1st Annual Diorama Group Build Contest and Commando HOO-AH!

ROSTER

Hans von Hammer- Military, WW2 (Recused-Not Competing)

Subhuman1-Military, WW2.

Bish-Military, WW2.

Kermit- Military, WW2

Sanderson 91- Military, WW2

101st Airborne-

Troublemaker- Military, WW2

Ruddratt-Sci-Fi

Tal Afar Dave-

Vespa Boy- Misc.

Dre-TBA

Deputy Dawg CA- Civilian

Bondoman- Military, WW2

K-Dawg- Military-WW2

Chewybr-Military, WW2

Kveldulfr-Military, WW2

General Dodonna- Military, TBA

 Andy T(+1)- Misc,Nature

Satch Ip- Military, WW2

P38Jl-Military, WW2

Razorboy-Military,WW2

DosTacos-Military, WW2

SeveM- Military, WW2

Hey all!

I have a few WIP pics for you.  My Dio is going to be an AVG refueling scene where a P-40B is being refueled prior to a mission.  I'm using the old 1/48 Revell-Monogram P-40B kit along with a Ford AA refuelling truck.  I've had a difficult time finding any pics of the ground equipment that supported the AVG so for now I'm going to use the 1/48 UM BZ-42 Refueler kit since it is based on the Ford AA truck.  I might switch to the GMC 353 refueling truck, but from what I've seen this was used in 1944 and my Dio is set in 1942-43.  Here are some pics of the scratch built cockpit since the kit cockpit is very basic. 

Thanks for looking! 

Steve

I should also mention that I'm using the Ultracast P-40 seat along with the instrument panel from the Legend P-40B/C cockpit set.  I'll probably use the True Details P-40 wheels as well but need to see if I have any in the stash. 

Steve

Here are some WIP pics of my diorama. 

Is there a limit to how many WIP pictures we can post? Because I like to post a lot.

Nah, no limit...

But try to keep them to three or four per post.. My computer's a slow-loading POS...

...I've had a difficult time finding any pics of the ground equipment that supported the AVG .... ..my Dio is set in 1942-43. 

The AVG was disbanded on 4 July 42, just so ya know... It became the 23rd Fighter Group, China Air Task Force, USAAF the next day.. In March of 43, the CATF became the 14th AF...

I've looked through the few books I have, mostly about CATC in the CBI theater. The airfields at the China end were big, packed gravel affairs and a lot of red/ brown dust. The ground stuff I could find was basic US trucks and jeeps, miost all with their tops up.

I don't think you'd find a tanker truck, since fuel arrived in drums and it would probably be wasted effort to put it in a truck tank.

Some kind of "woody" station wagon, an old He 111 and a lot of Chinese laborers and soldiers with oxcarts hauling rocks and working with shovels.

Lombard Steam Log Hauler Diorama ...progress report 10 Oct 11

My entry in this group dio build is centered around a build of a Lombard steam powered log hauler. They were a cross between a steam locomotive, a bulldozer and a snowmobile. A unique piece of logging technology. These next two pictures are what I'm trying to achieve with this build. The diorama part will come in the display phase.

The base kit for my Lombard is an old glue (It borders on nuclear) bomb of a Monogram 1/25th scale 4-4-0 steam engine "The General" Many of the pieces had to be cut apart. There were great gobs of glue that had to be ground off. I neglected to get any before pictures, but here is the boiler after a bunch of salvage work was done to it.

The fire box has had a 12" section removed. The funnel shaped stack has been replaced by a pill bottle. The walkways were cut off and sanded flush. The sand dome was sliced off. (not required for hauling logs through snow) Power pistons and valve gear removed as well. The foil tape is over seams were the rivet details got destroyed. A lot of the rough parts will be hidden under the saddle tank on the boiler. I made a rib cage for the tank

then skinned it with .010" sheet styrene

When scratch building I use 1mm = 1in. and tend to use them interchangably. so iff I refer to inches it usually scale inches and mm are actural measurements on the model.　

