Main Hangar bulb changing.
In an effort to try to make bulb changing in the main hangar a little easier I have been trying ,every which way ,to design something that is easy to get at once the roof is on.I have designed the roof and the rafters to be removed as one unit.The problem is to get at the screws that hold the wires in place ,in the light fixture ,in case the whole fixture needs replacing.Maybe I am carrying this a little too far but after the problems I had with the Albatros hangars lighting arrangement ,I wanted to be sure I got it right this time.I think that I have solved the problem by separating the light fixture unit from the wiring box and inverting the box so the wiring screws can be reached from the hangar floor side of the rafters.(What?)Anyway when I get one built I will take a pic to show you.
__________________
It has been said that the difference between a "pilot" and an "aviator" is that a pilot is a technician,and an aviator is an artist in love with flight.
JohnReid (Aviator)
Guide my hand in your work today.
My photobucket:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/

Stealing Ken's ideas!
After much research I have decided to steal my friend Ken's ideas on how to finish a diorama.This idea comes from Ken's book"How to build Creative
Dioramas",page 11.
I really like the idea of the gray edging following the undulations
of the terrain.The brownish cover looks great with the barnsiding.
I also love the idea of the junk surrounding the perimeter of the building.

I almost forgot!
Now that I have rejected the "old dining table" idea as a suitable base ,for the "Memories of Flight School" diorama ,I almost forgot to ask myself,What am I going to replace it with?
In my enthusiasm to do the final buildup, I forgot something very basic ,how am I going to make the new base?In order to attach this new base I will have to break the whole thing down again to the basic plywood floor,do a new base and rebuild once again.Trying to build it up any other way would be a nightmare,imagine trying to work around fragile airplanes and the like.
Soooo!once again it is back to the bare table again.This time I will be building what the RR guys call a homasote-type base.Homasote,is a composite wall board/insulation material available in most lumber yards.It is glued over plywood to give it strength(see Chapter 4 of Ken's book)
Contoured edges are a must to give the diorama that "slice of life" look.

Out of Print!
Unfortunately Ken Hamilton's book "How to Build Creative Dioramas" has been out of print for some time now.Ken however, has given me his kind permission to use some of his photos for this thread.Thanks Ken!
I will describe and take pics of my attempts to create a similar Homasote base but on a larger scale.I will have to modify it a little for my purposes but essentially it will be the same base as the one described in his book.

Setting the stage!
These pics give you a good idea just how much Ken's work has influenced the design of my latest diorama and will continue to do so in the future.The board and batten building ,the colors,the random junk etc...
My original idea was to have the main hangar bustling with activity and the outside fairly clean, in order not to draw attention away from the main subject the airplane,figures and the hangars contents.
I have decided that this would be a mistake and now I plan to have lots of junk and activity on 3 sides of the hanger.The fourth front or ramp side will remain uncluttered ,so that when viewed from the front, the main storyline should be what comes through to the viewer.The hangar doors and their structures will act as sort of a stage curtain that will block the view to the other 3 sides so as to not distract the viewer.

Another

Wait there's more!
Ken is also a master at creating interior detail as well!It may all look like it was placed at random but the art is in making it look that way.Actually the placement of each item was given a lot of thought.The "this end up" box is a nice touch of humor.You could look at this a long time and always discover something new.Note the use of just the right color combinations.
__________________
It has been said that the difference between a "pilot" and an "aviator" is that a pilot is a technician,and an aviator is an artist in love with flight.
JohnReid (Aviator)
Guide my hand in your work today.
My photobucket:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/

General layout.
each square=2inches
Diorama overall =48x78inches
Main Hangar floor=30x40inches
old cars=5 ,plus Camel trailer

I hope it all fits and doesn't look too crowded.I thought of putting the dio at an angle but there is no room to spare.I will now try to place everything and take pics to see how it looks
__________________
It has been said that the difference between a "pilot" and an "aviator" is that a pilot is a technician,and an aviator is an artist in love with flight.
JohnReid (Aviator)
Guide my hand in your work today.
My photobucket:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/

How the heck did you make the calender and pin ups?

