However, with all of these models (as with all of the A.R.T.F.s), they come with the same set of stickers in every box, and the same colour, so we can soon look forward to loads of models in the pits, not only the same shape, but the same pattern too…

With a little re-working, and imagination, you can turn your moulded, far eastern, same-mobile into a unique, personalised model.

Most of you will have seen Clives’ Mirage 2000, looking non-standard in its’ tiger meet finish. A bit of effort with Tamiya acrylic paints has totally changed it from the bland standard.

I now have five of this type of model, none of which is standard! At the very least I have decorated it differently, eschewing the use of the supplied stickers – anybody with a computer and colour printer can generate their own custom artwork in an evening or two. An advantage of these electric models is that any finish only needs to be weatherproof (unless you get splattered from somebody else’s slimer) So, standard water-based acrylics can be used for painting, Ink-jet printed stickers and car lining tape are all items that we can use for decorating. A fine coat of a water-based polyurethane varnish will seal your work of art against the elements, and prevent dirty finger marks becoming a fixture too!

So, my examples…

GWS BN2 islander
This is their fan-powered version, so it had to be decorated to resemble the Shoreham based full-size! Powered by ‘Dowty propulsors’ it was modified at Shoreham airport in the late 1970’s and was touted around the air shows for a number of years.

Aerofly Hawk
This is another ‘cosmetic change only’. Alterations are limited to paint-by-numbers acrylics and some stickers I found in my ‘useful bits’ box.

Multiplex Twinstar
More cosmetic-only changes – this time the paint is household emulsion, and the sticky artwork is solartrim.

GWS Corsair
All little more effort on this one – changed to represent a Fleet Air Arm machine, I cut 10 mm off of each wing tip (done on the full-size to fit into the hangar deck of Royal Navy ‘carriers)

GWS Formosa
More effort again – this has been covered with glass-cloth & polyurethane varnish, then finished with acrylic paints found in a local DIY store (used for stencilling) Pin striping tape and a sealer coat of varnish finishes off the finish!

So you see – you can easily change the appearance of a mass-produced model, simply by a lick of paint – you can also take it to extreme lengths, as I have done, to produce a truly unique model.

Sticking it together (or back together again…)
You can use a myriad of foam-safe adhesives to stick (or re-stick) your models together – epoxy, cyanoacrylate, PVA, hot-melt glue, UHO-POR – heck, even the stuff that comes in the GWS kits!

An adhesive I have had a lot of success with is Polyurethane. It’s a moisture cure glue that foams during curing, filling any voids (really cool for rebuilding, when you didn’t collect all of the bits of your model from the crash site!) It is designed for gluing rough-sawn timber, but works really well on EPS models.

The make I use is Titebond Polyurethane glue. Unfortunately I haven’t found a local source, so have to go mail order for it, using AXMINSTER TOOLS.

It can also be used as a filler by stirring it up with a tiny amount of water until it starts to foam. Work it into the gaps with a brush or spatula and then stand well back – it expands like crazy! Once it has cured fully (leave a minimum of 4 hours) the solid foam can be cut & sanded like ordinary EPS.

There are a couple of things to be aware of when using this adhesive. Firstly, don’t get it on your hands – it will stick to anything like **** to a blanket! It takes several days of good scrubbing to get this stuff out of your pores…

Secondly, the foaming action is quite strong, so you must clamp the glued items securely – if you don’t, the foam will push the parts apart (Guess how I know this…)

So, hopefully this will have given you a nudge in the direction of DIY to get a personalised model.

Tom Gaskin