The Great Forum Modelling Challenge

[Dave Homewood]

Hi all,

Well the idea I floated about a modelling competition went down like a lead zeppelin for various valid reasons - mainly the time it takes some of us to complete a kit.

So I have a new idea, in fact a challenge, which i hope will appeal.

What I'd like to propose is a New Zealand aviation diorama.

With this you can pick any scale, and you can pick any New Zealand-related aviation topic, from an RNZAF scene in WWII, to an Air New Zealand Friendship at Woodbourne airport, or a Fletcher being loaded up on a hilly farm strip. Whatever you like.

You can use aircraft you've already built, so really it's only the addition of a suitable base if need be, or you can start from scratch with a new kit or kits, or even scratchbuild a plane if you so desire.

So you have a really wide open field to choose from.

There are rules though to stick to, or at least guidelines.

The first rule is you have to pick your subject and declare it to the forum here. Tell us which aircraft type/s you're planning to depict, and what has inspired you to do so. Try to back this up with photos of scenes you hope to copy directly or use as a basis to emulate. If you do copy a photo that'd be awesome, setting out the diorama all the same as the photo to make it like a 3-D snapshot of history. But you can use your imagination and be original if you want to, so long as it fits into a historical context.

That's rule two, research the history of the subject and tell us about it. Try to keep the diorama factual as best you can and if you are stuck on any points, ask here.

Another rule is there's no hurry - no time limit, but you must keep us informed via this thread of your progress, with updates every no and then and photos if possible.

The last rule, spread the word about this to other modellers that you know and encourage them to join in. I'm sure some of you belong to IPMS or other modelling groups. Welcome others here and encourage particiapation. The more subjects covered, the better.

So, is anyone interested in this idea then? Who wants to have a go? Even though i haven't done any modelling for years, I'm keen to do this. But I need a few others at least to be doing it to keep me inspired.

What will it be? Will you build an Avenger on a crushed coral strip in the Pacific? Or a section of the Rukuhia graveyard in 1/48? Or the Warbirds Harvard team rolling on take-off? Or the Cessna you soloed in? Or a Venom at Tengah? Just a 120mm Pacific pilot holding his P-40E tail that was shot up (as in the famous RNZAF photo)....

There are so many topics, where the diorama itself could be as interesting as the plane, in both terms of meodel-making and historical content.

So, anyone game to give this a go needs to 'register' here with

Aircraft type/s and numbers of proposed
Scale
Inspiration for the scene
Any photos that may help you build the scenario
Questions

And also remember that the proposed idea is fluid, it can change if you can't find the right kitset or you find something better, or you decided to add something more to the scene than proposed, etc.

Have a think and then get cracking. If you think this is a bad idea, post here too. I'm open to any suggestions.

[Craig Sargent]

As much as I hate to say it, this idea holds no interest for me. My interest in RNZAF aircraft is only those I worked on (Skyhawk, Orion, CT-4, Strikemaster and Macchi), and it takes me long enough to build a model as is, bases are not part of the equation - I'm not a diorama person.

Good luck with the endeavour, look forward to seeing progress here, but I won't be participating.

[Dave Homewood]

Well, i gave it some time for some more respones, but it looks like this idea has also gone down like the Titanic.

I had hoped a few of you might want to join in and build a setting that gives either an already built RNZAF aircraft model or your next one some sort of historical contaxt, and we could all discuss the history of the diorama, etc. But it looks like no-one else is interested. Not to worry. I won't bother with any community modelling ideas in future.

I still am working on a historical RNZAF diorama myself, and will post something later when I make some more progress.

[agalbraith]

Hiya Dave

I think it is great you have these good ideas mate, it generates interest in the hobby which is needed when we live in a electronic hobby age.

I am keen to get the ball rolling with my 1/48 FG-1D Corsair that I am doing. I could do it on a base with a towbar and/or tow tractor, anyone got any ideas as to what vehices were used by the RNZAF in Japan? I am not too good with that side of things but have always wanted to be, it just seemed to go in the too hard basket for me.

So any help or pics would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Anthony

[Dave Homewood]

Cheers Anthony.

Have you got a copy of Bryan Cox's excellent 'Pacific Scrapbook - 1943 to 1947"?

There are loads of photos from his tour with 14 Squadron in Japan. On page115 there is a photo of ground staff on a jeep, and another of an aircraft tug tractor which looks a lot like 'Little Toot', the tug at the RNZAF Museum. I'm no tractor expert but someone (the museum?) may be able to identify the type. Bryan may be able to add more himself - he's a member of this forum (username bryan) so you could PM him. He's a mine of information.

