Transporting Completed Models

When I moved from NJ to NC I put my planes and jets in a box.First I put down a layer of cotton candy like stuffing from hobby lobby,they use it to stuff pillows and stuffed animals.That got the planes off their landing gear sitting on the stuffing.Then I carefully added more stuffing on top kind of locking it in place when the box top was closed.The movers moved them and only lost an antenna or a pitot tube here and there.That F-22 and open canopy Mig-29 were perfect.Should be even better for you since you are handling them and not going as far.

This is the only pic I have

Most of us in this area use those plastic storage tubs available at hardware and discount stores.  We line the bottoms with bubble wrap.  Works fine for planes, cars and armour.  Occasionally I find a ship is too long to fit my largest tub, and I have to make a separate box for it.  I just make bottom and sides, plus little strips at ends of bottom to keep it from sliding fore and aft.  Works fine except when raining or snowing, when I have to drape coat or something to keep water off.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions.

I ended up putting the airplanes in 4 plastic tubs, with a layer of fleece lining the bottom of each tub.  I didn't have any bubble wrap or that white fluffy stuff my wife typically likes to use as pillow lining available, so I had to make do with some of her fleece.

Tubs are now loaded securely in the back of her van for the hour drive to Ellington Field.

I just saw this thread. I have two dedicated clear plastic storage containers with tops that I got a while back at Target. I use and old towel on the container bottom that keeps the models from moving and touching each other. The driver has to use extra caution and be extra careful to maintain easy smooth turns as an added precaution. I have been using these tubs for the past 4 years to transport models to shows and have been exceptional in keeping them safe during the drive. Good luck Aggie!

That's essentially what I did.  We were able to make the round-trip drive with absolutely no issues, although I was cognizant of the fragility of the cargo as I traversed things like rail tracks or the notorious Houston potholes.  My collection got a good reception at the show, but I will say there was another modeler there who stole the show with a handful of super-detailed Luftwaffe subjects - a Do 335 with fully exposed engines, and then a pair of Me-109s undergoing repairs with mechanics inspecting the engine, etc.

Once I can get the photos from my wife's phone, I'll share them here.

When you have more time to prepare, here's a method that's worked for me - take the transporting box and line the bottom and a few inches of the sides with plastic wrap.  Using a can of spray foam insulation from the hardware store (about $2.50), spray an inch or so in the bottom of the box.  Place another layer of plastic wrap on the still-wet and expanding foam insulation, and gently place your models on top.  Leave them.  After a day or so the foam will have hardened with nice depressions that perfectly fit your models.  If you have several in one box, I put little tags of tape on the wrap to identify which fit where.  When you get back and the models put away, the whole thing can be lifted out of the box and thrown in the trash.  My worst mishap - a door coming of a landing gear.