runway materials?

I have seen some modellers use a dark gray floor tile to represent a paved runway. They weathered it with stains and even etched in expansion joints. As for old aircraft carrir decks..try popsickle sticks. I have seen some amazing results using this method.

Yeah I'm just starting on the Raptor half of a 1/72 YF-22/X-35 "showcase" dio. Since the planes are in pristine condition as though they were cleaned up for a photo shoot I'm wondering if I should put at least some weathering on the tarmac or if I should leave it clean.

I'd still weather the tarmac....the plane may be brand spanking new but the runways and taxi areas probably wouldn't be. A few well placed oil stains and fuel spills will just give it that "lived in" look.

WW2 dirt rumways were coverek with Pierced Steel/Aluminum Planking (PSP/PAP). It was a corrugated steel or alum. panel About 8ftx2ft pierced with lightening holes and held down with long, Relaively thin spikes (they looked like 2 foot nails). The corrugations were longitudinal and the planks were laid down long way across the runway.

shermanfreak, do you know how to get good modern carrier decks?

Sorry...that's one I'll leave to the aircraft builders. The other methods were just ones that I have seen over the years. I would suggest getting sonme good clear pics of the deck you want to show and then maybe (and I do mean maybe) see what you can do with the floor tile method. Maybe a different shade of grey is needed.
Hey you aircraft modellers...jump in here and help out...remember I'm just a turrethead.

I have had good results with styrene sheets. You can cut them into sections with any desired shape. I've used them for roads, sidewalks, runways or just about anything I could think of.

Squadron mail order sells a section of modern carrier flight deck. I've ordered it, I'll let you know what I think of it when it shows up!

For larger scales, you can always use sheets of wet&dry sand paper...! The 'higher grades' of course, such as 600, 1000, 1200. Easy to cut, easy to glue, no need to paint, just weather...

dj
First things first. You just have to object to the title "average modeler". That's just rude!

What I've used with good results are sheets of light gray poster board. That may be the wrong name, but It's the same material used for picture matting except smooth. For expansion joints I carve a line with my No. 11 knife and then using a black pen draw in the joint. Then I use shades of gray to create light and dark patterns in the concrete. I use a pencil to draw in cracks . Finally I dilute some black paint with raw umber and lots of thinner to create oil stains.
Dave

Hi Dave, I've used that material too. Good, cheap way to do runways. The sand-paper way is better to replicate 'normal' roads and to display large scale cars and bikes...

As to the 'Average modeler' thingy, I proposed in another thread to replace it by 'Master' but Dvoss has ignored me so far... LOL

http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1991

Hey guys! While we're on the topic, does anyone have advice on how to replicate the runways made of crushed coral in the Pacific during WW2? All the pictures I've seen have been in black and white so I really can't tell. I read one article in FSM (I think) where the guy used actual crushed coral from some Pacific island somewhere. Let's see...how do I put this.....I DON'T GET OUT TO THE ISLANDS OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC! So for the rest of us, any suggestions? Thanks!

Check out model RR ballast at:
www.woodlandscenics.com
Check sources, some were crushed coral (light colored) and some were crushed volcanic rock (black). Also time period will make a differance in what the strip was made of. Most air strips were operational before they were finished so that operations would be carried out on dirt/mud, crushed coral/rock and, later on, PSP/PAP(see my post above regaring PSP/PAP).

P.S. Dirt/coral/rock runways were sprayed with used oil to keep the dust down which would darken them where the oil was sprayed.

PSP is avaliable from Eduard in 1/72 and 1/48 scales.
www.squadron.com

I recently purchased Eduard 1:72 Perforated Steel Plates Model Display Base aka PSP Display. It's 6.25x8.75" (37.5x52.5' in scale), easily large enough for a WWII or Korean War fighter. As it says on the back: ... Perforated Steel Plate was developed in the U.S.A. to provide a hard, quick and easily assembled runway for use near the front lines. It was employed in all theatres including North Africa, Italy, France and in the campaigns in the Pacific. It was also used in Russia where it was supplied under the Lend-Lease program. ...

I tried rubbing heavy duty aluminum foil (dull side up) onto it then giving the foil a wash of India ink. Looks good.

Quote of the Week: "Wishing can't take the place of persistence, hard work, diligence, tenacity, guts, brains, and a total abnegation of scruples ... and a good lawyer." ~~ Steve Gerber

Doesn't sound like your forte' but I use dry-wall putty on clear 8x10 box frames, sand them smooth and carve in all the wood planks for my WWII navy planes. Takes a while, after carving painting and weathering, but should work on just about any surface you want to simulate

hey ive been thinken about redoin my runway its 9x1ft and i was wondering if thats all that was used for airfield runways if it was only PSP or would it go to dirt after a while?????????????/

QUOTE: Originally posted by duckman would it go to dirt after a while?????????????/

The steel would eventually rust away -- these runways weren't intended to last forever -- but a PSP airfield would be unusable / abandoned before then. Might've already happened on some of those coral atolls -- salt spray, and all that. HOWEVER, some of the PSP put down in WWII was in pretty good condition during Nam. [It drove our photoanalysts crazy that they could see "USS" repeated over and over when looking at airfields in the North -- until somebody pointed out, "They were made by United States Steel, stupid!" True story!]

I've visited bases where they recycled their old PSP as aircraft parking space when they put in concrete runways. The weeds move in fast. I wouldn't do it in 1:72 (my preferred scale), but per-maybe-haps one of you 1:48'ers is crazy¹ enough to try simulating weeds growing through the holes. /z/

¹ Let us now conjugate the adjective (to be) "obsessive":
I'm painstakingly thorough.
You're a fussbutt.
He/she/it's anal retentive.

First time poster here. Here is a link I found on replicating a concrete tarmac. Have yet to try it, but sounds like a good idea. Was thinking of trying out with EA-6B that I just bought. Anyone else think this might work?

Sorry, link did not paste in here it is
http://members.tripod.com/scottsmodels/tips.htm#Concrete%20Tarmacs%20and%20Runways