FAQ 2 - Aircraft Scale Modeling By Daniel Zamarbide

[Fran]

 

 

FAQ 2

Aircraft Scale Modeling

By Daniel Zamarbide

 

 

To get one just click here.

 

A few years ago, Daniel Zamarbide publish the FAQ1 published by AK Interactive.

The FAQ book was previous release as a AFV and Diorama modelling book. The FAQ1 was the first in deep large book for aircraft, since a long time, as the best that were available were form the great master Juan Manuel Villalba and other series books from another manufacture.

So, the FAQ was very welcome into the modelling aircraft community.

Time was past and modelling world and techniques seen some evolution and new perspective but also new products arrived into our bench.

A new FAQ is more than welcome. FAQ 2: Aircraft Scale Modeling by Daniel Zamarbide, published by AK Interactive in July 2025 with official release in World Model Expo 2025, Versailles, that took place in July.

This second edition clocks in at an impressive 568 pages of softcover directed by my good friend Daniel Zamarbide and featuring contributions alongside other international modelers.

 

 

This book targets every single aircraft modeler both novice hobbyists dipping their toes into aircraft modeling and seasoned builders seeking advanced weathering tricks or even master ones everyone can learn from this fantastic book!

Opening the book the index tells us how deep this book goes covering almost all aspect of aircraft modeling, dividing all the parts of making a model in chapters and in each chapter sub-chapters with more detail and specific area, making very easy to follow.

 

 

The first chapter is “Assembly, Preparation, and Materials”. You could think that chapter is a small one but it goes from page 9 to page 59 and goes from the evolution of modeling, plastic quality, Photoetched and the first tips, cutting moving surface or how to fix pour fitting fuselage. I really like the part of making positive panels and denting panels. Great tips of a hard task of making raised panels or even worse, destroyed planes!

 

Along this, I found quite interesting the resin model kit chapter.

Unfortunaly, there’s nothing about vacuform model kits.

 

Passing to the next chapter, “Transparencies”. And it begins with the author sanding hard a canopy with no fear! And bring it to a very shining and clear canopy. The chapter gives you all the insights and tips to work with canopies in the best way.

 

 

The next big chapter – “Concepts prior the Painting Phase”.

Here we are given a deep dive into colour and the several types of colour (acrylics, enamel, laquers, inks, watercolours pencils) and how you should work with them, with several stepy-step to get the best of paint or the subtle effects of the watercolours pencils.

 

 Also a special look into the masking as a modulation color technique and not only as a masking canopy.  

 

 

 

 

 

The next one is “cockpit detailing and painting” and get all type of cockpits (well almost) with a prior introduction of what is wanted to achieved.

 

 

So the first are wooden cockpit, then WWI cockpit (yes it`s not the same),

 

scratchbuild cockpit (very very good tips here)

 

and modern cockpits (jet and helicopters)

 

 

Probably a 1:72 civilian (airliner) cockpit example would be great on this matter.

 

The next one is for me, probably the best part of the new FAQ2.

 Engines!

 

 

Not only gives you lots of tips how to improve the detail of your engine and painting tips and techniques but also gives historical evolution of the rotary, radial, inline and “v” type engines. Now, that is great.

 

 

 

 

Beside that, a full painting example of each and the aircraft is goes ( no all but the main ones)

Next it goes to jet and helicopter engines with very good painting jobs and how to get it alongside the detailing part.

 

 

 

 

 

The next chapter is the interior parts.

 

So what are the interior parts in this FAQ2?

 

All but not the cockpit.

So, on this chapter the author gives us several tips od detailing the wheel bays, avionics compartments, weapons bay etc.

 

 

 

 

 

And he won’t leave without painting techniques to these specifics’ places and prior to that, a few add up that make it much more real.

 

 

On this chapter, while not an interior part, a tutorial about to make new a realistic pitot is also given alongside of a entire sub-chapter for super-detailing.

 

 

A side note here, and I will mention later. I`m not given any clue of the techniques used or I will put any picture with the entire technique. For that, you will need to get the fantastic book

 

 

Moving on, the chapter 7 “Painting and weathering tecnhiques”

 

 

Here, its all about pre-shading, pre-paneling (yes, it´s different and it works), paneling and post-shading. Well this chapter is utter fantastic as Daniel is a master in these techniques so there’s a lot to learn and drink from all the imagens and text.

 

 

 

Now an “odd” chapter, the number 8 – “effects by zone”.

 

But when you start, it very easy to understand – wings fuselage joints, engine covers (fairings), and these are the details that make the difference.

