1/144 Airfield renovation

Spey_Phantom · June 11, 2011, 12:14:51 PM

ive been having this little display airfield next to my PC for a while, but she's kinda in a rerilict state.
it was one of my first diorama attempts made about 2 years ago.
with the grass carpet coming ungleud, and better looking aircraft on the horizon, ive decided to completly renew and modernise this air base i like to call "Louiseveld AFB" (Louiseveld is a city in my what-if nation "Republic of New-Flanders".

already started on a similar but smaller project in 1/72 a while ago, im gonna use that experience to create a modern airfield with a large new maintainance hangar, concrete tarmac,....
i will also replace the kinda amateuristic looking Aspide SAM sites with a new better looking system.
furthermore, having looked at the Airfix 1/76 WW2 control tower, im gonna use the kit a reference and attempt to make 1 or 2 scaled down copies of it

work on the new hangar has already started, all the plastic has been cut, now i just need to see if i can cut out some windows

tarmac has already been printed out on A4 paper, all i need to do now is design a template for the runway $:-\$

ChernayaAkula · June 11, 2011, 03:43:21 PM

Nice project!

Just an idea: Try not to have the runway, hangar, HAS and so on parallel to the diorama's sides. For some reason, that always looks kinda odd. Try having them at an angle to the diorama's sides. That will liven things up a bit.

RPadavan2 · June 11, 2011, 05:02:10 PM

I would love to steal your idea! Is there any way you can pm me the dimensions of your hanger? I have been looking for a 1/144th scale hanger or hardened aircraft shelter (HAS) for a while, and I can not find the HAS measurements I recorded a few years ago in Germany. I have an idea for a "What If" diorama scene and I need a sturdy hanger or HAS to help pull it off. I am also trying to get some very rare aircraft in resin, but I do not have the email or website for the designer, nor has the person who was commissioned to cast them up responded to me yet.

Spey_Phantom · June 12, 2011, 12:08:14 AM

thanks,

Quote from: RPadavan2 on June 11, 2011, 05:02:10 PM
I would love to steal your idea! Is there any way you can pm me the dimensions of your hanger? I have been looking for a 1/144th scale hanger or hardened aircraft shelter (HAS) for a while, and I can not find the HAS measurements I recorded a few years ago in Germany. I have an idea for a "What If" diorama scene and I need a sturdy hanger or HAS to help pull it off. I am also trying to get some very rare aircraft in resin, but I do not have the email or website for the designer, nor has the person who was commissioned to cast them up responded to me yet.

i havent had any dimentions on a real ahngar, as those in real life varry a lot. but if you need plans to build a hangar, here's a link to instructions to build your own WW2/modern hangar with side buildings

http://www.tomtom-net.de/resources/cardmodel/hangar/hangar_f.htm

Spey_Phantom · June 12, 2011, 04:32:06 AM

update:

ive got a rough design ready, designed a templete last night on a scale of 1/3.
ive decided to eliminate the runway from the display and just have the dispersal with the hangar, the blank spaces would be planted with grass

to ease design and aranging, i went "Old School" for this, just to make things easy

Spey_Phantom · June 12, 2011, 07:29:40 AM

hangar construction is underway, ive also printed out additional tarmac to act as the hangar floor, still need to put on some clear windows and paint/detail the inside

(note: floor not gleud in yet)

Spey_Phantom · June 12, 2011, 08:51:58 AM

more pics + testfitting of the roof

RPadavan2 · June 12, 2011, 11:35:14 AM

Yeap, I have the paper hanger downloaded already. I have to remember to pick up some colored card stock next time I am out at an office supply store, or even Wal-mart. I want to build something sturdier than paper or card stock. Like what you are doing with the sheet plastic. I need to pull out my "N" scale vehicles to see if I have a resin pick-up truck that I can convert into a USAF modern tow tug. They are basically a pick-up cab with an oversize tool box and shortened cargo frame.

Spey_Phantom · June 13, 2011, 04:29:45 AM

did a dryfit test this morning, just to see if i can get a good layout.
i cut up the main door into 4 equal parts and got a thicker styrene bar to act as a sliding rail for the doors.
put my recently completed Belgian F-104 & TF-104G in front to give you an idea for the layout.
tarmac looked a little small to host any larger aircraft, so i up 1 of the tarmac sheets in the copy machine and made 2 more

note that only the top front part of the hangar is paainted in yellow, the roof cover is printed out on paper.

ive also started work on a control tower, my own design

...and perhaps even a gate guard, got this old 1/144 minicraft Spitfire from the junkyard, i put it on a pole and im gonna repaint it to look presentable

Spey_Phantom · July 22, 2011, 04:27:35 AM

work is almost finished, yesterday afternoon i decided to finish it up a but, but i had to wait t'ill evening as my cat, Pruts, thought it would be a nice place to nap.
finishing pics to follow later today

Hobbes · July 22, 2011, 05:33:03 AM

Quotecontrol tower, my own design

Looks like the tower of an aircraft carrier

Nice job on the airfield!

NARSES2 · July 22, 2011, 07:47:51 AM

Nice work Nils...I wouldn't argue with that cat

Rheged · July 22, 2011, 08:22:58 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on July 22, 2011, 07:47:51 AM
Nice work Nils...I wouldn't argue with that cat

IF IT'S TO 1/144 SCALE, WHAT SIZE IS THAT FELINE!!

rallymodeller · July 22, 2011, 11:21:33 AM

Quote from: Rheged on July 22, 2011, 08:22:58 AM
Quote from: NARSES2 on July 22, 2011, 07:47:51 AM
Nice work Nils...I wouldn't argue with that cat

IF IT'S TO 1/144 SCALE, WHAT SIZE IS THAT FELINE!!

Gonna have to call the 1/144 Japanese Self-Defense Force to deal with a monster of that size.

tanktastic43 · July 22, 2011, 11:31:16 AM

CATZILLA!

tt43.