bar side Posted April 5, 2018 Author Share Posted April 5, 2018 No guarantees it (if it gets built!) will be any good @Kirkbut I do like the odd cardboard build and this will be an odd one. Internal angles of an octagon and all. So which is your favourite tower? The Hawk has just been a nice little build that distracted me from getting on with the F27. I fear a control tower could do the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 Oh...Bentwaters look nice. A lot of fun angles and glass. Something like that would look great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted April 5, 2018 Author Share Posted April 5, 2018 16 minutes ago, RichO said: Oh...Bentwaters look nice. A lot of fun angles and glass. Something like that would look great. Yes, nice combination of a ww2 tower with a new observation area on top. Might try to size it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted April 6, 2018 Author Share Posted April 6, 2018 Paid a visit to RAF Bury St Edmunds (or Rougham airfield as it was later known) tower today for some reference photos. May go for that as a base & put the Bentwaters observation section on top. The Hawk has made it to the RFI section after some dry if not sunny weather today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted April 6, 2018 Author Share Posted April 6, 2018 Few pics of the tower and the nearby building that could work well with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted April 7, 2018 Author Share Posted April 7, 2018 With some quick measuring up and using the Rougham tower as a window layout, this is about the size of the tower building. I have some plans for the windows, but may not built an interior. Will be unavoidable though in the glass house on the roof! 1/48 man an a barrel for scale 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted April 10, 2018 Author Share Posted April 10, 2018 (edited) Might get a better idea from this shot Tiime to start cutting out the windows and introduce some glue. might end up a bit like the Martlesham tower with the octagonal viewing room on the roof http://www.controltowers.co.uk/M/Martlesham.htm Edited April 10, 2018 by bar side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted April 11, 2018 Author Share Posted April 11, 2018 Meant to post a pic of the Hawk flaps down. Nice feature of the Airfix kit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 Something familiar about the tower with the windows cut out 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 And with first go at windows in. An old model rail trick is to take photos of real windows and scale them to the opening size. Glue them in behind and they look more realistic than putting in glass & having an empty room behind. May well put some clear plastic in front of the picture so they reflect the light like the top section (when built) will. Need to paint the walls before fitting anything for real. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 Now for the top glass box. Lots of nice mathematical shapes. Octagonal shape with trapezoidal windows. Nice idea to measure it out but in reality it’s a bit cut & test thats the basic idea. So out with the cereal box to mock up the shape of the windows. Here it is with the garage building that I made up to house the tanker and landrover 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 This makes a nice example of the frame - this is RAF Manby. Need to find some interior pictures next Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted April 13, 2018 Author Share Posted April 13, 2018 Got some paint on the base building and fitted the windows. On the top I have cut out the windows and glazed them. Coming together now More to do on the walkways, then stairs to make, hand rails and some detail in the glass observation deck 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted April 14, 2018 Author Share Posted April 14, 2018 Bit of sunshine so time to get everything out & see how it looks 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted April 21, 2018 Author Share Posted April 21, 2018 The tower looks a little bare as it is so it’s time to build some interior. The bottom WW2 section will have opaque with windows, so no need to build the inside, but the top look out section has big clear windows. I have tried the find pre computer photos but it’s not easy i found this shot of a very empty or possibly a refurbished tower. So this is the basic plan. The base is too low so I have built a false floor and the desks above that. They need a raised front and some way of making that sloped desk space. This is how the drop in section looks Couple of 1/48 characters to give scale and a rough seat shape. The back left section is missing as this leads to the opening door section. Now, with the section dropped in more to be done, and some lighting I feel 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Getunderit Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 This is looking REALLY GOOD. Enjoying the added buildings, and the seeing how you tackle the more difficult structures. Thanks for showing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted April 23, 2018 Author Share Posted April 23, 2018 Cheers @Getunderit been a bit of light relief from building kits. More buildings in mind and a need for a new base to sit them on. Even f they are just there as supporting cast to the aircraft. couple of pics from the weekend - almost ready for some interior paint Desks now have the slope in place & some edging. Need a few seats made up & some unused pilots to be adapted to work there. And got my hands on some nice thin evergreen strip for walkway hand rails 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted May 1, 2018 Author Share Posted May 1, 2018 Painted the interior roughly the other day - bit of household emulsion for the desks and a couple more chairs And some detail based on what photos I can find of a 70s / 80s tower before flat computer screens appeared. Few radio units, maps & bits now need to sand down some poor characters head to turn him from a pilot to a desk jockey. Would 1/48 desk phones or radio hand sets be a step too far? Or maybe some binoculars? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xffw45343tg Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 Certainly binoculars. Think they would be sporting a headset (foot switch operated push to talk?), possibly holding a flight progress strip and looking at the surface wind read out or the bays of strips denoting the flight being handled. No expert as you can tell but hope these might point you in the right direction - or better still flush a real expert out of lurking. Kirk. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 Hey Bar, Great lookin' photos. The tower turned out really cool. You showed a photo of the air field and buildings. How big is the layout you are working with? Nice Job!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted May 2, 2018 Author Share Posted May 2, 2018 2 hours ago, RichO said: How big is the layout you are working with? Hi Rich, the HAS base itself is about 3ft by 5ft, with the taxiway being over 6ft long. There are a couple of cardboard hard standings each about 2ft by 3ft. Need really to come up with a base interlocking system and a proper dispersal base to go in front of the HAS and provide a location to place the tower & garage. Need good weather to set it up in the garden, but the HAS alone will fit in the house to set up for photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted May 2, 2018 Author Share Posted May 2, 2018 (edited) 21 hours ago, Kirk said: Certainly binoculars. Think they would be sporting a headset (foot switch operated push to talk?), possibly holding a flight progress strip and looking at the surface wind read out or the bays of strips denoting the flight being handled. No expert as you can tell but hope these might point you in the right direction - or better still flush a real expert out of lurking. Kirk. Hmm 1/48 scratch built binoculars. Have two pairs of real binoculars - one is Russian that my dad gave me (must be 30+ yrs old), the other German that my grandad ‘liberated’ during the war! Did see some 3D printed telephones but the detail isn’t great. Might have to look at ‘man with binoculars’ characters, or ‘man on phone’ from model rail sets Edited May 2, 2018 by bar side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James B Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 Absolutely incredible additions since my last visit. You're a very talented model builder. That tower interior is truly incredible. As always, thank you for taking the time to share it with us as you progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted May 2, 2018 Author Share Posted May 2, 2018 Thanks @James B - just me mucking about with cardboard, glue & toothpicks really. All rather Blue Peter! The tower was just a throw away idea that distracted me from proper kit building. Been fun finding out about towers along the way though. Needs lots of stairs & handrails to bring it on though 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted May 5, 2018 Author Share Posted May 5, 2018 Trying out an evergreen strip handrail for the front of the tower. Will need one on the roof plus stairs soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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