Just added the new K&C USAAC Figures to my Airfield Diorama (1 Viewer)

[Louis Badolato]

I just received and set out my new K&C USAAC figures and a second new K&C Quonset Hut to my airfield diorama. These, along with the new RAF figures, are some of the best figures K&C has ever done in my opinion.

I have decided to re-arrange my entire airfield, to try to be more creative and set up the airfield closer to the way Gordon Neilson originally envisioned when he first set it up for me 3 years ago. He had the whole thing set up at an angle to the viewer, as he felt it gave a more visually striking impression. I will try to follow this concept when I rearrange the field. I am thinking of setting up all five Nissen Huts (2 new K&C, 1 vintage K&C and 2 vintage Heco) on an diagonal line parallell to the angle of the runway and the control tower, and siilarly place the Heco Wind Sock Tower and the Heco Water Tower on an angle, near the Heco Nissen Huts. I will set up the Heco stuff all together near the Nissen Huts and towers, towards the rear of the airfield, so Heco has its own area.

All the Heco and K&C BiPlanes will go behind this line of Nissen Huts, for a separate WWI portion of the airfield. This should also make the airfield look a bit more authentic and less crowded than its present configuration (with WWI, inter-war, and WWII aircraft on the same field). I just have to wait for the 2nd Heco Nissen Hut and Heco RAF Mark III Tower (courtesy of our good friend Marc "Beaufighter") to arrive April 12th, and then I will send Brad some photos of the redesigned airfield with a polite request that he post them on this thread.

 

[Cyber Field Marshall]

Sounds great Louis, can hardly wait to see the pics. I too am in the process (painfully slow however) of collecting the RAF/USAAF and associated airplanes and ground accesories to create an airfield scene. K&C's move to the skies is one new direction I am really excited about. Check back in about 5 years and I should have something half decent to display!

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Sounds amazing, especially mixing the old Heco pieces in the background. How big is the airfield? I'm guessing there will be a custom made airfield mat or two?

Terry

 

[Louis Badolato]

Sounds amazing, especially mixing the old Heco pieces in the background. How big is the airfield? I'm guessing there will be a custom made airfield mat or two?

Terry

The airfield is 12 feet long by 6 feet wide. There are no custom airfield mats. Gordon laid down grass mats (paper with powdered grass glued onto it made for model railroads), then used white tape to mark out a diagonal runway running from the rear right corner of the airfield towards the mid-right front. He set out the custom made K&C RAF Control Tower he had made for me diagonally, parallel to the runway. Originally, the classic K&C wood and papier mache Quonset Hut (produced in 1996) and the Heco tower with the windsock were set in the rear of the airfield facing straight towards the front. Then the K&C RAF vehicles (two wood Austin K2 Ambulances (1996), a Bedford QL Fuel Bowser (1996), a prototype RAF Austin Tilly utility vehicle (2006) and about 20 K&C wood RAF aircraft from 1989 through 1996, and 2007 were set out on the airfield, also on the diagonal, along with 2 Sets of "The First of the Few (1989), a set of "Churchill and the Few" (1990), 2 sets of RAF Mechanics (1993), 4 sets of RAF MP and Dispatch Rider (1993), several AVG Flying Tiger Pilots and U.S. Marine Pilots (1990) and a Captain Clark Gable (1990) were set out on the diorama. There was a place left empty in the left rear corner of the airfield for a custom K&C RAF Hanger which Gordon intended to build for me, but Gordon was chained to his work desk for Andy's pet projects for the various shows, and he never got around to it.

Since Gordon's original set up, I crammed about another 15 K&C and Heco WWI and WWII planes on the airfield, and added several Heco vehicles and a Heco Nissen hut, as well as the Heco V2 Rocket Base diorama and V1 Buzz Bomb (because I had no where else to put them).

I hope the rearranging I have done will make the airfield diorama a bit closer to the way Gordon had originally envisioned it.

 

[wds0855]

"12 feet long by 6 feet wide" WOW, that must look really great. Good show!

Walt

 

[Mike97]

Oh man...I clicked on this link, preparing to drool at some really great pictures !!!
Can't wait to see some as your layout sounds great.
mike

 

[Louis Badolato]

I sent Brad 6 photos of the rearranged airfield with a polite request that he post them on this thread.

 

[jazzeum]

Here are the photos,

 

[jazzeum]

Last group,

 

[Louis Badolato]

Thanks Brad!

 

[craig1985taylor]

very nice louis thanks for sharing! wish i had the room for something like that!!! lol

Cheers Craig

 

[hoogri]

think that's a great airport
with all the vehicles
andy I hope this year will release enough.
You have a great collection louis.
richard
p.s you should make a book

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Now that is a real collector's display with pieces from several manufacturers and eras of toy making. Impressive.

Terry

 

[Rob]

Fantastic collection,mouth wateringly good!.Love your control tower too Louis

Rob

 

[lancer]

Love all those bi-planes. That is one huge display of great aircraft and airfield accessories. Who makes the two Swordfish? -- Al

 

[Louis Badolato]

Love all those bi-planes. That is one huge display of great aircraft and airfield accessories. Who makes the two Swordfish? -- Al

The two swordfish are K&C, one (the smaller of the two) classic K&C wood warbird from circa 1993 and one new production K&C wood warbird from 2 years ago.

The control tower is a custom K&C made for me by Gordon when K&C first relaunched the special projects/custom diorama workshop that now does all the incredible dioramas for the Chicago Show and the Westcoaster.

Everything on the diorama is produced by either K&C or Heco, except for the Lysander (a gift from Kevin [Panda1gen]), one diecast ambulance from a small cottage company in england, and a Frontline Glossy Memphis Belle Crew.

 

[Frank Millward]

Hi
I could just see my wife letting me have a set-up like yours - NOT

 

[wayne556517]

AWESOME Louis so wheres the good guys airbase now,you know the ME109,163 komet etc..................
Just joking everyone hahahaha looks great mate i love the water tower....

 

[Louis Badolato]

AWESOME Louis so wheres the good guys airbase now,you know the ME109,163 komet etc..................
Just joking everyone hahahaha looks great mate i love the water tower....

The bad guys have trhe secrer desert airbase (like Tanis from Raiders of the Lost Ark) K&C made at my request 3 Chicago Shows ago. They are about to be destroyed by the SAS and LRDG.

 

[Mike97]

Let the drooling begin-stunning collection