I saw these modeling stands mentioned in one of the chapter newsletters Mark Young compiles and sends to all members (sorry, can’t recall which one). I decided to purchase the sets mentioned above at https://www.wardogmodeling.com/. War Dog also makes a Model Ship Stand and a Model Car Stand. My stands arrived unassembled in a plain white cardboard box, so I don’t have any box art to show you. The box contains the parts in separate plastic bags, a copy of the order information, and that’s it. No instructions, but they aren’t really needed. Assembly is straightforward.

Overview

The stands appear to be 3D printed in gray and orange and come with the black O-rings already attached. The required metal bolts and hex nuts are also included. Quality is great, and there is nothing to remove or clean up in the assembly process. You can see the parts for each stand unassembled and built up in the photos. The upgrade set for the Model Airplane Stand allows you to extend the arms for larger models. I found that for my modeling needs which are mostly in 1/48th scale, using two of the longer arms and two of the shorter arms is ideal- but they are fast and easy to change, and you can use any combination of arms.

The design of these stands is simple but well thought out. The black O-rings serve to gently but firmly hold the model in place to make working on them much easier. It’s like having a large third hand to hold the model while you work on it with your own hands.

Model Airplane Stand

The Model Airplane Stand has four adjustable arms that can be adjusted vertically by 1” and horizontally out to 8.5” long and 8” wide. I found this works well to support low or mid-wing aircraft at four points, but not as well for high-wing aircraft where the 1” difference available in height may not be enough. However, I also found that the stand has enough grip and curvature in the O-ring holding surfaces to support a model just by the fuselage at two points as long as you are careful. I’ve tried it with larger 1/72nd scale models up through 1/32nd scale biplanes and it has been very useful. I have even tried it with a helicopter with good results! I use it to hold the model while attaching all the “fiddly bits”- antennas, landing gear, canopies, rigging, and weapons loads. It is also great for decaling and painting details, and although I haven’t tried this yet, I plan to use it for panel line washes and weathering too. I wouldn’t suggest using it as an airbrush paint stand since I don’t know what that would do to the O-rings or plastic, and it isn’t suitable as a biplane jig as there are no supports for upper wings. But that aside, it is a really handy tool that I am now using on all my builds. It is great for holding a model aircraft upside down!

Model Armor Stand

The Model Armor Stand has a different design than the Airplane Stand. It is built around a ball joint that allows you to tilt the model in any direction to give you access to any surface on the model. The Stand base is 6.25" long and the “grippers” will open to 4.625" wide. I have only used it with 1/35th scale models, so I can’t comment on whether it is suitable for larger or smaller armor. Depending on the size and shape of the model, the O-ring “grippers” can be used inside or outside the tracks, road wheels, or even the hull sides before the hull top and bottom are glued together. Although the manufacturer says the stand is for tracked vehicles, I have also used it to hold truck frames and wheeled vehicles successfully. Another handy tool to free up a hand while adding small parts, decaling, detail painting, and weathering.

Conclusion

I find both of these War Dog Modeling stands to be useful, well-designed tools to enhance my model building. My only caution is not to leave a painted model on them for long periods of time- overnight or longer. I find the black O-rings stick to painted models if left in contact too long, and in the case of a model I left on the stand for several days, the paint was damaged and required touch up. I should have thought about that first!

I recommend both the War Dog Modeling Model Airplane Stand and Model Armor Stand as well as the 1/32nd upgrade to anyone looking for a better, reasonably priced way to hold your models while you work on them.