Future plans and dreams

[Dave Homewood]

I am one of those modellers who has a big collection of stored, unmade models. I used to actively model aircraft, tanks and figures regularly. I have drifted away from the building of models almost entirely due to various reasons (time being one).

However I still consider myself a modeller. And I still plan models for the future. I am even ordering a couple of kits forthe pile this wekk...

I thought I'd share a few of my plans. They may never pan out and get made, but here's hoping.

Plan 1
I am actively yet slowly working on this. A 1/32nd scale diorama of an RNZAF airfield scene, on a training station. A Tiger Moth (Matchbox) is the central character, but beside it is a student pilot and his instructor. Parked behins the plane is a YMCA truck, dishing out cups of tea to the Erks. Two ofthe Erks have bicycles. The YMCA truck is like the NAAFI type truck with the side that opens to become a canopy. There may be one or two other features in the scene yet.

Plan 2
I am considering building an Egyptian bazaar diorama, where a couple of RNZAF airmen from the Desert Air Force are taking in the local scenery among Arab peddlers and hildren, etc, and they happen upon a group of Kiwi soldiers in Lemon Squeezers, etc. A donkey and some goats will make a cameo, and lots of rugs and local flavour of the bazaar. I'm unsure of the scale yet, maybe 1/35th but preferable bigger. One day....

Plan 3
1/32nd RNZAF Pacific scene that will include maybe a Corsair I have tucked away, or maybe a Trumpeter Avenger or Dauntless if I ever get one. I have an Italeri GMC 6x6 which our maintenance crews used up there, so it will feature. I may even consider repainting an old Revell 1/32 Kittyhawk I have for the diorama. Only one of these aircraft will appear, just have to choose which. Avenger is a favourite so maybe, just maybe.

Plan 4
I'm thinking of making a diorama of a crashed RNZAF fighter, in 1/48th, either a Corsair on it's nose in a paddock (as my Dad described to me many times as seen on his parents' farm at Ardmore) or a P-40 on its belly. Maybe both. It'll include the fire truck and a broken wire fence which they smashed straight through to get to a crash site.

Plan 5
I hope to someday build the 1/48th scale Hudson kit I have, but I'm scared to wreck it as it cost a fortune. It will be in the Pacific operational colours like the one at Wigram, but with bars on the roundels.

Plan 6
I have an Accurate miniatures 1/48 Avenger which will be made up as Plonky

Plan 7
I have two Dauntless kits in 1/48, one Hasegawa and one something else (Accurate miniatures I think?). Maybe a 25 Sqn diorama

Plan 8
Buld my 1/48 Lancaster in the colours of a Cambridge pilot, but haven't yet decided on which - Roy Calvert's 'Taipo' or John Morris's first trip 75 Sqn Lanc with Donald Duck nose art which he was forced to bail from. Probably the latter.

Anyway, these are a few of my many plans for the future. I am feeling more inspired lately looking at the excellent woek being done by members on various RNZAF topics. I no longer feel satisfied to just make an aircraft, I want to make a whole scene and involve some sort of social or operational context in the model. Any comments or suggestions are most welcome.

Have you got plans for your kit pile? What are you considering building?

[Bruce]

Those are cool ideas Dave, they will look great. Ive often thought about dioramas, but unfortunately display space is at an absolute premium for me at the moment - I think I'm going to have to adjust shelving again very shortly. Even in 1/72 scale models take up an amazing amaount of room! All of my kits will be built up as stand alone models, solely for that reason.

[smithy]

I'm with Bruce Dave, great ideas. I especially like the one for the egyptian bazaar, very original.

I'm like Bruce though in that all my current build projects are stand alone jobs (well standing on the good old picture frame with either painted tarmac or railway grass for displaying on the shelf).

What I've got in various stages of progress:

1/72 Fujimi A-4E/F converted to A-4K currently being painted

1/72 Academy Hawker Tempest, nearly at paint stage

1/48 Hasegawa Hurricane I, also nearly at paint stage

1/72 Flying Kiwis (Supermodel) Macchi with the Kiwi Resins CB conversion, just started some work on this.

Lots to keep me out of mischief!

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks for the comments chaps.

I got the bizarre bazaar idea from several sources, which seemingly all mixed together in my head and came out "MODEL IT!".

They included reading books about Kiwi pilots living in North Africa/Middle East and visiting such places as bazaars (Bryan Young's book 'Beckoning Skies' and also "Green Kiwi vs German Eagle' by Norby King are two such books).

Then there was this great artwork by Maurice Conly on the cover of the June 1945 Contact which I fouind really caught my imagination - see here www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201945.htm#Jun45

I also saw a diorama online of a modern day Iraq War street battle, which gave me the idea that North African or Middle Eastern style narrow streets, like in Indiana Jones and many such films, are real cool, and would make a neat WWII diorama that could depict the amazing clash of cultures between the Arabs and the Kiwis. And i thought the subject could be aircrew coming across some 'familiar faces' in the crowd of heaving masses, Kiwi soldiers. It could be quite neat. Ultimately I'd like to do it in a big scale, 120mm but that would be very costly.

[Dave Homewood]

Here's that diorama I saw, quite neat. It looks like they use dolls rather than model soldiers, but very realistically done
www.dioramadreams.com/gallery41.html

My idea would not be quite like this, but i's a great inspiration for ideas