HOW TO BUILD AIRCRAFT DIORAMAS

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

Making a windsock!

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

I took a finger off of a cotton glove and slipped it over the handle of an old tapered paintbrush ,that I had prepared with a wrapping of wax paper.I then painted on a few coats of laquer on the large end and let it dry.Around the open end I put a little thin superglue to hold its round shape.
It was then slipped off the brush and the wax paper removed from the inside.
I made up a brass ring and superglued it to the end and cut off any excess with an xacto knife.
I shaped the trailing end to a "no wind" position and laqured it in position and let the whole thing dry for awhile.It was then dusted with orange pastel and a little grey pastel for shading.This was fixed on with spray laquer.
I am not really happy with the large weave of the cotton glove but it doesn't look too bad in 1:1 scale.I wanted it to look old,sun-bleached and weathered ,with the small end frayed off by the wind.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

I am very tempted to re-do the windsock in the future, if I can find a nice, close weave finger from a glove(silk?).Another option would be multiple coats of paint to obliterate the large weave pattern.Why am I concerned about this?Because once the dio is in its case ,the position of the windsock on top of the roof invites very close-up inspection indeed,and besides a large weave pattern like this would not be very efficient at holding any air.
Anyway,this gives you guys an idea about how I made it in cotton and a new silk one would be about the same procedure.
The brass pole will be painted in red and white barber strips for pilot visibility.

[JohnReid]

Harley sitting in Jenny!

[JohnReid]

I thought that I had better take a few pics from angles that will soon be lost to me forever once the roof is on.