She is finally back in the hangar!I put the rafters on but have yet to hook up the lighting.The fighter pilot group will be next to go in permanently and then I can concentrate on the outside.
The Camel research is still an ongoing process .Ken's pics are a great visual help
when coming up with a list of modifications to be made.

After looking carefully at the last two pics I think that I will probably make a major change in this diorama.The Jenny looks so nice taking center stage that I think that I will place the fighter pilot group aft of the wing near the motorcycle.This will help to downplay the "Memories of Flying School "idea and give all the figures a more even level of importance as,"Keepers of the Flame" 1918-1927.After all Jenny's participation in the war effort was just a part of her history here in Canada.It will require taking things apart again but what the hell I am used to that by now.Nothing is written in stone anyway until it is finally finished and that is the way I like it, as that way it keeps the whole thing interesting for me too.Imagine if I had an idea six years ago and felt compelled to see it through unchanged until the end.( boooring)
Especially in the finishing stages, I find that taking lots of pics really helps you to focus on one area that may need changes or additions or in some cases complete removal.
Little things ,like extending the rusty water spot on the rag where the rad is ,onto the hangar floor itself. (yet to be done) Or big things like moving a major figure group.Also the parts on the floor which I thought needed removal as being just too much, can now hardly be seen with the roof on.
The camera also really helps to find little things that need attention, like the inside of the light electrical boxes in the rafters that require painting black.
__________________
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)

I think that I will go with the idea of Billy Bishop greeting his American fighter pilot friends at the door of the office.
Now that I have changed and expanded the idea for the diorama,I feel that this is a better idea.The veteran connection is still there with the sign inside the hangar ,which justifies the pilot group being dressed in uniform for the occasion of Remembrance Day.There is still one RAF fighter pilot type in the hangar talking with the Al Capone group.He probably arrived earlier!
For those who have only recently joined this thread Al Capone is the big guy with the fedora hat.
I find that even the other idea of putting the pilot group directly behind the L/H wing of Jenny, still draws too much attention away from the airplane.
While the story now is centered around the people of the era ,the airplane still ties it all together.
__________________
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)

Never know what to expect do you?
Well,this little arrangement should keep me busy for the winter!The horse,old tub and water well and pump should make a nice grouping.Then of course the Camel being towed by the Ford truck(#90) and finally an old airshow jalopy(#93) parked near the engine shop.#90and 93 are diecasts of approximately the same size as the plastic kit models that I have yet to build.

Another pic

Can't forget the racers!
The story of the era would not be complete without some reference to the Air Racers.I chose to downplay this aspect a little by placing the posters under the lean to,next to the show car, on the side of the hangar ,as I don't want things to get too confusing.It also will serve as another item for the kids to find when playing the game of search the diorama for..........that I will suggest to the museum to make it a little more inter-active.I will also have four animals out and about for them to find.Kids seem to love to play these games!

Old roadster!
This kit will be the basis of a
old rusty air show car that I plan to build and put outside the engine shop replacing #93.It was replaced by the much more powerful car that is under the lean -to at the side of the hangar.
My plan is to modify it to look more like a pre-WW1 car from around 1910.That would give me a good 15 years of wear and tear and lots of nice weathering possibilities.
I plan to change it to L/H drive,eliminate all lights and the 5th wheel.I will throw a tarp over the cockpit area which will eliminate a lot of detailing.I will modify the fenders or have non at all.I plan to modify the body and move the gas tank up behind the driver for gravity feed.The wheel spokes will be wood.Putting in the engine is optional or I could leave it sitting on the ground ,rusting out.
Should be fun!

Over on another website there was a lot of excitement about museums that display what is basically dollhouse rooms and furniture,without the dolls.