Thanks For looking

Carl

Lombard Steam Log Hauler Diorama ...2nd progress report 10 Oct 11

The main frame is evergreen rectangular tubing The skis are carved from red cedar, while the fittings are toy gears, evergreen tube and rod, copper foil and wire. the steering wheel is scratch built using pill bottle rim and Evergreen half round.

And then since the weather was perfect it was off to paint.

I used John Deere Blitz black rattle can paint. It lays down as good as any paint I've used It has a matte/satin finish that looks right for steam era equipment.

and with the saddle tank

And thats where I'm at todate with my log hauler

Carl

I don't think you'd find a tanker truck, since fuel arrived in drums and it would probably be wasted effort to put it in a truck tank.

Now that you mention it, I recall, in talking with Tex Hill once upon a time, that they did refuel from drums, mostly with hand-pumps... They also had problems with water in the drums and had to siphon water from them..

The Lombard Steam Log Hauler is super cool!

Alright then... here's the progress point of my Kharkov dio:

13 figures:

All the grenadiers are TAHK. The StuG commander is a frankenstein from an Ant Miniatures, an Alexander Miniatures, and TAHK.

The StuG F/8

Thanks again for the late entry, Hans.

Nice this is going to be an annual thing. I will be getting onto mine in a couple of weeks, so will post some pics and an explanation as to how i plan my dio's then.

Hans von Hammer

...I've had a difficult time finding any pics of the ground equipment that supported the AVG .... ..my Dio is set in 1942-43. 

The AVG was disbanded on 4 July 42, just so ya know... It became the 23rd Fighter Group, China Air Task Force, USAAF the next day.. In March of 43, the CATF became the 14th AF...

Hans,

Thanks for the date the AVG became the 23rd Fighter Group!  Looking through my references, I can't find anything on  the Flying Tigers.  I've seen a few books on Amazon - I'll have to pick one up. 

Regarding the fuel tanker, if they refueled mainly from drums, maybe that's why I can't find any reference pics on line!  I chose the Ford AA since it's a late 1920's early 1930's vehicle which might (stress might!) have been in China.  I could leave the tanker part off and make it a flatbed with drums.  I just googled Ford AA and saw a nice 1929 Ford AA that is the same as the UM kit except for the fuel tank.  Here's a pic:

Thoughts?

Steve

Has I have a question for ya

Do you know if the red part or blue part or both were coverd with canvas?

No sweat on the dates.. Research is kinda my thing, and I enjoy hunting down info, so I'll gladly do what I can for you guys...

I chose the Ford AA since it's a late 1920's early 1930's vehicle which might (stress might!) have been in China.  I could leave the tanker part off and make it a flatbed with drums.  I just googled Ford AA and saw a nice 1929 Ford AA that is the same as the UM kit except for the fuel tank. 

It's conceivable, so I say, why not?  It would likely be that, were a vehicle used, they'd just pump the fuel right from the drums on the truck...  At any rate, were I the line-chief, that's what I'd do if there was a flat-bed sittin' idle, some coolies hangin' around with nothing to do,  and a buncha aircraft to get fueled quickly...  No reason to believe that a few Ford trucks weren't in Burma and China here & there...

Shots like these are what I like to see, 101...  Just a suggestion, and you don't have to, but I'd like to see a bit more detail on how these things are built.. 

I know it's a competion, but I'd also like to implant the "diorama-bug" in some others who happen to stumble across this thread, so anything you can add on the techniques and materails used to make such parts would be welcome... Kinda like the way Shep Paine did it in his "Tips on Building Dioramas" sheets in the Monogram kits, if you've ever seen any..

Dawg, you're on the right track with your narrative...

Hans von Hammer

No sweat on the dates.. Research is kinda my thing, and I enjoy hunting down info, so I'll gladly do what I can for you guys...

 

I chose the Ford AA since it's a late 1920's early 1930's vehicle which might (stress might!) have been in China.  I could leave the tanker part off and make it a flatbed with drums.  I just googled Ford AA and saw a nice 1929 Ford AA that is the same as the UM kit except for the fuel tank. 

