Just a Thought about Airplane Canopies

Dminor9

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Joined
Apr 3, 2023
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76
I am currently building an Academy 1/72 F15E Strike Eagle. I am to the point of finishing the canopy and was wondering why the model makers do not make the canopy in two pieces. One piece being the clear canopy itself, and the other being the canopy framing which usually has to be painted. I guess it would be similar to car model windshields or motorcycle windshields. With all the new tooling being used, would it be that hard to make this happen? I hate doing canopy painting as I am sure a lot of model builders hate it also. I know moving up to 1/48 or 1/32 would make it easier, but I do not have to the room to display larger models. Just a thought.
 
It would need to be out of super thin , super fragile PE .
Especially in 1/72 .
The modeler would have to bend and attach it with zero gaps .
There is a very tiny market for that . Not cost effective for a manufacturer to do it .

D897_8_491_0004_600.jpg

Just be glad you're not building this thing :

55813c016de35__45274.1703086114.jpg
 
It would need to be out of super thin , super fragile PE .
Especially in 1/72 .
The modeler would have to bend and attach it with zero gaps .
There is a very tiny market for that . Not cost effective for a manufacturer to do it .

View attachment 115366

Just be glad you're not building this thing :

View attachment 115367
Like I said, just a thought. I know it is a pipe dream, but sometimes pipe dreams are nice to think about! And Yes, I would never attempt a model with a canopy as pictured above.
 
It would need to be out of super thin , super fragile PE .
Especially in 1/72 .
The modeler would have to bend and attach it with zero gaps .
There is a very tiny market for that . Not cost effective for a manufacturer to do it .

View attachment 115366

Just be glad you're not building this thing :

View attachment 115367
Think I would like to have a crack at that. What's it called? Pantherman
 
You asking about this ? :

View attachment 115368
Good grief that would probably take me a month to mask that canopy. I find canopy masking to be intense and take many breaks while trying to get a good mask on a canopy. Wearing reading glasses while looking through a small lighted magnifying lamp wears on the eyes quickly. Currently letting some micro mask dry on a canopy now for a bit then up to the bench to do more.
 

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