HOW TO BUILD AIRCRAFT DIORAMAS

[JohnReid]

A couple of Harley barnstormers showbikes.The sign is faded after a summer in the sun.

[JohnReid]

barnstormers showcar as it will be in the diorama( being worked on.)

[JohnReid]

The platform at the back is where the stuntman would position himself for the car to plane transfer.

[JohnReid]

Scratch built dash and instruments.This showcar was inspired by one that I saw in the Time-Life series of books.

[JohnReid]

This is a pic of the workshop module.There has been a few changes since this pic was taken.Where you see what looks like a bookcase has now been opened into a window that looks into the office module.On the otherside of the workshop wall beside this new window is where a new door now leads in to the same module.
Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

Your suggestions please! the 3 workshop windows facing inside the hangar are 1 piece of plexiglass.I was wondering if I should leave it this way or divide them up into sections.If I divide them, I think that 6 panes per window would look best, but I am worried about obstructing the view into the workshop.Should I just leave them as they are now?
Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

This is a pic of my first diorama of a German WW1 hangar.What is new here is that I took what the doll house guys do and adapted it to making dioramas.When the doors are closed it is one self contained dustproof unit that can be easily transported or displayed.Lighting is a simply RR type ,with transformer, which has a built in dimmer.All openings are plexiglass covered ,even the main hangar doors have a seperate piece of plexiglass that can be installed for show purposes.
The design of the hangar is authentic.It was a very flimsy shed like structure that was meant to be portable to different locations.Note the bend in the hangar roofline.Hinges were large and made from iron.The hangar is built with tongue depressors,popsicle sticks and coffee stir stiks.Studs ,rafters etc are store bought pine strips of various dimensions.All signs are off the interenet.Paint is JoSonja guoche acrylics.All weathering was done with very thin acrylics washes as I hadent yet discovered pastels.The roof is card over plywood treated with a brushed on mix of 2/3rds laquer and 1/3 thinner and painted various tones to look like repairs.Any questions please feel free to ask.
Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

The central hangar door swung down to provide a ramp for the airplane.The boards on the side were placed on the door for the airplanes wheels to be rolled on.Lighting is provided by the internal overhead lights.
The mechanic's coveralls are a little too shiny in the picture.He has not yet been permanently fixed down yet so I will give him a dullcoat.I have since found out that pics tend to emphasis any shine ,so if picture taking is important to you keep this in mind.
The hangar floor is popsicle sticks,nailed with pins and weathered with acrylics.Colors were chosen for their harmony with each other and amber light bulbs were used to give a warm glow to the scene.
Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

Thanks to those who responded to my question about the shop windows.In the end I decided to divide up each window into 8 square panes.Special thanks to John Bagley of the RR forum for his imput but I just couldnt find an example of a single pane window of the era.
Because these large panes were already glued in ,
I tried something a little different this time.I faked the individual panes by putting vertical wood strips on the outside and a horizontal strip on the inside to create the squares.There is just enough wood on both sides to fool the eye into believing that both sides are completely built up.These windows will never be viewed close up so that shouldnt be a problem.
The main hangar windows however are a different story.The exterior part will have to be fully built up as they will be subject to very close inspection.These windows will be divided up into 12 panes using the same technique of overlaying one big pane with wood strips both inside and out.The shape of the panes will be slightly elongated vertically for visual interest.I saved all the cutouts from the original foamboard and will build my windows using them as templates.(another good reason for using foamboard construction)Remember to number these cutouts when you cut them & identify which way is up or things can get confusing.
I think that now that I am into windows and doors I may as well go ahead and finish them all.The furnishing of the workshop is mostly finished now and is awaiting final installation.I havent yet decided on whether or not to put a figure in the shop.Because I am depicting a weekend or holiday, there wont be too much activity going on other than the pilots standing around telling war stories.If I show a mechanic at all I will have him repairing the Model T flat tire.
Cheers! John.