As you guys know 1/12 scale is considered doll house scale.A lot of people who are model makers let the word "dollhouse" turn them off to the wonderful things these guys and gals do both in scratchbuilding and in their use of kits.Some of the nicest modeling I have ever seen has been done by the dollhouse people.I make sure that I attend at least one show a year just to see what is going on.
I think that I have mentioned before that it was a dollhouse show that really inspired me to blend what I saw there, with other types of modeling, to create something new(at least I had never seen it done before).When I saw the effects that could be created with indoor lighting ,it blew me away.
I don't have the tools,patience or the skills required to do Louis the 14th furniture etc..but building and furnishing an old barn or hangar only requires basic carpentry skills,so that is when I decided to give it a go.A lot of 1/12 accessories and tools etc can easily be adapted to 1/16th scale.Especially tools that normally come in a variety of sizes in 1:1 scale.My hangar lighting is all dollhouse inspired with old brass Xmas bells for fixtures.In the office I used dollhouse overhead and table lamps to good advantage.
Another advantage is that it doesn't have to be expensive ,I use standard pine wood from hardware stores along with tongue depressors and coffee stir sticks of various sizes for most of my lumber requirements.Sandpaper for roofing material ,salvaged plexiglass for windows etc,etc.... being creative and using your imagination to find stuff is half the fun!

Proud to be a dioramist!
The next time that someone would have you believe that miniatures and dioramas cannot be ART have them check this out!Makes me proud to be part of this artform and something we could all aspire to!

The Art Institute of Chicago: http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/thorne/index.php

Click on the picture for more pictures!
Cheers! John.

This is a pic of the parts of an old crate that I made for shipping the OX5 engine.I say shipping because I realized that I would have to make up my mind as to whether I would show nail holes or not.(No nail holes means the engine is being crated)
I guess that on a nice day in November grating the engine outdoors is not beyond the realm of possibility.The pic is not a very good one but it does show a creative way of showing the sides and top of the crate.(the base is attached to the engine)These parts are leaning up against the engine shop outside wall and the grate is about to be nailed together.I played around awhile to get what I think is a nice arrangement but it still needs an address label or an upside down" this end up" sign or at least a few identifying numbers .The upside down "this end up" would be a nice Ken Hamilton touch,stolen from his book "How to Build Creative Car Dioramas".

Another pic

Taking pictures,the fun part!
If there is one thing that I enjoy as much as diorama making ,it is taking pics of the diorama.In some ways I enjoy it even more, as it is a very creative activity and instantly rewarding with todays digital cameras.
I have revised my plans for the lighting,everything will be hooked up to a simple on/off switch with a control for the lighting intensity.I figure in a museum setting on or off will be all that is required.The bulbs will burn out and changing them is possible but not easy.If they are used sparingly though they should last for awhile.I will suggest to the museum staff that they also devise an alternate way of lighting the display case for daily use so the interior lights will only be turned on for the kids during the educational sessions.Until I ship it off their will be plenty of opportunity to creatively play with the lights,leaving some rooms lit while turning others off for all kinds of different effects.

From another website!
M Mephiticas wrote:
Dioramas are an art form.
Anyone that says otherwise must be blind.
These creations are indeed miniature works of 3 dimensional art.

That has always been my feeling too! It always bothered me that most modelers (and some still do) think that dioramas are nice bases that you set your model on.In fact some websites still have dioramas listed under bases or decorations for your model.
That is what got me going posting these threads on the various websites.I feel that dioramas should be recognized for what they are 3D ART!
A few years ago (7-8) I had heard that Shep Paine was getting tired of promoting dioramas and wished that someone else would carry the ball for awhile.I am sure that you have heard of his wonderful work,in fact he has published a few books on the subject.Anyway ,I thought why not take up the challenge and use the more modern tool ,the internet to do so.Besides who wants to get involved with all the hassles of book publishing.Another wonderful dioramist and pioneer in modern diorama making is Ken Hamilton ,who also has a book published that I would recommend to anyone.Promoting dioramas now takes up about half of my hobby time but who cares it is a labor of love and besides it is great for the old ego to get such wonderful responses to my work!
Cheers! John.