Good luck.

[agalbraith]

Great stuff Dave!!

Thanks for all the info, I have a 48th Jeep and tug.

I have that book so will sit down and do some comparisions.

Cheers

Anthony

P.S. Pretty cool that Bryan is a member too!

[Dave Homewood]

I take it you have the book then. Cool.

Yes, Bryan was one of our earliest members when it was really just a forum for my Cambridge airmen and airwomen website, as he was from Cambridge originally. He tells me that although he doesn't post here he keeps an eye on the forum and finds it interesting. I wish we could get more veterans to post here.

Happy birthday by the way mate. I meant to post earlier to say so.

[Dave Homewood]

OK, My Diorama Plan

Here is the outline of a diorama I want to build. It'll be entitled:

"Joe Time For The Erks"

In the RNZAF, 'smoko' or 'morning tea'/'afternoon tea' is referred to always as 'Joe Time'. Theories on this range from the British slang for tea being a cup of Joe, through to the original Air Force tea boy being called Joe. no-one really knows.

Anyway, I intend to make the scale 1/32nd, and it will involve an aircraft, vehicles and figures (which naturally will be 1/35th, but no matter.

My original idea came some time ago when watching Battle of Britain. After the scenes where Duxford was bombed, i spotted a NAAFI truck where airmen were getting cups of tea dished out. That sparked the idea.

NZ didn't have the NAAFI organisation as far as I know. But the RNZAF was catered for on its main stations by the YMCA people, who provided canteens and helped distribute comforts to the airmen and WAAF's.

I have looked into the YMCA but still have not discovered whether they actually ran NAAFI Van style trucks on RNZAF stations. I know they did in the pacific, but I want this to be NZ based. I'm also unsure whether YMCA staff wore uniforms in WWII, like the NAAFI and Salvation Army, etc. Anyone know?

So I have now decided that instead of a YMCA truck, I'll make it an RNZAF truck, staffed by mess staff who're dishing out tea to the workers in the field. I'm sure this must have occurred, it certainly did on occasions in my day.

So, to the setting. I hope to make the scene set on an RNZAF station airfield, so a grass base. I have noticed in many photos just how poor quality the wartime (and postwar) grass was on various bases, really patchy and lots of soil showing though. I may try to replicate this if I can make it look right.

I had originally thought of a building as the backdrop to give some context. Perhaps just a facade of a hangar or a smaller hut type of building. I'm just unsure as yet whether to proceed with that. It'd need some concrete apron in front at least for a hangar. That may look good as many stations had the hexagonal slabs for the apron, a challenge.

Anyway the truck will be parked up, on the back will be mess staff and if I can figure out the YMCA uniform/look, also one or two of these people. They'll be dishing out tea and biscuits in tins to airmen and WAAFs on the line.

These workers will be in various dress uniforms from grubby overalls to battledress to SD uniform. The battledress is ok as i have a set of god 1/35 Tamiya British soldiers, though i have to annoyingly remove the webbing that all model british soldiers come in!
This is the set:
www.tamiya.com/english/products/list/35mm_img/35223m.jpg

For the SD type uniform I have also got some Tamiya German soldiers which will be modified to look like the smart RNZAF uniform. This is the set I have now, Germans with Bicycles
www.tamiya.com/english/products/list/35mm_img/35240m.jpg

hey're quite cool, I have to of those sets actually and am hoping to convert one bike into a G-G-Granville type shop boike, as they were everywhere on Air Force bases even when I was in, so must have been around during the war. Our own section's one was stamped 1941...

As for the guys in overalls I'm not yet sure but this set may be able to be used
www.tamiya.com/english/products/list/35mm_img/35180m.jpg

And I have some old figures from th Esci 'British infantry at Rest' set in leather jerkins that may be able to be incorporated. I am assuming that on the colder bases in Canterbury or Otago the jerkins were issued to erks?

Now to the truck. I found this online and after much hassle, now have one. A 1/32nd scale 1941 Chevrolet flatbed.


It is actually diecast, not a kitset, but the detail is excellent. I've been comparing it to photos of real 1941 Chevy flatbeds and it's really well done indeed. They even had the over-shiny grills. My initial plan for a YMCA truck was to leave it green and build a back cab with hatch window like a NAAFI truck. But now I'm considering leaving it flatbed, but repainting it in air force blue, and detailing it with realisic wood, tyres, etc. I have to switch the steering wheel and wing mirror to the correct side too.

