- The Airfix Tribute Forum -

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Mon 21 Jan 2008 09:23 am Post subject:

Rich,

Loll PMed me with a rather good idea:

Ratch · Posted: Mon 21 Jan 2008 10:04 am Post subject:

The concept of a 'flexible' base is an interesting one that could solve some potential problems

Areas of action could be permanently fixed on bases whilst the intermediate ground (the cloth/canvas sheets) would allow the overall size to be stretched or contracted depending upon the display space available

The flexible area could also accommodate a few free-standing vehicles Think

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Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Mon 21 Jan 2008 11:28 am Post subject:

I thought he meant backdrops!

Loll has responded to my PM and is extremely keen to paint them for us!

For what it's worth & all the best
(WARNING: This posting may contain lies!)

Richard M · Posted: Mon 21 Jan 2008 12:02 pm Post subject:

Loll needs to join the JB before he starts volunteering his painting skills

.

What actually joins the three bases (if we're going with that idea) can be sorted out later, first we need to decide what each base will hold.

I suggest we all post our ideas in the next day or two, I'll compile them and we can have a disucussion about them and vote if necessary (before Sunday which is the deadline for deciding this!).

My suggestions.

Base 1).
Assault phase. Beach landing on a shingle sand beach with barbed wire and anti-tank fortifications, possibly one pill box with supporting trenches for the Brits. 2- 3 invasion barges on the beahc , possibly with an e-boat providing fire support a bit further out. 1 or 2 stukas dive bombing the beach head.

Base 2).
DIBUA. Small town market square with church, Makeshift defenses of sand bags and barbed wire with trucks and cars etc. Valiant Dad's army trying to hold off attacking forces which could have vehicular support APC's etc.

Base 3).
GHQ line. Defences around a railway bridge crossing a river, anti-tank blocks, barbed wire, trenches, pill boxes or mortar support positions around the bridge possibly armour. Attacking forces could be paratroopers or regular troops with light anti-tank guns and armour support. Aerial dive bombing by Ju88's with Hurricanes or Spitfires diving in to attack them.

I think those three bases cover a variety of terrains and situations and give a wide scope for everybody to find something to build and contribute.
Best
Rich
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Rich
---------------------------

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die."

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Ratch · Posted: Mon 21 Jan 2008 12:33 pm Post subject:

joe · Posted: Mon 21 Jan 2008 17:39 pm Post subject:

Atmosphere, all!

for instance...

ratch said :

Owen · Posted: Mon 21 Jan 2008 18:26 pm Post subject:

Rich's Ideas seem to be more realistic. I prefer the idea of having a Church and a couple of houses instead of a small town - much easier (and cheaper) to model realisticaly. There are a number of suitable kits in both Card and Plastic out there that fit the bill.

I can never describe without a visual image in front of my, so I drew this little design - does this roughly sum up what you mean Rich? I quite like this as a design, more than the previous one that was done over three sheets. For the space, this is far more realistic than the other too.

I'm not quite sure I understand Loll's idea, do you mean to have the base of the diorama as a painted canvas? Using Scatters/Conventional materials will produce a much better effect. Or am I misunderstanding the proposal

Can we begin to draw up a list of kits that individual members to make? If anyone has anything in their stash that is worthy, it might be an idea to start building

Owen
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Owen
"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" - Douglas Adams

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Beyond the Box SIG Member

Ratch · Posted: Mon 21 Jan 2008 18:56 pm Post subject:

I interpret Loll's idea as the base being painted on canvas/sheet

Rather than having three baseboards (which would be difficult to transport and store) we have this sheet with small dioramas placed onto it

If we only have a few dioramas, we just use part of the sheet, if we have lots we use all of it and we could extend to a second or third sheet relatively easily

You (Owen) might have three dios
Joe might have seven
I might have four
Andy might have four
and so on and so on
Not everyone might be able to get to every exhibition, so the overall dio would expand/contract to accommodate this

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and was Jerusalem, builded here
The new No. 2
Airfix Club 500287
IPMS 10983

Richard M · Posted: Mon 21 Jan 2008 19:27 pm Post subject:

My suggestion was for three A0 sheets of thin card which can be rolled up. This could have aerial views of actual locations printed on it. This size of sheet can also be laminated to protect it and make it last longer.

I think rigid boards are very impractical. I don't know how a sheet would hold up over time. Another alternative is some green beize with fuzzy felt type cutouts of buildings and structures which would give an infinite number of arrangemnts.

I still like the idea of aerial pictures of three actual locations on the south coast which Op Sealion would have encountered.
Best
Rich
_________________
Best
Rich
---------------------------

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die."

Visit my PORTFOLIO

Ratch · Posted: Mon 21 Jan 2008 19:48 pm Post subject:

Ratch · Posted: Mon 21 Jan 2008 19:53 pm Post subject:

Here's a few links

http://141.163.7.212/files/courses/images/2100/Slapton%20Sands.JPG
http://www.english-nature.org.uk/.../Annexes/Annex02Slapton/Index.htm
http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog...uji0IquuTQwL2fpuITOzZ9.HBB?p=2081
http://users.skynet.be/jeeper/SlaptonSands1.jpg
http://www.viewimages.com/Search....89&epmid=1&partner=Google
_________________
and was Jerusalem, builded here
The new No. 2
Airfix Club 500287
IPMS 10983

airfixteen · Posted: Mon 21 Jan 2008 20:07 pm Post subject:

Slapton Sands would be good to replicate!

