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Has anybody ever built and used Fiddlers Green paper models for Wings of War?
http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/
The models look nice and might fill a gap for those that won't be put out as minis. If anybody has used them, how does one scale the models (when printing them) so that they turn out the same 1/144th scale as the minis?
You would just have to figure out a percentage that would convert either N Scale (1/160) or Z Scale (1/220). Those are the closes two that their products come in. They also come in HO scale (1/87.1).
Several people did it, scaling them to 1/144. Some details here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/556614
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/556615
http://images.boardgamegeek.com/images/pic556614.jpg
http://images.boardgamegeek.com/images/pic556615.jpg
(a WoW Camel has been added to the left for comparison).
Nice find! I have to say that the price of the minis is prohibitive for me:( - the Alternate Seat Of Government just wouldn't wear my popping 120 quid on little aeroplanes.
Question for those in the know - how much cheaper would unpainted unfinished models be? (like the bare sprues in the Col's interview with AA)
While i like the simplicity of the fiddler's green models, I am not too fond of the colours used. On the otherhand I'm currently working on one of Paper Warbirds Sopwith Camel's. They have 4 downloads in 1/72 scale for free (sopwith camel, belgian hanriot, swiss hanriot and sikorsky sxiv) The are a bit more detailed and better built at larger scale, but I'm finding it an interesting challenge at 1/144. Will post a pic when it is done, i just am doing it in B&W since it is a test piece, but if it turns out well will do it in colour.
Paper Warbirds can be found at http://www.paperwarbirds.com/
If you into making your own WW1 models, give skytrex a go,Quote:
Originally Posted by AlgyLacey
http://www.skytrex.com/
If its WW2 your into, try looking up a seller on EBay (Called "Mehusla", shop's name is "1/144 Direct") He sells loads of pre-painted 1:144 minis. If you'd rather make and paint them from scratch, have a look at "Sweet" models, there a Japanise company that make great model kits
What ever you go for, you'll need to get flying bases and altertude pegs, for these, have a look at Litko
http://www.litkoaero.com/page/LAI/CTGY/AFS
You'll need to drill and fix a rod (Brass or plastic) into the undercraft to fit into the altertude pegs.
To be honist, buy the time you've got all the kit together (aircraft, modeling tools, paint and bases ect) it will probably work out cheeper to of just paid for the WOW/DOW minis in the first place, unless your really into making models.
As I've said elsewhere, I've made Fiddler's green Fokker D.VIII and Brisfit so far and think they look fine in 1/144 (and in 1/32 as I'm thinking of printing BIG cards and doing WoW in the garden during a barbeque).
I've also made skytrex: Nieuport 11, Nieuport 17, Sopwith triplane, Se5A, Pfalz D.III, Rumpler and Hanriot, and reviresco Fokker E.III, Siemens-schuckert D.III, Breguet BR14. As far as I can tell they all look fine (although some take a bit of holding together while the glue sets).
I agree Mehusla is great as are several Hong Kong based e-bayers who will get planes to you within 2 weeks (recently got 6 Me109 E7 and E3 for £2 each including postage).
I like the 1/144 japanes prepaints (I've got 3 Spitfire I, 14 early Me109, 3 hayabusa, 4 Zeroes, 4 warhawks, 3 Ki61, 4 Ki100, 2 Ju87B).
I've found Sweet models are easy too and sometimes have a wide range of decals included (I've done 6 Hurricane I - 2 british, 2 belgian, 1 Romanian, 1 Finnish; also 2 Wildcats). I've also made a Ki61 from a kit from "Crown" which fits in scale with the 3 prepainted ones.
I've made a Fiddler's Green paper Fokker D VII, I used plastic rod for the struts and plastic for the wheels. It turned out well.
Search around on the Fiddler's Green sight for info on the WSAM (World's Smallest Air Museum) that tells you how to convert the scale of the models. Fiddler's Green makes each model to fit a sheet of paper, so each one is in a diferent scale. WSAM is a constant scale, I don't remember what it is exactly, but each model has a WSAM number that you use to convert to the standard scale, then from that scale you can convert to 1/144th or what ever scale you want to use.
I print out the paper plans and measure the wingspan and length of of the plane. I then look up those dimensions of the real aircraft and apply the scaling factor that would bring the plans down to 1/144 scale.
That'd work out too. I also found out that depending on the printer, you may have to correct for reduction in size. I did compare the paper D VII to a WoW D VII to make sure the paper one was the correct dimentions. It was pretty close.
Fiddlers Green also have a prop disc picture that you can print on acetate to look a bit like a spinning propellor. I've used it (using a scaling factor based on the real diameter of the respective props) on my 2 Fiddlers Green planes, Reviresco Fokker E.III, BR14 and SS D.III, and Skytrex SE5A and Pfalz. I can't be bothered breaking off the blades from my other planes just to add this though!