Has anyone here ever repainted a diecast model? If so, any tips? It has a lovely finish on it now but I guess I'll have to rub it back and then find some sort of primer to spray on?

I'll continue this later with details of the main attraction, the plane...

[Bruce]

How about Taieri as a potential scene location? There is the old Union Airways Hangar, the Facade of which would make a great backdrop, and you could use one of the nice 1/32 Tiger Moths that are available. just an idea....

[Dave Homewood]

Hi Bruce, that's a good idea about the hangar - I hadn't thought about it. I had been tossing around the ideas of Bell Block, Wigram and Harewood as settings but nothing is yet firm. Taieri may well be the go too.

My plan on which aircraft is wavering, use the Matchbox 1/32nd scale Tiger Moth that I have to rebuild after a cat-astrophe (R.I.P. Barney!!) or my other idea, much more ambitious, is to scratchbuild an Airspeed Oxford in 1/32nd.

The Oxford would not be as challenging as some types, I have lots of detail photos, etc, and some drawings, and I simply love them. So this is a possiblity. They also are not that much bigger than a fighter.

So what I might do is rebuild the Tiger Moth and use that, but then if I ever go ahead with the Oxbox, substitute it and rework the setting.

I hope to make it look like a maintenence scene, so the Tiger's cowl would have to be open, etc. Or if I do make the Oxbox, then a Cheetah exposed. Maybe a tractor too - does anyone make a 1/32nd Massey Ferguson or Fordson tractor, etc?

So, what I need to know are:
- Did the WWII RNZAF erks get issued with leather jerkins as in the RAF?
- Does anyone make a suitable 1/32 tractor, like an ex-farm tractor, of the early war era?
- Does anyone make pilots/aircrew in overall leather flying clothing, or the heavy fabric flying suits as worn in the Tiger Moths on cold days in 1/32?
- Does anyone have any drawings for the Oxford that may help my scratchbuild? The ones I have are a bit sketchy.

I had also considered instead of a training aircraft like Tiger or Oxbox, I might attempt to build a Vincent in 1/32nd and make it an operational squadron seen, as that way it could be a dispersal scene and be more interesting. But i don't have enough Vincent drawings to carry off such a complicated scratchbuild.

And, Bruce, is there a 1/32nd scale Tiger Moth that's not made by Matchbox? that's the only brand I've seen.

[Bruce]

I have seen a non-matchbox 1/32 Tiger on eBay while hunting other stuff, but I cant recall the brand. I didnt pay too much attention of course as I was after 1/72 stuff. I'll have a look and see if anything reminds me of the manufacturer.

[30sqnatc]

Sept 9, 2006 2:50:16 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

OK, My Diorama Plan


"Joe Time For The Erks"

......... NZ didn't have the NAAFI organisation as far as I know. But the RNZAF was catered for on its main stations by the YMCA people, who provided canteens and helped distribute comforts to the airmen and WAAF's.

I have looked into the YMCA but still have not discovered whether they actually ran NAAFI Van style trucks on RNZAF stations. I know they did in the pacific, ...but I want this to be NZ based.

Dave, I've looked through all the Pacific pictures I can find but can find no confirmation of YMCA or any other canteen trucks on the flight-line or even at a camp cinema. There is one picture of a canteen in a building Do you have any photographic other evidence that canteen trucks were used in the Pacific?

[Dave Homewood]

Only this one, from Stuart Johnstone's collection via Anne Luther, which I was sent five years after I made that post on this ancient thread...

[30sqnatc]

BRILLIANT. Thanks Dave. I'm currently building three No 13 cabs to start a family of CMP truck models so this one will become one of the trucks.

Paul

[Dave Homewood]

I thought you'd like it. I love that shot, they all look gasping for a cuppa. The tea that the YMCA served got the nickname of the Green River. And they were served a cordial that was known as Battery Acid.

Note how young the pilot on the left looks to be. 18 at most.

[Mustang51]

Dave, I think that the modelling idea is great and if I had any talent at all I would be a part of it.

[Dave Homewood]

Not only did I long forget about this old thread till Paul brought it back up this week, I have long since given up modelling, not long after this thread was posted actually. I just got too busy thanks to the forum and other aviation history projects taking up my time. One day I ay return to modelling and make my Joe Wagon Chevy diorama though... one day...