I just finished photographing some model airplanes I have and found the project very productive. Many WWII planes are no longer flying but are reproduced in scale models. Some of these scale Models I put together myself, others I purchased an already built metal die cast model. My best advice is that you should choose the best of your model kits that you put together yourself considering overall quality of construction. Putting together a model yourself from a kit sometimes results in a plane that looks like the one on the box. My Zero and Bf109G models were put together following the kit manufacturers painting directions. Sometimes your own interpretation is more interesting than what you see on the box cover. For my other shots I used several models from a reputable die cast model manufacturer. Radio controlled gas or electric airplanes also make good subjects.
It is best to use a white background with soft lighting to avoid harsh shadows and glaring highlights. It might be best to experiment with different lighting conditions. I stopped down to F8 for all of my shots and gave 1/3 extra stop exposure owing to the white background throwing off the meter. I then used extra saturation to punch up the colors setting white balance for tungsten light. Before shooting you will need to clean the airplane model thoroughly removing most or all dust. A Q tip swap can help. After shooting some cloning out of those stubborn dust spots is necessary.
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