Lume to replicate model aircraft formation lights?

JimInOz

I think it would be better to get a sheet of those luminous stars and shapes that you stick on your kid's bedroom ceiling.
You cut the strips as required and use them, more to practice with, probably cheaper than a lume kit as well.

OmegaP99

I doubt those would glow as long

ZIELSZIEK

They do actually glow for a bit, I did experiment with them for a project of mine.
I would also recommend trying to work something with lume powder and resin, maybe you can cast a lume strip with the help of a silicone mold?
Hope this helps.

T TLIGuy

I build scale scale model modern jet aircraft and use the Steel Beach slime lights painted with craft store glow in the dark paint mixed to the correct color. I have also painted the slime lights with glow in the dark paint and then overlaid the decal over it to reproduce the lights in the dark.

Glow in the dark paint

OmegaP99

Thank you! Didn't know these existed. When you say you sometimes overlay these decals over the glow-painted sections, does that mean they are somewhat transparent, or are they more replicating the bezel around the slime lights?

T TLIGuy

Slime lights on a real aircraft are not flush to the surface so the Steel Beach slime lights give a final model a bit of scale and perspective. They are vinyl adhesive stickers. I've painted the precut SB adhesives and then have laid them inside the black outline you see and in your picture. I've also spayed glow in the dark paint onto the model surface, masked off the lights, sprayed the fuselage color, removed the tape exposing the glow in the dark paint and then laid the water slide decal over the painted light that then glows through the decal.

If you are dealing with a pre build model I would try a vinyl sticker cut and painted to lay inside the black frame.

OmegaP99

Good info! I have seen the lights on physical aircraft so have some guidance there. I should have stated these are prebuilt die-cast (Hobby Master 1/72nd) so comes exactly as you see in my photos up top. I haven't owned any of their pieces so not sure how the lights look in person, so once I get the models in hand, an A-10 and an F-22, that should inform the options moving forward. If they are just painted then I can use these methods to build them up a bit. I also saw some brass photo etched light bezels that I could affix and fill with lume paint, which might also look cool. I'll come back with pics of the processes, but I'm sourcing these overseas so will be a bit before I have them in hand.

T TLIGuy

I build scale scale model modern jet aircraft and use the Steel Beach slime lights painted with craft store glow in the dark paint mixed to the correct color. I have also painted the slime lights with glow in the dark paint and then overlaid the decal over it to reproduce the lights in the dark.

Glow in the dark paint