A Year's Scale Modelling Diorama

It's been a year now since I removed my old Scalextric track in the loft from its baseboard so as to showcase some of my 'lockdown' builds, and having now completed my latest diorama, the RAF Airfield from Autumn 1943, I can't believe I have finally run out of space! 🤦‍♂️

It has been suggested that there may be opportunities to display one or two of these at model shows etc, but how I not only cut them into their respective scenes, let alone bring them down from the loft, is somewhat perplexing me! 🤷‍♂️

I have, however, seen some folk building smaller dioramas, which I understand are called vignettes, using old picture frames, such that I may now have to do a tour of the house to see which pictures I can repurpose!🤭😂

Suggestions welcomed!

Spitfire Squadron - Part 4

Spitfire Squadron … Part 4

It’s finally time to reveal the date of my diorama, a season and year which can be derived from perhaps an unusual source; the RAF vehicle paint scheme and I have to thank Mike Starmer on the Airfix Tribute Forum for this following factoid: 

1937 RAF vehicles were officially RAF Blue Grey BS.33 
1939-40 vehicles in France and Southern England were painted brown and green as used for building camouflage.  
1941 August (AMO 618/41) the RAF fell into line with army’s Khaki Green with Dark Tarmac stripe disrupter. 
1942 December (AMO 1397/42) changed to SCC2 Brown with SCC1A British Brown disrupter in a 'Mickey Mouse' design. 
1943 October changed the disrupter from SCC1A British Brown to SCC14 Black with the same 'Mickey Mouse' design.  
1944 September change to an overall SCC15 Olive Drab paint scheme.

1946 (AMO 306/46), following the end of the war, changed the scheme back to Gloss RAF Blue Grey

As the majority of the RAF vehicles are in the brown and black wavy 'Mickey Mouse' design and none are in Olive Drab it is at least October 1943 and no later than September 1944, and as I opened sating it was between 1941 and 1943 and the trees have autumn leaves, it has to be between October to November 1943!

So, what else is going on this RAF Airfield in Autumn 1943?

Beyond the control tower, there are parked up 3 vehicles. There is no surprise to see an RAF Standard Tilly, but the presence of the two Jeeps is intriguing. 

One is from the British Army 6th Airborne Division and the other the US Army 4th Divisional HQ. The 3 drivers, now deep in conspiratorial conversation, have just delivered their respective military leaders to the control tower, where they they are now being escorted within, to collaborate in vital D-Day planning! 

Spitfires, like the fighter‐bomber equipped Mk.Vc in front of the hanger, went on to provide essential air support for the D‐Day landings. Around 55 squadrons of Spitfire participated in the invasion of Normandy, between 5 to 7 June 1944, carrying out ground attack missions; perhaps the most famous occurring after the D-Day landings, was on 17 July 1944 when General Rommel himself was wounded in an attack by a Spitfire fighter.

There was much fear during this period of 5th Columnists and Nazi spies. While in reality, and backed up by Ben Macintyre’s excellent book ‘Agent Zigzag’, these fears were mostly unfounded, however, towards the rear of the airfield, you’ll see a spy cornered by 3 RAF Police officers, who, with the high profile visitors on the base, are taking no chances! In Ben Macintyre’s book, the British double agent Eddie Chapman is dropped into England during early 1943 to blow up the Mosquito factory on the outskirts of London; so there was certainly a desire on the part of Germany to use such spies to disrupt the British war effort.

In October 1941, with the Luftwaffe now concentrating on the Russian front and air raids on Britain lessening, so did the need for anti aircraft defences, however, the presence of senior military leaders on the base also has the Bofors 40mm Anti Aircraft gun and crew, repurposed from a my North African campaign collection, scanning the sky for a surprise Luftwaffe attack.

Finally, did you spot the set of camouflaged De Havilland Vampire wings at the back of the hanger? 

I had these left over from a previous build so thought I’d drop them in for fun, as the prototype of this single jet engined DH.100 De Havilland Vampire, Britain’s second jet fighter code named ‘Spider Crab’, conducted its maiden flight from Hatfield Aerodrome on 20 September 1943. 

Although it didn’t actually enter service until a few months after the War, it did go on to be adopted as a replacement for many of the wartime piston-engined fighter aircraft, such as the Spitfire. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed my take on this post Battle of Britain, pre D-Day airfield, and the backstories to the various scenes.

The End

Spitfire Squadron - Part 3

Spitfire Squadron … Part 3

Within the aircraft hanger, there’s a hive of activity as a Mk.Vb has  its propeller removed for repair during its 30 hour inspection. 

The fitters and riggers can be seen working through their long list of items requiring checking. For example, the engine cowlings would be removed to allow the oil filter to be removed and cleaned, and the engine checked for possible oil, fuel or coolant leaks; the propeller spinner would be removed to allow checking for possible damage, as has been found here, or leakage from the hydraulic pitch-change mechanism. 

In this scene, one of the port guns is being replaced and a sticking canopy is getting some attention. 

Meanwhile a dispatch rider delivers an important package for the second Spitfire which is sat at the back of the hanger awaiting for work to commence. 

Most of the bits and bobs of equipment here were sourced via the Airfix’s WWII RAF Bomber Re-Supply Set, and the fitters and riggers are from a box of Airfix’s RAF Personnel. The makeshift frame with pulley I scratch built from old bits of spares and stretched sprue, so pleased I no longer throw stuff away! 

