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"Catch!" Special Hobby 1/48 Walrus. Air Sea Rescue Diorama


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After a long slow-down in my modelling activity due to other pressures my lovely wife gave me this kit, Special Hobby's re-boxing of the Classic Airframes kit, for Christmas. Inspired by a Grumman Duck build article in SAM last summer, I decided to try my hand at a diorama for the first time. After all, a seaplane sat on wheels always looks a little odd, in my opinion...
The kit is well described elsewhere and the tribulations of the struts and rigging severely tested my patience! That said, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. I used shade variations to try to get a slightly worn look to the camo and the whole plane was washed with a mix of black and payne's grey oil paints. I used sewing elastic for the rigging and one of my daughter's hairs for the arial wire.
The downed airman is in a K Type dinghy made from Fimo, wine bottle foil and tissue paper. The figures are an Airfix pilot and Eduard aircrew. The latter had some pretty drastic surgery to make their knees bend far enough, but filler is a wonderful healer! The rope is embroidery thread set with thinned PVA. The guy in the dinghy looks like he might be about to fall out, but he'll be pretty desperate to catch that rope and get back on board a plane...
The base is made with foamboard and plaster of paris. I sealed the plaster with a thick coat of PVA and painted it with acrylics. One unexpected effect was that some of the acrylic paint 'split' as it dried to leave tiny flecks of white in the water which look better than anything I could have produced with a brush. The whole thing had a few coats of future to make it look wet. Once the plane had been set in place, the gaps were filled with modelling clay and the painting touched up. I brushed gloss varnish onto the sides of the plane, but was a little wary of getting too carried away...

Let me know what you think!

Catch.jpg

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I really like that. :yikes:

I've had one in the stash for more years than I can remember and every time I open the box the contents scare the hell out of me :door:

Really well done on a fantastic out come. :thumbsup2::thumbsup2::thumbsup2: :thumbsup2: :thumbsup2::thumbsup2:

Dick

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Hi Andy,

that is a beautiful job and if that is your first diorama, well I can't wait to see the next one!

One very personal note is that from an aesthetic point of view, I reckon if the base was just slightly bigger then the eye would be drawn even more to the subject but, as I say that's a very personal comment from a photographer that could only ever dream of reaching such standards.

Regards

Reggie

Edited by The Cameraman
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Oh, this is lovely! Sea effect, gloss on the aircraft to show where the sea has been and the drama of the rescue makes an overall great model. I have never created a diorama, but am now tempted!

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