Airfield

[Guest]

I have a large train diorama set up, i want to strip it down and put a airfield in the middle of the train track am going to try keeping every thing 1/72 scale, and WW2 time. About 1/3rd of the diorama is a range of hills with the track going through a tunnel i am going to leave that and maybe have planes looking like there flying above it, am going to meassure the space for the airfield and post it later. i want to know a few things:

• can you put a load of diffrent type of planes on the same airfield because i have 3 spitfires, 3 hurricane, a load of over planes and i was thinking of puting a lanc refuleing.
  
• what is the best thing to use as grass
  
• what is the best thing to use to make a plane in the air like it's flying?
  
• What are good airfix sets to get, to use in a airfield?
  
• What kind of building and scenery should be added.
  

[Guest]

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[stona]

Sounds like quite a project!

I'm an aircraft modeller rather than a dioramist but I can answer some of those questions.

1 You can put different types on an airfield. A typical fighter station would have its complement of fighters and there were instances where Spitfires and Hurricanes might be found on the same field. There might also be various other aircraft,Ansons,Oxfords or maybe a Magister or Tiger Moth for example. You'd have to think up a good excuse for a heavy bomber to be there but it's your dio so why not?

2 I use a grass mat for a base when photographing my models and I believe its original use was intended to be exactly your sort of project. This is a captured Fw190 in 1/72 scale on the mat.

3 I use a clear acrylic rod to pose aircraft in flight. Drill a hole in the fuselage and fit a plastic tube into which the rod will be a snug fit. This is a larger scale but different rod and tube sizes are available and I've used this method for 1/72 scale as well.

4 I'll leave that to someone who builds dioramas.

5 The normal assortment of hangars,control rooms,dispersal huts would be present. The aircraft were dispersed in revetments,the standard pattern was a double revertment with a dividing wall between the two pens and built in shelters.

There wouldn't be any tall trees for obvious reasons!

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Hi Stedin

First welcome Stedin hope we can all help in the future & you us.

Like Steve a model maker not diorama at least not yet.

At same time I wanted to display my aircraft in something of a natural environment rather than just on a bare shelf.

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Gives how I went about it. The grass is Heki what they call static grass mat. But trying to get more but none in the UK think it has priced itself out of the market. But been advised that Jarvis static grass matt is very close. The Heki certainly is the part. But if you need small mounds & change of levels in 2 directions not sure this is what you want. But for a flat airfield it is perfect. It is basically brown paper. Found the best way to lay is PVA undiluted on both surfaces. Wait for it to soak the paper then lay pushing gently with a roller form the centre outwards in all dirsctions. May be a few small bubbles but these dry out & stretch.

The two bits of runway I can not find the product as I need more . But I have found Noch - Gravel Mat - Grey Limestone which looks the part.

The Sky is ID Backscenes ID501A.

Cannot help with your other bits as not had that experience.

Laurie

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[Guest]

Hi Stedin, great advice so far, but to add a bit, airfix do a great range including refuelling trucks, emergency vehicles, control tower. They even do a small dio set.

Cheers, Andrew

[Guest]

Stedin found the runway which is Gravel Mat GM23. Looks authentic.

Did not read all (fault of mine read what you want to see) & agree with Steve on what would be on the airfield. In bad weather with an airfield, which was perhaps higher, you may have got a great assortment of aircraft. From Lancaster Wellingtons B17 etc all looking for a place to land in desperately low fuel situations & maybe damaged. On occasion they may get a 110 or a 109 calling in unexpectedly ? I got them all on my airfield ! But soon to disperse the 1/48s from the 1/72. New shelf !

Also wonder, speculating as usual, if some bomber crews would agree that one airfield, in bad weather conditions, did a better bacon & TWO eggs breakfast. Why not they deserved what they could eat baked beans as well.

Laurie

[stona]

Bombers returning to the UK had their own emergency airfields to land on. Now,of course,in an extreme situation a bomber is going to put down wherever it can but many fighter airfields would not have been suitable.

I have no idea how bothered the original poster is about historical accuracy but it is worth remembering that the type and Mark of aircraft present on any particular airfield is quite date dependent,particularly for front line types.

Cheers

Steve

[Ian M]

Hi Stedin and welcome.

As said Airfix make a good selection of Airfield sets. All of which would be good for the set up you have in mind. As for the aircraft and how things where placed. I would suggest that you have a search around the internet. A good start would be to search for a Spitfire of a Hurricane that you know the squadron of. Then search for all the info you can on that Squadron.

Wiki pedia is OK for that kind of info BUT check it against other web sites as they (wiki) do make mistakes.

This will lead you in the right direction as to which squadrons where flying from which airfield and more importantly with which other squadrons and Aircraft.

As others have said it would be very rare to fine fighters and heavy bombers at the same base.

Another thing that would be worth getting hold of would be the Airfix Bofors gun. Many airfields used these as air defence to protect the airfield.

Good luck with it and keep us posted how you get on.

Ian M

[Guest]

thank everybody

[Guest]

i have an airfix ho/oo airfield control tower if you want it,i doubt i will use it, just pm your adress and i will send it to you. FREE.

[Guest]

sorry about this mate but i will have to retract that offer as i just got the box out to put it to one side and realised one of my children has been practicing his modelling skills on it and most of the pieces are broken sorry again