To be continued …

Spitfire Squadron - Part 2

Spitfire Squadron … Part 2

On the apron to the hanger there are two Spitfire L.F. Mk.Vb (L.F version of Merlin engine optimised for low level flight and Type B wing with 4 .303" Browning machine guns and 2 20mm Hispano Cannon). The L.F. Version engine was typically also combined with clipped wings, where their wing-tips were replaced by short fairings to improve the aircraft’s rate of roll. These latter changes were implemented in 1942, in an attempt to counter the then superior low level performance of the Fw 190. 

The development of the Spitfire was, however, relentless and a further look at these Mk.Vb would point to them actually being the new Mk.Vc (C or Universal Wing, which in addition to the Type B configuration were strengthened to make them capable of supporting a single 250 lb bomb under each wing and a 500 lb bomb beneath the fuselage). The first Spitfire to be modified to carry underwing bombs was a Malta-based Mk Vc, EP201 X-V of 229 Squadron in late summer of 1942. 

This gave me opportunity to incorporate into my diorama, not only the bombs and trailers which came with my airfield vehicles, as part of Airfix’s WWII RAF Bomber Re-Supply Set, but also to add a munitions Nissen hut, which for additional safety I positioned away from the hanger and sunk into the hillside. These Spitfires are, therefore, configured for low level fighter bomber missions against enemy airfields, communications and installations. 

Continuing the challenge to time box this diorama into a specific season of a specific year … the presence of these two cropped wing Spitfire Mk.Vc in fighter bomber mode, means that we’ve now moved on a year from my last post and are looking at a scene from at least the end of 1942.

To be continued …. 

Spitfire Squadron - Part 1

My WW2 Spitfire Squadron RAF airfield diorama is not intended to depict an exact day in history nor reflect a specific squadron nor location but to give the feel of what may have been going on across many airfields during the post Battle of Britain and pre D-Day period between 1941 - 1943. Because I have thrown so much into this diorama, I will not overwhelm you with too much detail in one burst but, as per Dickens, publish in instalments. While I say I have not looked to reflect a specific date in history, there will be some interesting factoids along the way which will time box this diorama into a specific season in a specific year, so stay tuned, and while all guesses are welcomed, I shall give nothing away until the end!

As a bit of background to this period, following the Battle of Britain, the RAF benefitted from a period of rest and replenishment before, early in 1941, being ready to go on the offensive. Fighter sweeps, ”Rhubarbs”, and bomber escort missions, “Circuses”, across the channel into France and other occupied territories, were initiated with the express purpose of forcing a response from Luftwaffe fighters.

The scene in the diorama opens with the RAF fighter crews relaxing by their dispersal hut while a pair of Spitfire Mk.IIa, or may be Mk.Va (Type A wing with 8 .303" Browning machine guns), return from a ‘Rhubarb’ mission, as another is refuelled and rearmed. If you look carefully, there are a couple of reminders from the Battle of Britain: the call to action bell and instruction sign on the hut, but the stress and fatigue from being constantly on alert and the frequent scrambles are in the past.

The scene opens with the RAF fighter crews relaxing by their dispersal hut

As for the models, I built two of the Spitfires from Revell’s 1:72 scale Mk.IIa kits which I found to be very nicely detailed and a pleasure to build. I also repainted an old Mk.1a from an Airfix Dogfight Double set that I had very faded and gathering dust in a cabinet. 

The refuelling truck was from an equally old Airfix RAF Refuelling Set which I decided to repaint to match the other service vehicles. The figures were from multiple sources, though mostly from Airfix’s 1:76 scale RAF Personnel. The Nissen hut was from a set I acquired from the Peco model railway manufacturer close to home here in Devon, and the bell, bucket, sign and chairs were all scratch built.

To be continued ….

Fieseler Storch

Just completed a Fieseler Storch of FI 156 C-3/Trop Luftwaffe (North Africa) 1942. 

Used extensively by Rommel during the ebb and flow of the North Africa campaign and most famously to rescue Mussolini from a remote mountain top, the only fixed wing aircraft of the time capable of doing so. 

I altered this Airfix Vintage Classic slightly by lowering the undercarriage to make it more realistic in the landing position and added additional struts missing from the original kit but which are clearly seen in historical photos and even the box art. I also had to fill a chasm across the front of the cockpit with PVA. While this filing job won’t be winning any artistic prizes will at least keep the draft off Rommel, who, I promise, is sat in the back 

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The Kit

Brand: Airfix
Title: Fieseler Storch Vintage Classics
Number: A01047V
Scale: 1:72
Type: Full kit

Released: 2019 | Rebox (Changed box only)

Hawker Demon

Just completed my build of the Airfix Hawker Demon which is an interesting small kit from their Classic range

I was interested to learn that the Hawker Demon was a two-seat fighter derivative of the Hawker Hart day bomber which was brought into service in 1933 after it was found, to the concern of the RAF, that their single seat fighters of the day, such as the Bristol Buldog, were unable to match the speed nor intercept the Hart!

This Airfix Hawker Demon is built as K4500 of No.604 Squadron in the pre-Munich overall aluminium dope finish and the Squadron’s red and yellow triangular markings. Post Munich they received a camouflage finish which I may have to have a go at some time.

This is also my first ever rigging of a biplane using stretched sprue. 

I hope you think it was worth the effort

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The Kit

Brand: Airfix

Title: Hawker Demon Vintage Classics

Number: A01052V

Scale: 1:72 

Type: Full kit 

Released: 2019 | Rebox (Changed decals)