New base.
The model T car is about the size of the van that will be pulling the 1/16th Camel trailer, as represented here by the 14" Mercedes Benz showcar.
The ruler and tape represent the outer edges of the new plywood base.It looks as though I will have lots of room for most of the stuff that I would like to put in the case.We are expecting the weather to warm up a little over the next few days so I am hopeful that I can get the base cut out and installed on the table.I should have lots of room for junk outside the hangar walls to keep things interesting.
__________________
It has been said that the difference between a "pilot" and an "aviator" is that a pilot is a technician,and an aviator is an artist in love with flight.
JohnReid (Aviator)
Guide my hand in your work today.
My photobucket:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/

Model Expo Camel 1/16th scale
Well I had my first look inside the box today and I am quite impressed with the overall quality of this kit.The cast metal fittings are up to the same standard as the Jenny ,which saw a big improvement over the Albatros and Nieuport kits.The wood is of the usual high quality and very nicely laser cut for accuracy.I just hope that the spars etc.. slip into the pre-cut laser holes in the ribs as there is little room for error.
The instruction booklet and plans appear to be accurate enough to make for a nice smooth build.
The airplane seems a little chunky in appearance and not nicely shaped like the Nieuport or the Albatros designs.It has a 21"wingspan and the fuselage is 14"long.
I don't anticipate any problems building this one or attaching it to the Model T trailer (ready to hit the road for the local universities aeronautical study course.)Because it will be placed close to the back of the hangar ,where it can be studied in detail by the viewer, it should create a lot of interest.
__________________
It has been said that the difference between a "pilot" and an "aviator" is that a pilot is a technician,and an aviator is an artist in love with flight.
JohnReid (Aviator)
Guide my hand in your work today.
My photobucket:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/

Contoured edges?
There should be lots of room for junk on this side of the hangar.If I were ever to build phase 2 of this diorama,it could be butted up against this side without too much difficulty.
I think that the challenge now will be to have a plexiglass case that doesn't look too much like an aquarium.I kind of like the contoured edge idea to give it the "slice of life "look although being an airfield the surrounding terrain would normally be quite flat .
This is going to be quite a challenge for me as I have never before attempted to build anything beyond the perimeter of the buildings.Working with sand and mud,flora and fauna is all new to me.Hope I don't screw it up!

And let there be light!
Now finally I have some light in the main building.8 bare bulbs seem to do the trick ,plus all the other lighting ,comes to about 24 lights overall.I was lucky no smoke or sparks!There will be one additional light outside over the Reid & Sons sign and that should be enough.This is a big step forward so now I can concentrate on the outside and the new base.

On changing directions!
I may have to re-think this whole project!Things may be getting too big and out of hand and I just don't feel comfortable venturing into these uncharted waters.Funny how these things dawn on you in the middle of the night.
The overall size of this diorama is now approaching 78"X48" ,add to this an oval base and your really talking big.In fact ,I may be losing sight of the forest for the trees,literately!The viewer of this diorama may not be able to get close enough to it to appreciate everything inside.I think that it is time to face the painful truth and start a process of elimination.I think that I will go back to my original idea of having most of the elements contained within the box or hangar itself.This will mean that the Camel idea will have to go along with a few of the old cars.I am still not sure of how to handle the transition between the diorama and the base,in other words that point where the viewer separates fantasy from reality.It is so much easier to just deal with the lighting and set a mood when the whole thing is a closed stage but venturing outside is a whole different ballgame.Think dollhouse! Almost everything is in the box and that seems to be enough.
__________________
It has been said that the difference between a "pilot" and an "aviator" is that a pilot is a technician,and an aviator is an artist in love with flight.
JohnReid (Aviator)
Guide my hand in your work today.
My photobucket:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/