HOW TO BUILD AIRCRAFT DIORAMAS

[JohnReid]

Fig3-4 completed fuselage side. For sealing the wood I use laquer.A 2/3 laquer-1/3 laquer thinner mix.It can be sprayed on the finished assembly or brushed on the individual pieces before assembly.I built up my fuselage side directly on a building board covered with a piece of foam insulation.I taped the plan to the insulation and then placed wax paper over it(so the glue will not stick to the plan)I then pinned down the longerons and struts over the waxpaper.There are no changes here other than at station #1 where there is no 15 degree slant for the downthrust engine.The 6inch change in wing stagger does not change the positioning of the struts as far as I can see.to be cont...

[JohnReid]

I was just wondering if anyone would like to share their ideas for a future diorama they may be planning? I would love to have some feedback.I didnt mean for this thread to become just a one way street for me to spout off about what I am doing.Remember any scale ,any subject,any medium wood ,plastic or metal.Lets all of us budding dioramists get involved.Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

Awhile ago I came across a great idea for a diorama .I got it off the internet but I have forgotten where,so I cant give recognition to the guy who thought of it.Basically what he did was take a twin engined light bomber and create a very informative and instructional diorama of an aircrat in its natural element,flight.He took a plastic model and split it down the centerline of the fuselage, through the cockpit and other crew battle stations to about the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer .He showed all of the interior working of the aircraft and the crew going about their duties.One wing was connected to the rear of a mirrored box,so that when you looked in the mirror you saw the comoplete airplane in flight.He had run wiring through the wing to nav lights and a motor which turned the prop.Add a little well placed lighting or even sound and you could have a wonderful working diorama that could be hung from a wall(as you are only dealing with half an airplanes span here)or coffee table or whatever.The idea could easily be adapted to WW1 airplanes rigging and all) and make for a very unique diorama.What do you guys think?Can you think of any additional elements that could be included to make it even better? Cheers! John.

[davecww1]

Hi John,
I am currently doing something similar to the half plane using Testors SPAD & Nieuport 17 kits, and a Model Cellar Lufbery 1/16 scale resin figure. I have shortened the wings on both planes, modified the SPAD to look more like a SPAD 7, and decaled both as Lufbery's aircraft. I am making a shadow box type of display with a 2 1/2" deep frame with black felt mounting board inside (available at Michael's). It is meant to be hung on the wall, and has the 2 models, figure, a Croix de Guerre & French flying wings mounted to the backdrop. Hope to post photos when it is finished.
Dave Calhoun

[JohnReid]

Dave ,that sounds like a fun project.I would love to see the pics when it is finished.Hanging dioramas on the wall is a very good idea, as they are really meant to be 3D pictures ,in their truest form .A bigger diorama could even be mounted flush to the wall if you had the space behind.I have seen fish aqariums mounted this way, which are in a way, living dioramas.

I highly recommend the Model Cellar figures.I am using 5 and possibly more of their figures in my current diorama.They are solid resin and easy to modify, if need be.Well ,keep us posted on your progress.Maybe you could post a small article on how you came up with your idea for the diorama? Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

There should be a couple of pictures of the start of the fuselage up on the wwi-models website in a few days.Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

Allan over on www. wwi-models.org has kindly posted a couple of pictures of the Jenny Canucks fuselage build.Go to the News,News,News section.Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

I would like to pass on what I think would be a neat idea for a diorama.The original idea is not mine but the development of the idea into a diorama is.Its another maintenence scene (seems to me I am stuck on this idea)Anyway,here is what I envision.(not WW1 but could be adapted)WW2 Russian front,winter and very cold,no hangar to work on the engine and your freezing your butt,so what do you do? You build a temporary structure over just the engine area back to just behind the cockpit and outboard to about the mid - wing area.But instead of showing this little scenario on a base you make it into a diorama by zeroing in on just the interior of the temporary structure.The pictures that I have seen of these structures reveal that they were quite well built with windows in them and all.Your diorama could me built in such a way as to allow the viewer to look through the window out on to the snowcovered wing and a blinding snowstorm.Put a little glowing stove inside with a couple of figures and you have the makings of a great little story.What do you think? Does anyone know of similar structures that were built in WW1? Maybe it just never got that cold.Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

I forgot to mention for heat bending longerons ,wingtips ,cockpit moulding use a round stick type hair curling iron.Works just great and at just the right temperature too.Cheers! John. (some wood may require dampening with water before bending)

[JohnReid]

If you would like to see a beautiful Camel,take a look at Ken Forans work over on the wwi-models website.Cheers! John.