Bob Isaack's Model P-51B Warbird

In this issue of Spotlight we present the handsome free-flight models born of Bob Isaack’s talent. Here, Bob describes how he created his outstanding detail work. This P-51B was scratch-built from Mike Midkiff plans. The details were rendered with fairly simple techniques, as follows:

This model was covered with JCI tissue (olive drab) and doped with nitrate dope. The white letters were cut from Coverite “Coverlite” synthetic tissue, and applied with nitrate thinner. The thinner must be used very sparingly to prevent the dark color from shining thru the light colored tissue.

 

Bob Isaack's Model P-51B Warbird

Control surface markings (white) were added using a Pentel “Milky” gel roller pen acquired from an art supply store. This was also the technique used to add panel markings; this system looks good on aircraft covered with “dark” tissue.

The windows to the rear of the cockpit are glued to the inside of a piece of 1/64 plywood wrapped over the front and rear formers. This gives a realistic “lip” or edge to those windows.

 

Bob Isaack's Model P-51B Warbird

The inside rear of the cockpit was painted with Modelmaster zinc chromate green. The German “Kill” markings came off the internet – I simply printed the page, cut the markings out, and glued them on white glue. The antenna at the rear of the cabin was made with .006″ monofilament fishing line.

The Mustang does 90 seconds on 5 loops of 1/8” supersport, and will be flown in the FAC Scale event at Geneseo.

 

Here are a few more models Bob built, using the same detailing techniques:

 

This Swiss EKW-3603 WWII fighter was scratchbuilt from a Bill Henns plan. It regularly does 2 minutes on three loops of 1/8” supersport rubber, and is being saved for WWII mass launch at Geneseo this year.

 

This Bearcat is from a Dumas laser cut kit. It does a little over a minute on four loops of 1/8”supersport rubber, and is still being “tweaked.”

1 Comment to “Bob Isaack’s Warbirds”

  • Nice plane, i can’t believe you still have JCI Tissue, it hasn’t been made for years now.

Help support SFA