Model Review - Air Canada Express DHC-8-300 by 3D Design Deck

[YesterAirlines]

While 400 scale is still predominantly diecast, 3D printing has come on leaps and bounds. 3D Design Deck is the first brand to productionise printed models with UV printed liveries on them, and have them sold at retailers. I've been keeping an eye on their output for a while and recent release sets have shown a quantum leap in quality that brings these 3D printed models close to the quality levels of diecast. It remains to be seen how accepting collectors are of non-metal models but I think that already these are worthy additions to the scale.

Air Canada Express | DHC-8-300 | C-GKTA | 3D Design Deck

3D printing has come a long way in a short time, but although increasingly I am seeing a lot of very nice 3D printed models, the vast majority are one-offs or blanks made to order for individual collectors. 3D Design Deck are the first brand to production

www.yesterdaysairlines.com

 

[LeoMuse747]

This model looks awesome! The cockpit windows were much improved now, when compared to their older "Jazz" releases, which had really odd windows. The only big drawback for me is the too small main gear size. Anyway, fantastic to see a nice 3D printed model like this, and even with spinning props!

Hope to see other models coming to life at some point.
Brasilia would be so cool or a Dash 7, since they're Canadians!

 

[josecolme]

While 400 scale is still predominantly diecast, 3D printing has come on leaps and bounds. 3D Design Deck is the first brand to productionise printed models with UV printed liveries on them, and have them sold at retailers. I've been keeping an eye on their output for a while and recent release sets have shown a quantum leap in quality that brings these 3D printed models close to the quality levels of diecast. It remains to be seen how accepting collectors are of non-metal models but I think that already these are worthy additions to the scale.

Air Canada Express | DHC-8-300 | C-GKTA | 3D Design Deck

3D printing has come a long way in a short time, but although increasingly I am seeing a lot of very nice 3D printed models, the vast majority are one-offs or blanks made to order for individual collectors. 3D Design Deck are the first brand to production

www.yesterdaysairlines.com

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Awesome! I agree on the vertical stabilizer, needs some tweaking. And the tire size. Other than that it looks pretty good. Perhaps the props in feathered position would be good. I wonder why no diecast version of the -300 has ever been made. There are so many airlines that could be made.

Do you have any direct contact with the creator of this model? Hopefully your review will make him notice the issues and improve the model.

 

[YesterAirlines]

Awesome! I agree on the vertical stabilizer, needs some tweaking. And the tire size. Other than that it looks pretty good. Perhaps the props in feathered position would be good. I wonder why no diecast version of the -300 has ever been made. There are so many airlines that could be made.

Do you have any direct contact with the creator of this model? Hopefully your review will make him notice the issues and improve the model.

I have had one email with him but that is all. Hopefully he sees the review and takes note as you say

 

[Sithan400]

The model looks awesome, and definitely within my criteria, however those main gear tyres are troubling. This throws off the overall proportions and accuracy for me.

Still, impressive the level of quality of 3D design. Hopefully they will make corrections for future releases. Truly a nice stop gate until NG begins the age of Props...

Cheers for the review mate.

 

[IndyJets]

Is there a way to suggest a DC-9-10 as a future release? I've seen several videos on YouTube with techniques for simulating a bare metal finish on plastic that looks every bit as good as diecast. My personal favorite actually involves a women's nail product (it's actually a powder, believe it or not) that produces a very nice chrome finish that can be decaled over just like paint. A technique like this would produce some very nice looking wings and engines, in addition to bare metal liveries such as Eastern.

Here is the video.

The nail powder technique starts around the 6 minute mark.

 

[Phantom]

Is there a way to suggest a DC-9-10 as a future release? I've seen several videos on YouTube with techniques for simulating a bare metal finish on plastic that looks every bit as good as diecast. My personal favorite actually involves a women's nail product (it's actually a powder, believe it or not) that produces a very nice chrome finish that can be decaled over just like paint. A technique like this would produce some very nice looking wings and engines, in addition to bare metal liveries such as Eastern.

Here is the video.

The nail powder technique starts around the 6 minute mark.

Bare metal (chrome like mirror) finishes on printed objects is kind of top league as this requires a super smooth surface. That's exactly not what a 3D-printer delivers as it prints layers.
Of course, you could smoothen the surface (solvent fume, sanding or excessive priming) - but all of these methods also kill potential fine detail that might be there after printing. 20µm of layer doesn't sound much, but this could well equal the width of a panel line in this scale. I'm not saying it isn't doable, but I'd go a different - old fashioned - way then: print one on a 3D-system, smoothen and refine until satisfied and thereafter use it as a master for a resin mould based on which you do your release output. Oh I so wish I'd have the time for doing all this kind of stuff today.

Talking about metal finishes on resin, here's - just for the fun of it - stuff from one of my scrap boxes. A >20 years old resin copy of a DW DC-10's CF6-50 engine with a custom made pylon, painted with the good old Testors Metalizers - this was just a quick, unprimed prototype which quite well shows the problems of insufficient surface smoothing. Todays high def. metal paints like Alclad II would perform MUCH better IF the surface would be perfected.
20240828_175807 by Alexander Kern, auf Flickr

 

[Phantom]

Oh and I sure think a DC-9-10 deserves a quality, tampo printed diecast product
We just need to make those new Chinese startups aware of stuff that's beyond Neos and MAXes.

 

[IndyJets]

Bare metal (chrome like mirror) finishes on printed objects is kind of top league as this requires a super smooth surface. That's exactly not what a 3D-printer delivers as it prints layers.
Of course, you could smoothen the surface (solvent fume, sanding or excessive priming) - but all of these methods also kill potential fine detail that might be there after printing. 20µm of layer doesn't sound much, but this could well equal the width of a panel line in this scale. I'm not saying it isn't doable, but I'd go a different - old fashioned - way then: print one on a 3D-system, smoothen and refine until satisfied and thereafter use it as a master for a resin mould based on which you do your release output. Oh I so wish I'd have the time for doing all this kind of stuff today.

Talking about metal finishes on resin, here's - just for the fun of it - stuff from one of my scrap boxes. A >20 years old resin copy of a DW DC-10's CF6-50 engine with a custom made pylon, painted with the good old Testors Metalizers - this was just a quick, unprimed prototype which quite well shows the problems of insufficient surface smoothing. Todays high def. metal paints like Alclad II would perform MUCH better IF the surface would be perfected.
20240828_175807 by Alexander Kern, auf Flickr

And a resin mold would allow for faster mass production than individually printing each copy. If you want to get super fancy, make several molds and use them all at the same time.

 

[IndyJets]

Oh and I sure think a DC-9-10 deserves a quality, tampo printed diecast product
We just need to make those new Chinese startups aware of stuff that's beyond Neos and MAXes.

Absolutely, it does! I wish there were enough of us on here to where we could all go in together and start our own model company and produce what we want, to our standards.