And the first effect showed is the “wear and chipping on wing-fuselage joints”. Well, this area is a must weathering zone to all aircrafts, specially militaries and Daniel makes it so realistic, using several techniques, like pencils and/or oils.

 

The next is fairings (basically, engines zones) and gives a full step by step with heavy weathering on a Polikarpov I-16 and in a P-51.

 

Passing to “fades and contrasts through wear”. In this sub-chapter is the one for more experience modeler, or modeler that want to do bring their models to the next step! Is not chipping, or dirt by its own, scratches.. no! “Simply” wear panels, faded panels by the sun and nature elements. Great stuff in this.

 

Passing to dirt and exhaust stains, calling for all types of exhaust stains. Nothing is left behind here!! A really must have.

 

Chapter 9 – Decals, more correctly “placement and integration of decals”

 

 

The best part of this chapter for me (besides gives the elements rules about decals) is their integration. Now that also is the “thing” if you want to bring your model to the next stage.

 

 

Moving to “camouflages and special finishes”.

 

As for the others chapter, intruductions and general information about camouflage (special the types of camouflage as hard-edge, soft-edge, lozenge, night, splinter, and so one) and then it moves to the first one: metal fuselage. One of the hardest one to achieved and that is visible since page 404 to 419. Fantastic work.

 

After the metal, the wood. Fantastic step by step of he fuselage preparation, and the wood itself by oils. While it’s my favorite way to make wood, there are another´s that are not present in this book like the wood decals, pencil wood technique (for me the hardest one) and real wood (fine plywood sheets).

 

The next two are “have a glass grey paint” and “night paint”. This late one “nightpaint” is utter fabulous with works on a Flying Pancake, a Hurricane, a F-117 and a 1:32 He-217 “Uhu”.

 

 

Now a totally different chapter – “Civilian Aircraft”

 

 

 

with a 1:32 M-18 Dromader with several constructions phase (a resin model with lots of issues). I saw this one live in World Model Expo in Versailles and its amazing. It’s a very big airplane with gigantic yellow wings (yellow is a pain to cover well).

 

 

There are more two models made in this chapter and very good ones, but you have to buy this book to know it.

 

The almost last one chapter is “wing load painting”.

 

 

So everything that can go under the wings is painted in this chapter and the attention to detail also in these is amazing. Its starts with auxiliary fuel tanks and then the pylon! Every ordnance goes attached to a pylon! Then a series of bombs and missiles is painted and weathering step by step!

 

 

And them the last (but not the least) the “scenery”.

 

 

 

Here, that introduction is very usefull to all aircraft modeler, as most are not use to make a scenery or a diorama with an aircraft.

The author gives several examples and pictures of works (that are well known as the Lexington in 1/700 from Marijn Van Gils but the credits are not on the picture as it is on all others so it passed to the verification. Not serious as Marijn Van Gils is worldwide knowed.

  So you can see works from Airtor Azkue, Spencer Pollard, André Kliebisch Ruben González, etc. Fantastic works, all of them!

 Then, the author gives several sceneries, like concrete runway, printed runways (and how to make them much more real), commercial bases and custom design.  Finally and to give an extra to your diorama, the author focus in ground and deck vehicles with step by step weathering!

 

 

 

Ahh.. almost forgot, framed sprues… you save the cutter and sanding time!  

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

Wow!! Now this is a long review!

But the book is quite big! And heavy! The 568 pages are full with high-resolution color photographs illustrating each step, showing all the steps since patiting to the final result.

 Compared to the 2015 original (385 pages), this edition nearly doubles the page count, incorporating updated techniques influenced by advancements in 3D printing and new modeling products.

The step-by-step explanations are crystal clear. The photography is exceptional: sharp, well-lit images that capture subtle nuances.

 The book gets almost everything in modelling but it didn’t cover vacuform models (or vacuform canopy) that still available (for example Falcon from NZ makes very accurate vacuform canopies) and Titan Models makes great model kits with vacuform fuselage and wings and 3D details. A small chapter dedicated to vacuform canopies would have be perfect.

 The book is a must have to all modelers, for all skills, starting with the beginner that can drink tons of awesome tips and showing that good results can be achieved. But also the expertise modeler, as there always something to learn or simply to get inspired and get your big mojo back!

 

I can only VERY  Highly recommended! It should be in every aircraft modeler bench!
Daniel, my friend, fantastic job!! Kudos!

My truly Thanks to Fernando from AK-Interactive for the opportunity to make this review.

 

 

To get one just click here.

 

 

 

[FullArmor]

Lots of good tips.🙂

[Fran]

yes, tons of it!! It`s really a must have to all aircraft modellers. You always learn something!

 

[James H]

I should get one as I need to re-learn.