HOW TO BUILD AIRCRAFT DIORAMAS

JohnReid · 14 June 2005, 05:35 AM

today I must plan the layout of the hangar workshop.Besides the stove what should I put in there?I thought that part of it should be a lunch room with table and benches.I also thought of maybe putting the 2nd OX5 engine in there being re-built or would it be better on the hangar floor?I will definitely need workbenches and maybe a lathe for turning small parts.Lots of tools and component parts on shelves.Lights on the ceiling,books and manuals on the shelves.The interior walls are insulated with cardboard and firring strips.The floor and walls near the stove will need further insulation to deflect heat.The stoves chimney will have to be vented to the outside.Maybe part of it should be for the storage of Air Mail.The whole workshop is removable so it can be built as a seperate unit and then installed later.Any suggestions? Cheers! John.

JohnReid · 16 June 2005, 05:27 AM

I have got to be a lucky man to have such a patient wife.My hobby has now taken over a two car garage filled with wood and remnants of past hobbies,saws,tools etc.. My workshop/studio is filled with books ,models,plans,past projects waiting to be finished(that poor old peregrine falcon has been staring at me for 6years now)unfinished kits,kits in boxes, etc..etc..
The TV room has about 50 diecast cars in it now and I cant find a place to put down a cup of coffee.
Beleive it or not ,the dining room table has a hangar sitting on top of it,slowly being put together.So guys, when your significant other complains about your hobby taking up too much space you can always say,"you think I am bad,read this" Cheers! John.

JohnReid · 16 June 2005, 02:34 PM

I think that it is about time for some new pics.I will try to take some this week and get them off to the photo store for developing.Is there any particular area that anyone would like me to take a picture of? Cheers! John.

JohnReid · 17 June 2005, 06:21 AM

I received an email today saying the Jenny kit is now 30% off at $230.99 for those who may be interested.Cheers! John.

JohnReid · 19 June 2005, 02:46 AM

The workbenches are in and some of the shelves are built.The lunch table needs legs and the floor for the stove has been measured and is now underway.The 2nd OX5 engine will be destined for the hangar floor and the workshop will be for the manufacture of small parts.
I just heard from the hobby store and they have just received the tools etc..that I ordered from a doll house manufacturer.So things are finally coming together.

After being sick for about a month it sure is nice to get my enthusiasm back again.Cheers! John.

JohnReid · 20 June 2005, 02:54 AM

This painting sure brings back a lot of memories for me.The hand gesturers of the pilot as he tells his story of a kill is so familiar too me.I was born in 1940 at Camp Borden(Barrie Ont.) the birthplace of the RCAF and have been surrounded by fighter pilots and their war stories all of my life.I have even had the privledge of flying co-pilot with many of them.
But the greatest fun of all was the times they got together at parties,reunions or sometimes even the local tavern.After a few drinks,the stories would start and I would sit there in awe of what I was hearing.This was not bullshit sessions,many were aces,many were American pilots who joined the war early with the RCAF.Some were Ferry Command out of Montreal Dorval.Some were Lawyers,Doctors,Airline Pilots,Test pilots.Other poor souls were lost to booze and bad memories.
Those hand gestures bring it all back to me "there I was upside down with nothing on the clock but the makers name" or "the poor bastard never knew what hit him"
Those "young lions" are mostly all gone west now except in the memories of guys like me.I sure do miss them all.Cheers! John.

JohnReid · 21 June 2005, 03:21 AM

My local hardware store stocks small samples of formica countertop coverings.These come in every type of woodgrain,stone,cement textures.They measure about 1.5X2inches overall with a small hole at the top for hanging.They are indentified by number and type of finish matte etc.....
Ask your dealer for some free samples.I used mine as a cement base for the stove in the workshop.They could also be used on the walls behind the stove. But there I think that I will use some kind of reflective metal surface instead.
Cheers! John.

JohnReid · 21 June 2005, 03:05 PM

Today I attended a meeting at the Canadian Aviation Heritage Centre in St Anne de Bellevue.The main topic was the licencing of the Bleriot for flight.Cof R,CofA,experimental,rules and regs enough to even scare off the Wright Bros.Inspecting this ,inspecting that, the barnstormers would have loved it.Aviation is way over regulated,fees for this, fees for that.Its unbelievable.

As I looked around the table I realized that I was one of the youngest persons there.There was enough knowledge in that room to build 50 airplanes of every type and description.They sure are a dedicted bunch of aviators,the world shall never see their like again.Cheers! John.

JohnReid · 22 June 2005, 04:23 AM

as you guys know in the old days,hangar roofs were sometimes painted in a black and white checkerboard fashion so that pilots flying VFR could see them from miles away.Sometimes the airport or village name would be included for those not following along,dead reckoning ,with their map on their knees.

Anyway,over on DD, someone came up with the idea of using very fine grit sandpaper to represent the tarpaper roof.You can spraypaint the gritty side black or white ,cut them in squares and glue them on.Maybe even put a little advertising up there for Shell,Texaco or some other avgas of the day.
Cheers! John.

StephenLawson · 22 June 2005, 12:19 PM

I don't mind saying my mother is a rather fine artist in her own right. She did a painting for my father some years back of an old barn that used to be on the property in West Virginia where he grew up in the 1920-30"s. Using an old photo she painted an avertisement on its deteriorated roof that read, "Mail Pouch Tobacco Chew." The colours though meant to be muted were indeed stark against the fall colours of the tall tree line backdrop. When I asked her about it she explained in those days is was a common means to use the barn roofs and exterior walls for this. The farmer was paid for the sign space.

In the book Hollywood stunt men... by Hugh H Wynne there are some shots of the San Diego area in the 1920's and there are several air to ground shots of the small airport and the roofs do appear to be marked. I'll have to check on the page # later.