Everyone needs a hobby right, especially when you are self-isolating and need something to keep your mind fresh. If you are looking for something intriguing, exciting, self-consuming, and yet not too complicated, then airplane models are just the thing for you. These models are popular among kids as well as adults; people of all ages except small kids can build them. These model kits are of particular interest to airplane enthusiasts. This way, airplane enthusiasts can enjoy their passion for airplanes in a cost-effective and fun way.  Building an airplane model is a very inclusive task, so the whole family can get together and participate in the build and have a good family bonding time. These model kits are very useful for sharpening your brain and learning new creative skills. These models can be collected as souvenirs and be given as gifts too. Because of their popularity, you can find an airplane model kit in literally every hobby or toy shop near you. There you will find airplane models of different variety and difficulty.

What are Airplane Models?

Airplane models come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Sometimes these models can be complex too, so if you’re a beginner, it’s better to take things slow and easy. As we know – slow and steady wins the race. This way, you won’t get fed up within days. These airplanes models are accurate scale models of actual aircraft, both commercial and military. Some people are obsessed with scale models. Scale models are the physical representation of any object like an aircraft, yet of very small sizes. Still, they are accurate in the size ratio and all the other important components of the model.

Airplane models come packed with all the necessary parts as well as a manual to ease your experience and guide you in making the model. Reading the instruction is always better as it saves you time and energy in the long run. Though you will need necessary tools that are discussed later on, but other than that, the parts in the model kit are more than enough to complete your airplane model.

How hard is it to start building an Airplane Model?

Relatively speaking, building an airplane model isn’t that hard; it just needs practice. And if you are a beginner, then you should take easier projects and follow the guidelines. There is no reason why you cannot be successful in building an airplane model. All it takes is some concentration and persistence. 

Some of the models that are easy to build are:

• Revell 1:48 P – 51D Mustang 
• HobbyZone Sport Cub S RC Airplane RTF with SAFE Technology 
• Revell B17G Flying Fortress 1:48 Scale, Revell 1: 48 B25J Mitchell
• Funtech RC Airplane Remote Control Airplane 3 Channel with 2.4ghz Radio Control 

If you are building the airplane model for the first time, then you will have some difficulty in understanding the parts and how to keep everything together. It’s better if you go through these instructions rather than getting fed up and destroying your interest:

1. The first thing to do is to keep all the tools that are necessary to build an airplane model, like cutter, hobby knife, glue, and paints near you.
2. When you start cutting the pieces, make sure to cut the extra sprue to avoid any damage, and afterward use sandpaper to neat them. To prevent any misplacement and wastage, only cut as much as you need.
3. Whenever you cut, make sure to put a cutting mat underneath the sprue, otherwise, it might easily damage your furniture, and that’s not something we want.
4. Assemble the components of the airplane model with the help of glue where it is necessary. You can glue the parts together using cement, resin, plaster of Paris, adhesive glue, or even super glue. Wood glue can also be used since it dries quickly but needs extra coating to achieve the required strength.

• • • Before gluing your model, check it for any defection or problems.
    • Clean up the pieces from extra sprue before the gluing so it won’t look like a rough work on the model set.
    • Make sure there isn’t any extra glue sticking out, which might damage the airplane model. Do this work with full focus, and always buy the glue with a nozzle to avoid this mishap.

5. Support your model with clamps and tapes until the glue has dried and achieved the required strength.
6. Checks out all pieces are assembled and which section needs gluing twice.
7. After making sure that the model is complete and all the components are working, the next thing you should do is to enhance your airplane model aesthetically.
8. If you are thinking of painting your model, try water-proof paint and a small size brush. You may use paint spray.
9. Take your time out, paint your airplane model, and leave it to dry for a whole day before applying the stickers that are in the model kit.
10. If your model comes with decals, place the decals in lukewarm water before using it.
11. You can also use varnish if available to give a polish touch to the decals.

Tips to avoid any mishap during scale modeling

Make sure you put all your components in one place to mitigate the chances of misplacing them.

