HOW TO BUILD AIRCRAFT DIORAMAS

[JohnReid]

[istf]

John!
I observe your work in a time, and , it`s very good (i can find better words...). I read this topic in time to time.
Do you read your first post in this topic?
"I want to build a basic diorama..."
If it`s "basic" i`m very far away from the scale modelling

[JohnReid]

Hi Stefan! Nice to hear from you.Yes,dioramas are a lot of fun.I think that it is the highest expression of what we do as modelers.Just think of a good storyline and go for it.Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

As you guys know,I really like 1/16th scale and would recommend it to anybody interested in doing dioramas.1/18th would also be great and the availability of diecasts in that scale is a real plus factor.Personally ,I think that the smallest I would go is 1/32.I have ,waiting in the wings ,a lot of 1/32 air racers of the 30's ,for a future diorama that I am planning titled "The Calm Before the Storm" .A diorama based upon the night before the big race.At 1/32 scale it would be half the size of what I have been doing up until now.(Don't hold your breath though as this would be after I do the RAF Hendon piece.)
If your goal is to ultimately do something for a museum it seems to me that they also prefer the larger scales.If you want something to keep at home ,some of the modular size scenes such as those that are contained in the "Memories......." diorama ,could be used to tell a good story with just the addition of a few figures.
The larger scales are great for beginners ,who would like to do lots of detail ,as just about anything can be reproduced.They are also more forgiving while developing your techniques.Believe me I worked for 25 years in 1/72 when building ships, so I have had some experience in both small and large scales.
After you develop your basic skills and gain a little confidence ,that you really can do it,the smaller scales can be attempted with a greatly reduced frustration factor.I know a lot of builders have the opposite view of starting small and then going big but my experience has been quite different.

[JohnReid]

In the beginning!

[JohnReid]

The pic above shows just how far this diorama has evolved from what I had planned in the beginning.I hadn't even thought of doing modules other than an interior workshop.The only part of this diorama that was pre-planned is what you see here.The reason that I mention this is to illustrate how much of your creativity can be added as you go along.I like to have a rough idea of the dimensions and the storyline going in,but a lot of the rest just happens over time.This is what makes it really a lot of fun for me ,as not even I have any idea of what it will look like upon completion.On a long project such as this keeping your interest up is essential.This started out to be a Jenny in a hangar with a few figures and a showcar which I thought that I could wrap up in a year or so! When it comes to estimating time "forget about it".The best thing to do is sit back and enjoy the ride,and let your creative instincts take you where they may! Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

Before weathering!

[JohnReid]

The above pic depicts the engine shop/loading ramp roof sections.In order to add some interest and not to make it look too monotonous I broke it into two sections using a larger and slightly different color board.The two halves don't match up perfectly and the nail patterns are not evenly spaced ,which suggests that the loading ramp may have been added at a later time.I haven't yet decided whether to put the woodstove's chimney through the roof or off to the side.The signs are for interest mostly, but I have seen pics of signs such as this during the pre-radio days ,advertising the availability of emergency maintanence.
As I did with the flooring I will treat this roof area as a canvas and try to make it as interesting as possible by shading and weathering where necessary.The first step is to break out the watery raw umber acrylic and crud things up a bit with our trustly toothbrush sprayer.This whole roof area is very important to the overall success of this diorama as it is an eye-catcher and the first thing that the casual viewer would probably notice when walking by.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

Thinking ahead a bit to the Camel/Trailer build (I think I am getting anxious to build another airplane)The arrangement above would also be worth consideration.I am planning to leave the structure of the aircraft open with no fabric,so that close up views would be possible.With the fuselage on the truck and the wings on the trailer it may make for a better view than what I was planning. The trailer itself is also quite interesting in its construction.