1/1 scale models

[McColm]

Hi Guys,
Having watched James May and his team assemble the 'Biggest Airfix Kit'. The question of how difficult can it be arose.
Picture the scene, a deserted quarry in the UK. Similar to the Eden Project with 1/1 scale aircraft, tanks, ships or cars in an air conditioned, light sensitive gigantic hanger complex.
If money were no object and you could get the mouldings with the right plastic/fibreglass compound, bracing and metal skeleton to hold it altogether. What exhibits would you have on display?

               

[Weaver]

Well since you can see quite a lot of the real things in many museums, they'd have to be models of vehicles that either never exisited or did exist but have all been destroyed. Hmmmmmmmmm

[McColm]

If it was a maritime theme, the crowds would be drawn to the Titanic; showing off the state rooms and promand deck.
Most museums don't allow you to climb over the exhibits and only a few allow you to sit in them. How many of the forum members have sat in Concorde? Or have got close to an X-wing fighter from Star Wars?
My museum would be a cross between Madame Tussauds and Fantasy of Flight.
If for example Richard Branson wants to a TSR-2 in his own colours, he can for a small fee.
(forgive the spelling)

[JJC]

'Picture the scene, a deserted quarry in the UK. Similar to the Eden Project with 1/1 scale aircraft, tanks, ships or cars in an air conditioned, light sensitive gigantic hanger complex.'
but before we do this for the models we need to do it for the real thing!

[Weaver]

Most museums don't allow you to climb over the exhibits and only a few allow you to sit in them. How many of the forum members have sat in Concorde? Or have got close to an X-wing fighter from Star Wars?

Just as an aside, many, if not most, movie props are really disappointing in the flesh. The builders know full well that all that matters is what they look like on screen, for a few seconds at a time, with sympathrtic lighting etc... Many guns that only appear in the background are carved very roughly from wood or moulded in rubber and don't even have working triggers. I remember the year the Judge Dredd movie came out, they had one of the "Lawgiver" motorcycle props at the NEC bike show. It looked great on the screen, but under harsh lighting and with the time to stare at it long and hard, it looked utterly shoddy: bloody great chunks of roughly carved foam slapped on and roughly painted.

[McColm]

Most museums don't allow you to climb over the exhibits and only a few allow you to sit in them. How many of the forum members have sat in Concorde? Or have got close to an X-wing fighter from Star Wars?

Just as an aside, many, if not most, movie props are really disappointing in the flesh. The builders know full well that all that matters is what they look like on screen, for a few seconds at a time, with sympathrtic lighting etc... Many guns that only appear in the background are carved very roughly from wood or moulded in rubber and don't even have working triggers. I remember the year the Judge Dredd movie came out, they had one of the "Lawgiver" motorcycle props at the NEC bike show. It looked great on the screen, but under harsh lighting and with the time to stare at it long and hard, it looked utterly shoddy: bloody great chunks of roughly carved foam slapped on and roughly painted.

But,
If you were to take the blue prints from the scale model, just as James May did. Then scale them up to 1/1. Problem solved.
It's all in the mind you know!!

[B777LR]

Most museums don't allow you to climb over the exhibits and only a few allow you to sit in them. How many of the forum members have sat in Concorde?

Lol, i have! In a museum!

You are right though. Outside Scandinavia, museums don't really allow for people to touch. Climbed all over a lovely ex-RDAF S-61 and C-47 this summer.

[nev]

Its my experience that the smaller ones do (Doncaster, Newark), its the bigger ones such as Hendon and Cosford that are a bit more precious.  Doncaster even has several cockpits and the front half of a Scout for the kids to play in and let their imagination run wild (I recall we had to fly to Africa to pick up apples to take to grandmas )

[McColm]

The National Naval Museum in Pensacola 1750 Radford Blvd, Florida USA. Has about six aircraft simulators that were used to train naval pilots, you can also get your photo taken for a few dollars, with a suitable helmet and flying suit.

In my museum you could clamber over the aircraft and sit in the cockpit. The control panel would be made of a hardened plastic so die hard collectors couldn't prise off souvenirs. Every exhibit displayed would have a scaled model kit in the museum shop.

I would set up a link with other museums and seek storage space on a grand scale as the museum would house various themes, depending on my finical backers.
Diagon Alley would be a permanent feature which would include the museum shop and various places to eat and get refreshments from. Although I might need to change the name due to copyright, seating areas could include the style of the four houses in Hogwarts.
Exhibits would if need be be hired out to film  or TV productions. A steam engine could pick up visitors from a nearby station.
Your ticket would allow you back into the museum up to five times within a six month period. As one tour won't be long enough to take everything in.

I just need to win a few large jackpots on the various lotteries.

[philp]

I am thinking a Whiff Museum would be fun 

Full size aircraft, armor, etc in markings they never carried.  The TSR exhibit showing several of the different operational schemes.
Panther tanks in Israeli markings.

Of course, we would host an annual model contest so all the JMN types could show up and learn more about history than even they thought they did.

[B777LR]

The control panel would be made of a hardened plastic so die hard collectors couldn't prise off souvenirs.

Just place a plexiglass screen in front of it

[PR19_Kit]

I am thinking a Whiff Museum would be fun 

I'll talk to Cosford and get the PR19 out then...........