Advice on diorama idea

[Andy T]

I'm looking for some advice from you clever folk please.

I've just got hold of the Airfix 1/72 Chinook and I'm mulling over a diorama idea, since I haven't done one for a while. This is the kind of thing I'm aiming for:

For ease I'll pose the container on the ground, or just off it, with plenty of weight to stabilise the whole thing, but it's the connection to the chopper that I'm not sure about. I can use stiff wire for the strops, but how to connect them solidly to the aircrafts hooks and still have it look realistic (I don't want to use clear rods)

One idea was to remake the hooks in copper wire (or copper-coated steel welding wire), solder them to the top of the strops, then insert those into reinforced holes in the aircraft.

Does that sound feasible, or are there any better ideas you can suggest?

Thanks in advance ?

[Tim Marlow]

Sound absolutely the way to go to me Andy. If you use the coated steel wire the strops and hooks could then be strong enough to act as the support for the Chinook, especially the outboard pair that are taking the weight in that image. If you arranged the container so that one end was just lifting off it would give the scene even more movement and dynamics……

[Jim R]

Sounds a good plan to me. Making the strops and hooks a single piece by soldering will give strength. I rather like Tim's idea of the container just lifting.
Whatever you decide it will be very interesting to follow the build.

[Andy T]

Thank you both. It seemed workable but wanted some other opinions.

And yes, I agree, having it slightly lifted would look best, that's why I mentioned maybe having it just off the ground. Ideally I'd have it all tipping forwards slightly with the rear of the container up. I could disguise a clear rod there I'm sure, but the tipping would also bring other forces into play on the strops.

The bare kit weighs 230g in it's bags, so minus the sprue but plus paint, it should be around that when finished. Maybe I'll do a bit of testing first with a similar size and weight.

Thanks again ?

[PaulTRose]

Is it built yet? ?

This is going to be an epic build if it works out.....cant wait to see it go together

[Steven000]

Should look epic Andy, looking forward to the build ?.
if all fails there's always helium gas ? cheers

[Andy T]

Is it built yet? ?

This is going to be an epic build if it works out.....cant wait to see it go together

Haha, just waiting for the last coat of matt varnish to dry... ?

I'm not sure about epic, I'm not Ron, JR, Scottie etc., but I'll give it a good bash ?

[rtfoe]

Hi Andy, the idea is solid having the stiff wire going straight into the fuselage and copper wire bent and simulated as the hook. The wire should be anchored all the way to the top of the fuselage for strength with ends bent at angles opposing each other wire and glued down if you know what I mean. Basically the wires are twisted to form an X and the fuselage is sandwiched at that joint. The copper hook wire camouflages this illusion.
Very hard to explain. Looking forward to seeing how you do it.

Cheers,
Wabble

[Andy T]

Thanks Richard. I had to read that through a few times but I think I get what you mean.

This kit actually has a separate belly panel, leaving a 2-3 mm gap between it and the cabin floor. You've got me thinking that maybe I can cross the wires over within that space, keeping them out of the interior.



I need to finish the model I'm working on before diving too deeply into this though, or it'll become another one on the shelf of doom ?

[Jim R]

Sounds like a possibility. Just find a way to anchor the wires without increasing the weight too much. Maybe balsa wood soaked in CA?????

[Airborne01]

Have you considered an 'L' shaped diorama where the load is just being lifted (as proposed) but the rear part of the 'L' is painted as a backdrop (perhaps a sky or a Camp Bastion type scenario) - you could then support the chopper from the rear/side with a more substantial support, Just a thought ...
Steve

[Andy T]

It's an idea Steve, thanks, but visible supports just ruin the effect for me, wherever they are.

I guess a box diorama where you could never see it anything other than straight on might work, but I'll try my hand at supporting it with the cables first ?

[Waspie]

Hi Andy, I haven't posted for a while but read this and it sparked an idea!

Have you considered the Chinook lifting 3 separate loads. (See image) They have 3 lifting hooks. That way, you could have the front two loads airborne, having just left the ground with the third rear load still on the ground but attached via the lifting strop to the Helicopter. That may give you a better way of making it appear without any outside visible support.

Doug

[Andy T]

I wondered where you had got to Doug ?

It's an idea I've dismissed to be honest, but thanks for the suggestion. In that configuration I'd be trying to support the chopper on a single wire through a single point on the belly, rather than (potentially) eight with three connections, which ought to be much more stable.

[scottie3158]

Looking forward to this Andy, can't really add anything to what the other guys have said. The only thing I would say is instead of using wire use brass strip I have lots of different sizes this will provide a lot of strength and you could solder the hook to the top.

[Andy T]

Cheers Paul, that's a good shout as they'll look more like straps than cables too. I'll have a rummage around to see what I can find. I have a fair amount of brass sheet but never have much look cutting strips off it.

[scottie3158]

Andy, I buy strips 0.2 x 2mm,and 0.2 3mm both 300 long other sizes are available.