seatbelts in model aircraft

[Guest]

hey there fellas

was wondering how you all do the seatbelt strapping,have been looking all over here can`t find any hints please please help,i just think it looks so nice

thnx mobear aka ole

[Guest]

Hi mobear there is a couple of ways, 1st is what I do some times is to use some tamiya masking tape cut to look like seat belts. The other is to use Photo etched items from Eduard. Hope that helps.

[Guest]

thnx james it totally helps now i`ll be able to make them look good and not paint silly lines

thnx ole

[Guest]

Your welcome

[stona]

You've got essentially three options.

You can make your own from tape or foil (the stuff off a wine bottle is ideal)

You will have to bend some fine wire to represent the varios catches and buckles. It's doable at 1/48 and 1/32,just about. Most of us mere mortals are really going to struggle in smaller scales.

You can buy photoetch belts,often pre-painted,for all major scales. They come in some high end kits as standard. They are an easy enough option,you really only have to bend and glue them in.

You can buy belt sets in which you will get all the little photoetch buckles etc and,usually,pre-cut lengths of paper belt material. These are tricky to assemble but,particularly in larger scales look the dog's danglies.

This is the method I most often use.

Here's a set from RB productions (Radu Briznan)

They are the late war,green "Orlon" belts fitted to some Luftwaffe aircraft.

Here are the assembled shoulder straps to give you an idea of scale,and what a fiddle they are,even at 1/32!

Here's some traditionally coloured Luftwaffe ones,unusually over a pilot

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Oh my goodness, well what can i say?all these ideas and that last one is such an eye opener,i never had any incling that these were doable or buyable thankyou so so very much fellas.

cheers ole aka mobear

[Ian M]

Those belts as :censor: amazing Steve. Who sells them?

The biggest problem I always have is how wide to make them. Any one have suggestions or maybe knows the full size widths of the straps.

Ian M

[Guest]

hey Ian long lost dane heres the address i found for them RB Productions Store, Scale models and accessories by Radu Brinzan hope it helps in some way

[Ian M]

Thank for that mobear.

Ian M

[stona]

That's the ones Ian/Mobear. I don't think he does them in any smaller scales. If he did it would be a waste of time for me as I can just about thread the 1/32 versions!

As a 'by the way' for anyone considering having a bash with these I use 'Gator's Grip' to glue them,which is basically PVA. It says on the destructions not to but I've done several sets with no problems (apart from going cross eyed!)

Cheers

Steve