (407) 724-2144; www.daveplattmodels.com.