 

It's conceivable, so I say, why not?  It would likely be that, were a vehicle used, they'd just pump the fuel right from the drums on the truck...  At any rate, were I the line-chief, that's what I'd do if there was a flat-bed sittin' idle, some coolies hangin' around with nothing to do,  and a buncha aircraft to get fueled quickly...  No reason to believe that a few Ford trucks weren't in Burma and China here & there...

A whole lot of the labor force in those later bases were regular Chinese Army, in uniform. There were a lot of them and they did a lot of the unloading at the end of the flights.

101stAirborne

Has I have a question for ya

Do you know if the red part or blue part or both were coverd with canvas?

Red part, all-metal

Blue part, doped linen (not canvas) on early variants, all-metal on later ones..

Thank you very much Hans! I can go more in depth about how I scratch build, but how would you like me to do that? With pictures of step-by-step process or just type it?

Thanks 101st

Up to you..

\

More to come .......

rb

I've decided to make a model from outside MoMA that I saw on 08-08-08. Here are some crappy BlackBerry photos

The street was repaved earlier this year, so I have to reply on these photos, sketches I made and images from Google Maps.

I started by making a small small sketch to nail down the composition followed by a scale plan on ragboard

Then I started making the plates. During the process the Chopper was invaluable. The plastic is 10 thou and 5 thou card. The metal is brass that has been folded to give the correct scale thickness and then annealed on the stove burner.

I'm this far on two of the seven plates. More details to add and some tidying up to do, but its taking shape.

Thanks for looking.

Yeah N, it looks like you're well on the way to another streetscape masterpiece.

Carl

I got some more work done one my P-51. Hey that rhymes! Hans wanted me to go more in depth about how I did my scratch-building so i will. 

First I cut around the control surface that I wanted to replace.

Then when it was loose enough I broke it off.

I marked on the piece that I cut off where the ribbing would be then I cut the pieces out using a hobby saw and miter box.

I marked on the wing where they would go and then glued them in place using fast drying super glue.

It didn't have to be perfect for this wing because it will have sediment and coral growths on it.

Stay tuned for more!

Since it is MEA I have gotten a lot more done on my P-51. I almost finished assembly, I only have a few more pieces to add. Also I want to add a little more interest in the diorama so I thought I might adda little sail boat to the top of the diorama with a guy fishing in it. Do you think it will take away from the rest of the diorama or should I add it in?

Does the boat look out of scale?

101stAirborne

WOW!

101stAirborne

Since it is MEA I have gotten a lot more done on my P-51. I almost finished assembly, I only have a few more pieces to add. Also I want to add a little more interest in the diorama so I thought I might adda little sail boat to the top of the diorama with a guy fishing in it. Do you think it will take away from the rest of the diorama or should I add it in?

 

Does the boat look out of scale?

Looks cool!  You should have the fisherman's line snagged somewhere on the P-51!

Also I want to add a little more interest in the diorama so I thought I might adda little sail boat to the top of the diorama with a guy fishing in it. Do you think it will take away from the rest of the diorama or should I add it in?

I'm thinking that it doesn't advnce the story... The desolation is better and more easily felt  without anything around it, except maybe some marine life... I think the sailboat will take away the forlorness of the scene, and make the sailboat the primary subject, rather than the P-51...

That said, you certainly can add it, but I'd be careful with any kind humor, such as the line-snagging of the fisherman's line... Nothing is worse in diorama-building to have a joke fall flat, ot even over-looked... In the words of Shep Paine, "Jokes are fun to to do in a diorama, but they better be funny"..

 I don't think the boat's outta scale, but the sail has some scale issues, namely the frayed edges of the sail, and a fabric's rather open weave is a bit too big, as is the thread... The thread is about the size of a 3/4 inch rope, which makes it rather unlikey as sail material...

Would you be "Demilitarizing" the figure, making him a civilian ( basically removing the canteen and pistol belt, along with modifying the pant's cargo pockets)?