Model building tuning

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Under Model Tuning is generally understood as the modification of parts of a model to its quality, performance or improve the appearance. The reason why tuning is an important topic in model making these days lies in the historical development of model making.

term

Tunings in model construction refer to changes and extensions that are made to a standard model or a model from series production. The changes can be made to improve quality, but they can also be purely decorative.

development

In the early days of model making, hobbyists designed and built models entirely on their own. Commercially available materials, especially light wood, were used. These building materials could be processed with tools from the hobby area. The model maker had every freedom - tuning in its current form was still unknown.

In the next phase, companies specialized in offering models as kits. In addition to a construction plan, these kits contain the components required to implement the plan. The more components are prefabricated, the less freedom you have as a hobbyist. Tuning kits consists in the use of components other than those supplied.

Particularly in model flying, however, you need very light components, so that you now fall back on materials (e.g. composite materials such as GRP) that can no longer be processed with normal hobbyist equipment. The model maker is therefore often dependent on using the enclosed components to complete a model. The tuning of these high-tech materials is therefore very demanding.

In recent years, a trend has started to offer inexpensive ready-to-use (RTU) or ready-to-fly (RTF) models. The buyer purchases a model that is ready for use immediately after inserting the batteries.

This development has resulted in the boom for tuning models that has started in recent years: Since the market for kit and RTU / RTF models is very competitive, there is great price pressure. This means that the developers often use or include very cheap components. If you want to use such a model permanently, you have to replace the wearing parts with higher quality components. In addition, the massive use of fiberglass composites means that damage to the models can only be repaired by replacing the entire composite component. If these are not available individually, they must be replaced with other components.

If the entry into model flight is done by buying RTF models, there is no more handicraft work to be carried out. As soon as the phase of learning the control is completed, the desire to increase the performance of the model often arises and this can only be achieved by tuning the power components (motor, controller).

Tuning in the model car area

A tuned Mercedes E-Class as a 1:18 scale model car

Tuning does not only play a role in the area of ​​remote-controlled models. Model car tuning is an example of the rapid development of tuning . We're not talking about RC cars here , but about standing models that do not have any driving functions, but rather are stored as collector's models in the collector's showcase. As already mentioned above, the focus here is on refining already built model cars . A number of well-known manufacturers of these basic models, such as B. Bburago , Maisto or Revell offer an unbelievable wealth of model cars, all of which have a lot of potential for tuning. Often there are small details that are missing on the model and are then lovingly added by the model car tuners to bring the model closer to the real car. In general, tuning model cars is no different from tuning real cars. All renovation measures that are carried out there are reproduced on a small scale. In particular, the following are to be mentioned: lowering , conversion to other rims , repainting of the body and the expansion of the interior . The most important scale in model car tuning is the 1:18 scale.

Current situation

Many model building forums are now more concerned with tuning than with the basic structure of a model or the assembly of a kit. It used to be the case that building the model made you a pilot or captain, today you get started in exactly the opposite way: you learn to control the model and then change the model.

Examples

Conversion of a model helicopter paddle rotor head into a rigid rotor head
  • Increased efficiency : replacement of brushed motors with brushless drives (brushless motors)
  • Decoration : Use of glossy lacquered aluminum components instead of plastic components
  • Extension : functional winches on model helicopters
  • Security : Use of secure transmission protocols for remote control (conversion of the transmitter system: e.g. frequency hopping, checksum protocols)
  • Function : true-to-scale conversion by dispensing with mechanical model components (auxiliary rotors in model helicopters)

literature