HOW TO BUILD AIRCRAFT DIORAMAS

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

I know ,the rib tapes are a little overdone but once in the diorama I don"t think they will be as noticeable.Some detail is worth overdoing as it is very unique to these airplanes.I did the same thing with the turnbuckles ,as I want these features to stand out more than normal ,for the future education of the kids, who will be looking at these dioramas.Wood and wire and fabric are very important elements of these aircraft ,and I believe the most interesting.I would like the viewers eye to stop for a moment and wonder about these old methods of construction.Ailerons with tapes,wires with turnbuckles,fabric with holes ,patches and repairs are all very important and unique to this era.
These dioramas are to be used for educational purposes in the CAM's new classrooms so I have to keep in mind that they must, first and foremost, appeal to the kids.

[JohnReid]

The last few pictures have been taken with the back wall lying on its side ,that is the reason why some objects seem to be floating in the air!Nothing has been glued or pinned down for now ,while I am still playing around with the final arrangement .There is still a lot of weathering to do once I finally make up my mind.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

The above pic is of a part of a diorama at the NASM that has been on display there since 1984.In the museums own words"plastic model kits of World Cruisers provided the basis of this diorama.Other elements came from model railroad scenery or were built from scratch.Scale 1/72 Base 26X36 in.".
The modeler was Jamie Pye.
I think that this kind of says that good dioramas that tell a story, don't have to play 2nd fiddle to any other models .Not everyone aspires to have their work at the Smithsonian but it is nice to know that this precedent has already been set a long time ago,as far as plastic or wood kits and other elements are concerned.

[JohnReid]

Another encouraging sign of the times ,is this relatively new trend towards using using 1:1 dioramas in aviation museums,including full scale original antique aircraft and mannequins to tell an interesting story.I hate to say it but static airplanes sitting on a museum floor can be quite boring as far as the general public are concerned.In this day and age the viewer wants at least some implied action going on.I understand the need for roping off these treasured antiques from tiny hands or uncaring adults,but if they want to get the younger generation involved 1:1 dioramas are really the way to go.You can still safely display the aircraft but in a much more interesting way.It is just not enough anymore to just hang an aircraft from the ceiling with a mannequin pilot at the controls and call it a diorama.(boring,boring ,boring)
There is however some light at the end of the tunnel.Some museums are actually doing full scale dioramas that have great story lines and implied action and in some cases real emotion.The CAM in Ottawa has made a little progress with their TCA Lockheed being loaded with airmail and a aircraft or two with a machine gun firing mannequin firing from the rear seat of a WW1 fighter .But that is not what I mean,there is a museum in N.Z. that really is quite wonderful in how it puts real drama and emotion into its displays through the use of diorama techniques.I know that this is not something new to the world of natural history museums but you see precious little of it in military or transportation museums.Lets face it ,there was a time when the general public was fascinated with the whole idea of airplanes and you could get away with just a static display.Today people hardly pay attention to a space launch let alone old airplanes.There will always be "aviation nuts" such as ourselves that are willing to just go and stare at these old artifacts in museums but we are getting fewer all the time.We have to appeal to the youth of today to keep these places alive and it is my opinion that dioramas large or small can go a long way towards doing so.Cheers! John.
Oh,by the way the N.Z. museum is called the Aviation Heritage Center at Omaka.omaka.org.nz

[JohnReid]

This is pretty much the final arrangement!

[JohnReid]

You know your never too old to break one of the most important rules in modeling.Never work when you are tired and never rush to finish something by the end of the day.Last night I did just that and guess what ,I glued the r/h aileron to the wall backwards.There was no need to rush but..........
It is impossible to remove it now without a lot of damage to the aileron and the wall so I will have to live with it.The back,which is now the front will have to be painted and weathered where it stands and the damage area will have to be worked a bit to look more like frayed and torn fabric.

[JohnReid]