Spinning Propellers on Aircraft Kits

[AirportsEd]

I've always thought that making the spinning propeller effect by using clear plastic disks and drawing on hazy representations of the prop blades is a very tough job and I hope that one day Airfix may introduce spinning props as an option with their new tool kits. Does anyone else thing that would be a good things for the kit manufacturers to do? Maybe it could be an opportunity for the after market suppliers...?

[peebeep]

Why not make your own? You will need a compass cutter, clear plastic, clear decal film and photo editing or drawing software. I have Paint.net installed on my PC, it's freeware. One of the tools it has is motion blur. Draw some random prop type shapes and apply motion blur. Alternative if you have some good head on pictures of a spinning prop you could sample and manipulate the image as required. Size to the required diameter and print onto clear decal film. Using the compass cutter, cut a disc to the required diameter. Apply the blurred prop decals to the disc and fasten to the prop spinner. Job done.

I have come across blurred prop aftermarket, clear discs and in another case photo etch blurry shapes (surprisingly effective, but the fact that such stuff is not widely available would suggest to me that there's not a great deal of demand for it.

[AirportsEd]

Why not make your own? You will need a compass cutter, clear plastic, clear decal film and photo editing or drawing software. I have Paint.net installed on my PC, it's freeware. One of the tools it has is motion blur. Draw some random prop type shapes and apply motion blur. Alternative if you have some good head on pictures of a spinning prop you could sample and manipulate the image as required. Size to the required diameter and print onto clear decal film. Using the compass cutter, cut a disc to the required diameter. Apply the blurred prop decals to the disc and fasten to the prop spinner. Job done.

I have come across blurred prop aftermarket, clear discs and in another case photo etch blurry shapes (surprisingly effective, but the fact that such stuff is not widely available would suggest to me that there's not a great deal of demand for it.

 

 

Hello, thank you for your reply. Although I have yet to try making my own, I simply thought the kit manufacturers could make a better job of producing them than would be possible with home made items, although that might be purely down to my lack of skill! I haven't seen any aftermarket examples but I will search for them.

[peebeep]

http://www.propblur.com/store/c12/Off-Hub_PropBlurs.html

The reason manufacturers don't make stuff is when they don't perceive them as being commercially viable/profitable, I would think prop blur effects are well within that category.

[Kenneth ONeill]

Aside from anything else, even if we assume that all propellers of diameter D meters are spun at theta degrees per second a 2 blade prop (eg early Spitfire Mk I, Gladiator Mk I) will still look different to the 8 blade props on the latest turboprop transports.

[dogsbody]

Way back when, FROG would add a clear disc to some kits.

Nothing here! See my post below.

Chris

[dogsbody]

Way back when, FROG would add a clear disc to some kits.

https://village.photos/images/user/b8901548-b317-43db-99f2-8ddb73d0179e/24f9d43a-68e0-4928-9357-0eb3c90a8727.jpg

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href=" " title="Temp001-1"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/4762/26264029228_33f41784ee_c.jpg" width="800" height="728" alt="Temp001-1"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Temp001-1 by Chris Eldridge, on Flickr

Chris

 

 

 

 

So! How do I post photos here these days? Which is the best/easiest way?

 

 

Do I still have to wait for one of the admins to give it the OK?

 

 

 

 

Chris

[Ratch]

I don't know what you've done there Chris, but you have to click on the square box and upload from your PC. After submitting (only once please - even when it seems to be doing nothing) a Mod will be along to approve your post.

[dogsbody]

So, no more off-site hosted photos. What a pain!

This is what I tried to post yesterday.

[AirportsEd]

"The reason manufacturers don't make stuff is when they don't perceive them as being commercially viable/profitable."

Er, yes, that goes for everything, but perceptions about what is commercially viable change from one year to the next, otherwise there would never be any new models. Who would have thought that Airfix would produce Lego-like Quickbuild models that represent such a move away from its traditional products...anything is possible, that's why we have wish lists. The point about most spinning props looking different due to the number of blades, and / or RPM speed at which they operated is of course true, but maybe that's another reason why the manufacturers should produce them as they could bring their expertise into play. Thank you for posting those instructions, Dogsbody, I built a few Frog kits many years ago (and still own a few now) but I cannot remember seeing the the prop disc in any of them! Thank you too, Ratch, for the image of the Lysander. It's hard to make out the detail of the prop, but is that a kit that you installed an electric motor in?

[Ratch]

My propeller was spinning in the wind.

In the five or so years that this site has been in existence, I think this is the first time that someone has asked for spinning props, so I don't see a big demand, especially when the modeller could make them from scratch.

[dogsbody]

The Tempest was the only FROG kit I ever had that had the clear disc in it. I think I bought it in about '71.

Chris

[AirportsEd]

The Tempest was the only FROG kit I ever had that had the clear disc in it. I think I bought it in about '71.

Chris

Thanks again, Chris.

[peebeep]

"The reason manufacturers don't make stuff is when they don't perceive them as being commercially viable/profitable."

Er, yes, that goes for everything, but perceptions about what is commercially viable change from one year to the next, otherwise there would never be any new models.

 

 

I was attempting to suggest, in the gentlest possible manner, that you can probably forget about Airfix ever taking up this idea. confused It ain't gonna happen, they don't even include stands these days, the chances of another transparent part that might only have the slightest commercial value, that's a non-starter. If I'm wrong and they do, I'll eat my hat. I have several, I'll give you first dibs on selecting which one I should consume. smile

[AirportsEd]

"The reason manufacturers don't make stuff is when they don't perceive them as being commercially viable/profitable."

Er, yes, that goes for everything, but perceptions about what is commercially viable change from one year to the next, otherwise there would never be any new models.

I was attempting to suggest, in the gentlest possible manner, that you can probably forget about Airfix ever taking up this idea. confused It ain't gonna happen, they don't even include stands these days, the chances of another transparent part that might only have the slightest commercial value, that's a non-starter. If I'm wrong and they do, I'll eat my hat. I have several, I'll give you first dibs on selecting which one I should consume. smile

No problem, pb, I understood the gist of what you wrote. I'm amongst the lesser-skilled modellers, so the idea of having them would encourage me to buy kits and display them as airborne, but perhaps I should have posted my thoughts on the wish list section instead. If Airfix can invest significant sums in Lego like snap together kits, then anything is possible!

Ed

[theplasticsurgeon]

Before the new Airfix 1/72 Tempest appears, here's the old one.

CompassCut disk from some food packaging,assembled between the spinner and the airframe.

I always thought prop-blur is a product of shutter speed photography, which the eye doesn't actually see - hence I don't.

[Jim-374855]

Many moons ago I built a spitfire model (one of the larger ones) and it came with an electric motor that you could turn on and run the propeller. It a shame they don’t make this version anymore.

[Sailorman]

Well, I suppose very few people would want an electric motor. This would push the cost up for the majority of customers. There was a time Airfix sold them separately. There were also Spin-a-Prop motors but I don't have an example.

That makes more sense as you wouldn't have raised the cost of the kit for nothng. I suppose it was not proving worthwhile. After all, small electric motors are a dime-a-dozen.

I don't remember whether this came with my 1:24 Mustang (1st Release) or whether I bought it separately. I know I had planned to use it for the Mustang.

 

[john redman]

The Spitfires and Bf109s that come with the Airfix Blood Red Skies game both come with prop blur propellers.