• • • Follow the instructions written in the manual book, carefully.
    • Wearing gloves while gluing the pieces of the airplane model is recommended to avoid it from sticking to your hands.
    • Be vigilant when dealing with them with small components as they get misplaced easily. Keep any small pets or kids away during the build process as they may swallow the small parts.
    • Make sure to be soft and gentle while putting the components together.
    • If you are using cement, then make sure you only make as much as you need; otherwise, the material will be wasted.

How to make building model family-inclusive?

If you’re an adult and are passionate about building airplane models, then there must be one thing you must find hard to do, how to balance family and kids with your passion for model making. Well, the best thing about model making is that it’s inclusive for people of all ages, and there is no reason why you cannot bring your kids and partner on board with this. While making a model you can ask your kids to help you out. Obviously, they won’t be able to do the complicated stuff, but you can include them in jobs like cleaning after you have completed the model, making a toolbox, painting the model, and things that don’t require a huge amount of skill set. Also, teach them the skill set needed to build an airplane model in the way that not only will your kids feel included in your life and won’t feel left out but also over time. They might get a passion for building airplane models. This way, one day, you can build airplane models with your kids and create a family tradition that will go on.

What to expect inside the box?

Even though most of us have seen airplane model kits boxes in different toy and hobby stores, we still don’t know what to expect once we buy them. If you are a beginner, then the model kits might look half finish to you. Inside the box, you will find a plastic bag or two, having several things like runners or sprues. If it is a plastic model, then you can identify the parts quickly while the same cannot be said of models made up of balsa wood. So if you are a beginner, it’s better to start with plastic models first. You may notice parts like propellers, wings, and tails quickly. A model for beginners might contain 15-20 pieces while kits for complex models usually contain 200-300 pieces which are very hard to identify. Another thing you will find inside the box is the detailed step by step instructions on how to build the airplane model. You will need at least a basic set of tools, a small paintbrush or two, some glue, some paint, and a decent workspace.

What is the average cost to build an airplane model and where to buy these airplane models?

Prices for airplane models vary between models and sizes. If you are just starting, we suggest you get a simple and easy model. You can get simple models for around $10-$15. After practicing on these and getting the hang of things, you may try complex models that cost about $20 to $50. The difficulty levels of the model are written on the boxes, so do read that before buying and don’t be deceived by the size of the model as smaller models can be more complex with smaller components that are harder to fix and understand.

You can find airplane models in any toy or hobby shop near you, and if you feel like they don’t offer enough variety or meet your specific criteria, you can always look online. The Internet is filled with numerous websites that offer a variety of exciting airplanes models that you will love. Some brands are more popular because of their modeling service and quality of products such as Revell. You can find a variety of different airplanes at Airplane models at Amazon at reasonable prices.

What to do with airplane models once you make them?

Once you get a hand of building airplane models, you will find yourself investing the majority of your free time in this hobby. But what do you do once you make them; these airplane models are too fragile to be left lying about in the house. The best thing to do is to paint them and keep them in a showcase in your drawing-room. This way, they will be kept safe, clean, and also give an aesthetic look to your drawing room. You can custom build showcase from any local carpenter or order them online, just make you get the right size, and the models fit perfectly.

The other thing that can be done is that airplane models can be sold online; you can post your work online on different websites like eBay and make some money out of this endeavor. Or you can go to your nearby scale store and put them on display to be sold, or you can post them in some magazine. To sell your models for a higher price, you should paint your airplane models in a way that makes them stand out from the rest and make an immediate impression on the buyer. This way, not only will you be enjoying yourself and sharpening your brain but also making some money out of your favorite hobby. I don’t think anything can be better than this.

Another thing you can do after you are done with these airplane models is that you can gift them to your near and dear ones as decorations as you know these models aren’t just aesthetically pleasing but also enjoyable to look at. This will also please your relatives that complain about you not meeting them. Since you’re busy building airplanes models.