NZ commercial aviation diorama suggestion Cascade River

[30sqnatc]

The baseboards for the diorama are taking shape nicely. 400mm deep expanded polystyrene with 10mm thick pine edges.

One is the loading area of the airstrip to display various aircraft, the second is the whitebait chiller/workshop/woodshop, the third is the wharf and beach and the last is the tramline to the old chiller.

I've also started cutting out paper flax bushes, 18 done, about 180 to go. Then there is the cabbage trees and toitoi bushes to make. Lots to keep me occupied in from of the TV.

[Antonio]

Don't forget the sandflies......

[30sqnatc]

Oh no had forgotten about them In my multi roles as patron, financer, project manager and H&S rep I hereby declare this diorama to be a sandfly free zone. Sandflys begone.

Edit. Perhaps having a citronella coil burning would help establish the West Coast atmosphere

[30sqnatc]

Progress on the river & wharf baseboard. Foam shaped and coated in plaster coloured in case the surface is scratched. The river bed will be one the left, beach down the centre and top of the riverbank on the right. The ruler shows the approximate location of the wharf but probably at more of an angle to the river bank.

[30sqnatc]

Track laid, weathered and awaiting wiring. The three cardboard rectangles are locating pads for the buildings

[30sqnatc]

The wharf just requires the cross bracing.

[30sqnatc]

Ops I got carried away with gravel and flax but forgot the wharf cross bracing.

[30sqnatc]

Lots more flax bushes cutout and planted. The clear patch in the riverbed beside the wharf is awaiting another boat that will be inset into the baseboard. The patch to the left is for the boatshed rail ramp. I will try first layer of 'water' tomorrow if its warmenough.

[ams888]

That looks really cool! What do you make the flax out of?

[Deleted]

That looks terrific! The flax is very lifelike.

[30sqnatc]

Aug 4, 2024 9:51:43 GMT 12 ams888 said:

That looks really cool! What do you make the flax out of?

Paper. I use the following A4 template



I paint the reverse side full strength Resines rest pot colour Waiouru.

The side with the template paint with same colour watered down to about 75% so you can still see the template.

Cutout with small sizers borrowed from wife sewing box. Takes about 2 minutes or you can use one of the new fangled automated cutting programs/machines. Cut 1/3rd off so every third section is combined to make another flax bush.

Roll up each section around a 2-3mm diametre rod or file. Edit. I roll so the full green is facing inwards so when folded down it is on the top/outside.

The bottom of each rollup is painted tan to replicate dead fronds.




Plant in suitable drilled hole.

[30sqnatc]

A wee update on progress



Stocking up on firewood for winter

[Dave Homewood]

Very cool progress, Paul.

[30sqnatc]

Friday evening in front of TV. Seven flax bushes cut out and rolled up, foundations for shed finally built up to required height and four more A4 sheets for flax painted on both sides

[30sqnatc]

As its a wet day I've started putting the scenery on the airstrip baseboard. The whole airstrip will be grassed.

[30sqnatc]

Finished laying the foam. Now it will take several days to dry out. The end of tram track is just visible on the right edge.

I have a source for static grass located in CHCH so the longer grass around the edges of the airstrip can be modelled.

The airstrip will be bounded by flax bushes.

[Dave Homewood]

Is this diorama still to be based on the Cascade River airstrip? Or has it morphed into something more generic?

Someone has modelled Cascade for Flight Sim. Looks to have lots of nikau palms. I wonder if the real place would also have lots of toitoi bushes too.

flightsim.to/file/58723/cascade-lagoon-airstrip-nzzc

[30sqnatc]

See here for cabbage trees marksmodelworks.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/cabbage-tree-instructions.pdf

Toitoi may appear this week once I can locate the right Resene Test Pot colour as I have a NZ model railway magazine how too article.

Then nikau can be added.

[Dave Homewood]

Cool. Those cabbage trees look superb. Don't forget to ensure some of the leaves are brown and dead, and ready to fall off the tree. And lots of dead leaves under the trees. We have a couple of these cursed trees in our back yard and they are forever shedding leaves which we have to pick up almost daily. I hate cabbage trees.

[30sqnatc]

Aug 19, 2024 9:36:18 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

And lots of dead leaves under the trees. We have a couple of these cursed trees in our back yard and they are forever shedding leaves which we have to pick up almost daily. I hate cabbage trees.

I should put you in contact with my wife so you can swap cabbage tree hate stories l like them.