Shingle Beach,Main road going through it to Dartmouth,Exeter? a main access point into urban Devon.

Maybe we could replicate where that rusty sherman is!
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Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Tue 22 Jan 2008 01:04 am Post subject:

I think rigid boards are a better bet than roll up mats, although they are a pain to transport. Three individual dioramas seperated by painted backdrops when displayed might be quite attractive. If the backdrops were supported by a frame this could be used to mount aircraft rather than using stands or attatching them to trees and the like.

I think that we should leave the E-Boat on a seperate dio.....It would not have come that close inshore without a critically good reason, it would have blocked lanes cleared for the invasion barges. Just the front end of one invasion barge would probably be sufficient on the coastal board in my opinion.

My inclination would be set this board up with one of the narrower sides as the coast, allowing us the maximum depth to the beach. Barbed wire obstacles would be needed, possibly a sea-wall with a road. A row of seafront houses opposite the beach could be built using railway style frontages.

Just some thoughts, all the best

stuzzar · Posted: Tue 22 Jan 2008 16:37 pm Post subject:

I like the idea of three separate dioramas as suggested by Rich but would prefer rigid base boards with the ground texture sculptured onto them in the traditional diorama format.

This will all be dependant on what the diorama(s) is (are) to be used for, if it is to be presented to a museum, the rigid boards would be ideal. If it is to be taken to various shows and dismantled after each appearance then a more modular system will have to be employed. This also brings up the problem of storage between events and the transportation to and from venues.

As to the layout of the diorama the following link may serve as inspiration. Whether the events detailed actually happened or not is not for discussion here but the area shown in the aerial photographs is, one would imagine, ideal invasion territory and there is even a Martello tower in there somewhere.

http://www.shford.fslife.co.uk/ShingleSt/

Cheers

Stu

Owen · Posted: Tue 22 Jan 2008 17:14 pm Post subject:

I hate to divide the group, but I am with Sarge. I'd rather stick with the rigid boards we talked about at the beggining of the build as I can't see the individual diorama's on aerial photographs working. There seems to be a much larger scope for modelling with the Rigid Boards, something I'd much rather see. I was under the impression that we'd be donating it to a museum after we finished building, so transportation isn't much of an issue

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Owen
"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" - Douglas Adams

Airfix Modelling SIG Member
Beyond the Box SIG Member

joe · Posted: Tue 22 Jan 2008 17:17 pm Post subject:

I think the donation idea is great, but a painted backdrop i'm not sure, as i thought i better effect could be produced with a photograph and/or photoshopping when pictures are taken...

still it could look good if it's done well

Richard M · Posted: Tue 22 Jan 2008 20:46 pm Post subject:

We can certainly go with rigid boards with standard diorama texturing. Realistically either one person is going to have to do all three or three people be responsible for an individual board, do we have volunteeers?

I think having three distict vignettes, one on each board, would be easier in this case as we would not have to worry about linking them or using the same material on each board. By going along the long edge of the board you also gain greater depth for each diorama as noted by Sarge.

It also allows a greater diversity of the types of forces depicted, infantry, armour, paratroopers, home guard etc. If we went with the beachhead over three boards, realistically all we could get on would be the shingle beach, a sea wall or road, a few holiday houses and maybe a bit of field.

I'll set up a pole for the two types of diorama (single or three sepaerate) to get an idea of the interest in each one.
Best
Rich
_________________
Best
Rich
---------------------------

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die."

Visit my PORTFOLIO

Owen · Posted: Wed 23 Jan 2008 17:13 pm Post subject:

Discussion for the original plans stems from about Page 3/4. From what I recall, the original plans were to be losely based on Poole.

I was giving thought to what the baseboards could be made from the other day - they could easily be sculpted from a Styrofoam Block

To make sure that the Boards Matched up, the board builders would use templates that would be universal - Builder A would send a Template for his board to Builder B who would match up his board to fit. Builder B would then make a template of his board and this would be sent to Builder C who would also make it fit.

The design I drew out on Monday is feasable for the size we are working in (what were the original dimensions for each board - was it about 2'x4'?). The beach invasion with an Eboat, a small villiage scene with Dad's Army valiantly holding out and Paratroopers landing near the Railway line is possible to build on three boards

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Owen
"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" - Douglas Adams

Airfix Modelling SIG Member
Beyond the Box SIG Member

Owen · Posted: Wed 23 Jan 2008 17:23 pm Post subject:

I appear to have possibly misunderstood Rich's suggestion.

Do you mean to make small vignette style dioramas and place these on a painted canvas that can be rolled up? (The option that I'm not in favour of)

Or do you mean to have three (say 2' x 4') Dioramas on different locations, not linked to each other in any continous way, other than a beach and two inland locations, built on three Rigid boards? (Which I am in favour of)

I just read the poll question, and voted for the first option but on re-reading the second I may have misunderstood the initial proposal

_________________
Owen
"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" - Douglas Adams

Airfix Modelling SIG Member
Beyond the Box SIG Member

Richard M · Posted: Wed 23 Jan 2008 18:28 pm Post subject: