Diorama Vehicles for WW2 Aircraft
Diorama Vehicles for WW2 Aircraft
Author
Discussion

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,774 posts

208 months

Thursday 4th April 2013
quotequote all
I always like to add a vehicle or something to my model aircraft display bases if I can. Noticed this new release from Airfix:



Just right for my forthcoming 1:72 Spitfire and Mosquito builds!

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

222 months

Thursday 4th April 2013
quotequote all
Are they actually new?

I can remember reading to death a brochure my father had when I was a kid - must be the 70s - and it was very old and tattered then (he kept it because of the wonderful boys own paintings) and in that was a bomb tractor and carriages and I'm sure most of the rest of those vehicles too.

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,774 posts

208 months

Thursday 4th April 2013
quotequote all
rhinochopig said:
Are they actually new?

I can remember reading to death a brochure my father had when I was a kid - must be the 70s - and it was very old and tattered then (he kept it because of the wonderful boys own paintings) and in that was a bomb tractor and carriages and I'm sure most of the rest of those vehicles too.
I only recognise the bomb trolleys and tractor, although it looks subtley different form the version included in the old Short Stirling kit.

Don't remember seeing any of the others though.

Airfix often used to include a vehicle with the larger models. Their Hercules had a LandRover and Bloodhound missile at one point IIRC.


Eric Mc

124,917 posts

289 months

Thursday 4th April 2013
quotequote all
All brand new tooling.

The bomb train/trolley is NOT the one that is included with their rather ancient Stirling bomber.

The Bloodhound/Land Rover combo also came with an RAF guard and an alsation.

SlipStream77

2,153 posts

215 months

Thursday 4th April 2013
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
All brand new tooling.

The bomb train/trolley is NOT the one that is included with their rather ancient Stirling bomber.

The Bloodhound/Land Rover combo also came with an RAF guard and an alsation.
They've done some Land Rovers in 1/48, I hope they do the Bloodhound too.

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,774 posts

208 months

Thursday 4th April 2013
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
The Bloodhound/Land Rover combo also came with an RAF guard and an alsation.
Actually 5 RAF personnel and an Alsation...if we want to be precise.

perdu

4,885 posts

223 months

Friday 5th April 2013
quotequote all
nice doggy too yes

I had a couple of the Bloodhound kits, the Landys ended up in all sorts of places on dios

This new set looks good too, I particularly like the aircraft servicing platform, loads of uses for that too

Eric Mc

124,917 posts

289 months

Friday 5th April 2013
quotequote all
dr_gn said:
Actually 5 RAF personnel and an Alsation...if we want to be precise.
4 of mine were on leave.

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,774 posts

208 months

Friday 5th April 2013
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
dr_gn said:
Actually 5 RAF personnel and an Alsation...if we want to be precise.
4 of mine were on leave.
I've got 2 officers, three dog handlers and 1 dog. Typical MOD planning.

Eric Mc

124,917 posts

289 months

Friday 5th April 2013
quotequote all
To be fair to me, I last saw the contents of the set (which came with a Hercules kit I won) 36 years ago.

g3org3y

22,147 posts

215 months

Friday 5th April 2013
quotequote all
Looks decent. Have you ever done a full diorama display for your models?

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,774 posts

208 months

Friday 5th April 2013
quotequote all
g3org3y said:
Looks decent. Have you ever done a full diorama display for your models?
Only as a kid - used to build huge dioramas that involved pretty much all genres of modelling!

In my current phase of building, I've tried to include a few bits and pieces on the display bases whenever I've entered a competition. I wouldn't call them true dioramas, but the vehicles do add a bit of extra interest:









I also built a railway crane which I'm going to use to display a Supermarine Walrus being lifted from an imaginary quayside.

I've got two ideas for displaying my next aircraft models: Tamiya 1:72 Spitfire Mk1 and Mosquito. There are some bits and pieces in that new Airfix set that will do very nicely for those.

perdu

4,885 posts

223 months

Friday 5th April 2013
quotequote all
What really floats the boat for me is that Airfix have these items in 1:72 scale instead of 1:76 which they always used for vehicles to suit OO scale railway modellers

The slight underscale used to wind me up, even their trolley AC was 76 scale from the Airfield Accessories set and in paint hating PVC too frown

Now we have the real deal, I will be partaking of these

&

dr_gn's additions always make a big difference to his base pieces, not really fair as his models are elite replicas any way...


thumbup


wink

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,774 posts

208 months

Friday 5th April 2013
quotequote all
perdu said:
What really floats the boat for me is that Airfix have these items in 1:72 scale instead of 1:76 which they always used for vehicles to suit OO scale railway modellers

The slight underscale used to wind me up, even their trolley AC was 76 scale from the Airfield Accessories set and in paint hating PVC too frown

Now we have the real deal, I will be partaking of these

&

dr_gn's additions always make a big difference to his base pieces, not really fair as his models are elite replicas any way...


thumbup


wink
hehe

There is absolutely no way I could tell the difference between a 1:76 and a 1:72 vehicle.

