1:48 SAAB J21 tow bar

The accessory that creates the scene in the first place

A tow bar is a short rod with which an aircraft was connected to a vehicle when it was towed from the parking apron into a hangar. On a model it takes up a couple of centimeters on its own, but it changes the reading of the whole display case: an aircraft on a tow bar is neither starting up nor flying, it is waiting for the ground crew. That opens room for figures of mechanics, for chocks under the wheels and for vehicles on the apron.

According to the manufacturer the set is made as a combination of resin and brass, which makes sense on a part this small: the resin carries the shaped end fittings and the brass makes sure that the thin rod will not give way even after years in a display case. The bar is made to match the Dodge WC-52 tractor model from the same maker's range exactly, so the two items can be built as one whole.

The SAAB J 21 was easy to tow thanks to its nose gear, which was a novelty in the Swedish Air Force when the machine appeared. A model with a tow bar therefore looks convincing even without further equipment on the apron. During building it is advisable to fit the bar dry first and check the angle: a rod set too high lifts the nose and upsets the way the main gear sits.

The parts are glued with super glue or with two-part epoxy resin; ordinary cement for polystyrene does not work here. Before painting, the brass part has to be sanded and given a primer.

In color the bar is usually kept in a muted shade with a more pronounced end at the hitch eye; suggest wear by lightly picking out the edges with a metallic pigment. On the apron it then looks convincing when the bar is slightly off the centerline, as though the crew were just fitting it. A perfectly aligned part looks static and the scene loses the impression of movement.