Diorama Techniques: Planes, Armor, Ships, Artillery and Troops

[Matt308]

Originally Posted by Airframes

Catch is right! Be prepared for 30% preparation, 40% practice, 5% actually spraying, and 25% cleaning!!!
You'll like it when you get used to it though, but don't forget, brushes are still there for many jobs, the airbrush for effects, large areas and finishes.

Don't let that scare you. Depending upon your airbrush, they are totally merciful, simple to take apart and relatively cheap to replace. I agree with Airframes with his numbers, but differ on the cleaning percentage. It's not THAT onerous. And once you get down a routine, you learn that some steps are overrated and others more crucial. Like anything you practice, you become more efficient.

Besides, Airframes is ex-special forces. He probably cleans his airbrush two or three times a day regardless of whether he uses it or not.

[Airframes]

I'm not quite that bad! Only once a day!

[109ROAMING]

I've one of those Aztek A470 Airbrushes

Can I take that apart and clean it? Just want to check before i do it

Don't wana stuff it

[Wayne Little]

Daniel, you should only have to take apart the nozzle assembly for cleaning.

[Novice7]

I'm a beginner in the serious modeling and diorama-building world, and I have one question about displaying model aircraft. I want to display a number of helicopters in flight, suspended from a wall: and I have not been able to come up with a good way to do it, that would show as little as possible of whatever is used to suspend them from the wall.
I thought of using coat-hanger wire bent out to appropriate lengths, but that seems crude and would probably look ugly. Maybe clear acrylic rods, bent into shape are another option, if I can come up with a good way to fasten them to the wall. So I would love to know if the experts have any clever tips on how to display aircraft in flight, as cleanly as possible: and from a wall - not from the ceiling, since I don't want them swinging in the air, but suspended from behind.

Let me describe in short, what I am trying to do: it's not WWII-related I will admit, but if you can forgive me for that: I want to build a re-creation of the "Apocalypse Now" dawn attack of the 1st Air Cav. on the VC-held beach.
I have the model gunships that I need (I counted 14 in the movie), but so far I haven't built any of them, until I have a complete plan of how, and where to display them. I also have a giant poster of a sunrise, which is what I want to suspend the choppers from. I have three different scale models, to give depth to the display, as if the choppers really are coming out of the sunrise.

Any clever advice?

[Airframes]

A difficult one! It's been a pain for every diorama builder, even for museum displays. I think the acrylic rod idea is probably the best. To get the best effect, have the rods through the sunrise background, and fasten onto the BACK of the backing board the sunrise poster is attached to. The rods could be mounted into suitably sized tubes, or similar, and both glued with epoxy adhesive.
A relatively thin rod should do the trick, being less visible, but strong enough to take the weight of the light models. Think about where the rods will attach to the models, so that they are hidden as well as possible - this might not be an obvious place. For instance, bent into an exhaust nozzle, or coming off a tail boom?
Good luck with the project, and look forward to some progress pics if you can.

[Wayne Little]

Sounds interesting.....Good tips Terry!