I think I've got the full set of Airfix RAF vehicles in the stash (again) now. I suppose I'll end up with the control tower (again) too. Always liked the Airfix RAF stuff.

You probably know that Flightpath do some really nice 1:72 RAF vehicles(and control towers in a couple of scales for that matter)?

ETA You going to Cosford on Sunday?

Eric Mc

124,917 posts

289 months

Saturday 6th April 2013
quotequote all
And Matador do a white metal range in 1/72 as well.

perdu

4,885 posts

223 months

Saturday 6th April 2013
quotequote all
I think (That is a big word, I accept) that I can tell the difference if the two scales are side by side and with similar vehicles

Figures in 1:76 are different, from 1:72 and I can see that

Smaller sized chaps and chapesses

Cosford, yes, I'll be under the TSR2 again and wandering around looking for folks I've met here and on BM

Bham IPMS stand, I'll be wearing my IPMS 2012 badge with Bill on it

Hope we meet, hope to see your SE 5A too

You too Eric, missed you at Telford last time

And anyone else

thumbup

lufbramatt

5,556 posts

158 months

Saturday 6th April 2013
quotequote all
The whole kit is new tooling and not related to existing stuff in the Stirling. The David Brown tractor is the correct short wheelbase type, and the kit also comes with a range of ordnance to go with the new lancaster kits such as the 4000 and 8000lb "cookie" bombs, 500lb'ers and incendiaries. Two types of bomb trolley have been included to match the different weights of bombs.

the "tilley" is a Standard not an austin, so is the correct type for RAF use.

The great big oil/fuel bowser trailer was measured off one they have in store at Duxford under the bailey bridge so is the correct pattern for the era with an interesting opposing torsion bar suspension system. The motorbike is a BSA M20, and even the pushbike was slightly corrected for scale- not the 1/76 version included in the Bedford QLT kit as has been claimed on some modelling forums.

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,774 posts

208 months

Saturday 6th April 2013
quotequote all
lufbramatt said:
The whole kit is new tooling and not related to existing stuff in the Stirling. The David Brown tractor is the correct short wheelbase type, and the kit also comes with a range of ordnance to go with the new lancaster kits such as the 4000 and 8000lb "cookie" bombs, 500lb'ers and incendiaries. Two types of bomb trolley have been included to match the different weights of bombs.

the "tilley" is a Standard not an austin, so is the correct type for RAF use.

The great big oil/fuel bowser trailer was measured off one they have in store at Duxford under the bailey bridge so is the correct pattern for the era with an interesting opposing torsion bar suspension system. The motorbike is a BSA M20, and even the pushbike was slightly corrected for scale- not the 1/76 version included in the Bedford QLT kit as has been claimed on some modelling forums.
I'm impressed.

IMO, Airfix have the potential to rule the modelling world if they can just add a bit of panel line refinement and better quality control to their production process. They are demonstrably capable of doing it, but the consistency simply isn't there at present. I hope the much discussed return to UK production will help them to do it. If they can achieve this and keep the bargain bucket prices...excellent. Personally I'd be willing to pay slightly more (than they are charging at present) for a British kit - so long as the quality was there.

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,774 posts

208 months

Saturday 6th April 2013
quotequote all
perdu said:
I think (That is a big word, I accept) that I can tell the difference if the two scales are side by side and with similar vehicles

Figures in 1:76 are different, from 1:72 and I can see that

Smaller sized chaps and chapesses

Cosford, yes, I'll be under the TSR2 again and wandering around looking for folks I've met here and on BM

Bham IPMS stand, I'll be wearing my IPMS 2012 badge with Bill on it

Hope we meet, hope to see your SE 5A too

You too Eric, missed you at Telford last time

And anyone else

thumbup
I'll have a look for you. I'm not taking any models with me though. And I am considering only taking £10 in cash. Then again if there's a 1:12 Tamiya Ferrari 641 for sale at a good price...

RichB

55,416 posts

308 months

Saturday 6th April 2013
quotequote all
perdu said:
...Figures in 1:76 are different, from 1:72 and I can see that...
You forgot the "tongue in cheek" smiley, or at least I assume you did! biglaugh