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I am having the same problem that I had with the Jenny,basically "what to leave in and what to leave out". I would sure appreciate any ideas that you guys may have .
While I kind of like the simplicity shown here ,I also have lots of space to add to the exterior of the piece.I even have enough room to add a complete new airplane with wings attached.While I have pretty much lost my fear of landscaping the exterior it is now a question of improving the storyline.This piece was my first airplane diorama and has the weakest storyline of any of the pieces that I have done till now.Two guys looking at the airplane while a mechanic wipes oil off of the engine just doesn't cut it for me anymore.If I add a completely built new airplane outdoors that will look nice but really do nothing to dramatically improve the story.I was thinking about maybe an accident victim being stripped for parts but then again that is just repeating what I did with the Jenny build. Any ideas?

Old cars and figures!
In my stash of 1/16th old cars I have a 1911 Model T ,a Mercer Runabout and a Rolls Silver Ghost.
The Model T frame could be used to make a wagon of some kind,the Rolls a staff car commandeered by the German Air Service and the Mercer I know not what.
I figure that the possibility of a Rolls in France at the start of the war could be a good one and of course Model T's were everywhere.Besides what German officer could resist driving a Rolls given the opportunity.(My motto if it could have happened and it fits the storyline ,use it!)
There is quite a variety of 1/16th figures available today for modification so I don't anticipate a problem there.

My WW1 modeling bud,Stephen Lawson,kindly supplied me with pics and ideas for the 2nd Albatros.Wow this is just what I was looking for!It adds to the diorama in a dramatic way but does not take anything away from the scene in the hangar.Rather than a front line hangar I can now move the whole thing back to a re-build facility farther to the rear, which fits in better with the main subject being re-skinned in the hangar.
I have the option of the damaged aircraft being shot down in battle or a training accident victim.The split in the fuselage right at the cockpit really caught my eye and says so much to me.The whole destruction and renewal theme makes a great storyline,"out of the ashes "so to speak.Thanks again Stephen! Cheers.John.

I think that I will do this as a derelict that has been towed as is (broken in two & upside down but minus its wings)to a spot just beside the L/H side of the hangar.I haven't made a decision on the wings yet,whether to show them being rebuilt or in the same derelict state as the fuselage although the latter would better fit into the overall theme of the old and the new.

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No worries John! Glad I could offer up an idea or two. I look forward to your progress. Model On!

This is Stephen's diorama on the subject.I plan to do mine much the same but rather than being a recent wreck mine will have spent some time outside getting nicely rusty and weathered.I will probably put some kind of a makeshift sled under the engine to make it look like it was dragged off the field as is and just left to be stripped of parts.

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Harley's new role!
I am thinking of taking Harley the dog(or fur-person as I like to call them)out of the office in the Jenny diorama, where he can hardly be seen, and give him a staring role as Fritz who lost his master in the accident.A lot of pilots,especially German fighter pilots kept dogs as their personal companions in a situation where bonding with you fellow pilots was difficult due to the high mortality rate.I plan to have him sort of behind the hangar door looking at the wreckage of his masters airplane.For those who do not know of this special relationship it will just be another dog but to those who do it will sent a strong message.I don't think Harley will mind!

Meanwhile back at the Jenny hangar.
It looks like Commanche has pretty much drained all the water from this tub!

I didn't have much choice here as his head is so low to the ground.I put a little debris on the bottom and sealed it with little glue/water mix,then dried it with a hair dryer and covered it with a little gloss medium to make it look wet.

The final positioning of Fritz will depend upon what looks best when the wrecked airplane is finished.The Albatros is broken at the cockpit seat area with the pilots seat belts hanging out.Having Fritz looking directly at this area may help in understanding the storyline for the average viewer.These little things can be so helpful in getting your story across ,which is after all the whole point in doing a diorama.It is sometimes quite difficult to find the balance between subtlety and the obvious.Too obvious and the whole thing looks contrived ,too subtle and the viewer misses the point.Usually subtlety is the way to go as the impact on the viewer is greater once it is discovered.In this case a lot depends upon the knowledge of the viewer,WW1 fans will get it right away but then again the relationship between dog and man is well known to the general viewer.Anyway I still have a while to think about it.

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Interesting question
In the pic above of an Albatros accident victim,I find it quite strange that the fabric would burn off of the wings and not set fire to the wood ribs.
Would it be because the fabric burned off so fast that the wood didn't have chance to be ignited.
Was the wood subjected to a flame retardant or preservative of some kind that did not so easily ignite as dope and linen?
This could be something that I could incorporate into my wreck that would allow me to show some of the structure even if it was a little fire damaged.
Did they have some kind of fire fighting equipment that they may have used to spray the aircraft during the initial stages of the fire which would account for the wings not burning?