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Building a HAS


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My aircraft WIP started off with a couple of 1/48 RAF Phantoms I was building, but somewhere along the way I started putting together a background to photograph them with. This turned in to a hair-brained scheme to build a Hardened Aircraft Shelter (HAS).

I live near Wattisham and have taken some photos while passing of the site, and using google maps I got started on some plans. A full size hanger in 1/48 would just be too big, so a single aircraft HAS seemed do-able.

So this is what I was aiming for:

 

daily-photo-hardened-aircraft-shelter-L-

 

Most of the build so far is on my other thread, so I won't repeat it all here. Suffice to say it got rolling with a bit of rolled up cardboard:

 

J3ZkZJu.jpg

 

The main structure is about 76cm x 45cm. But then add the apron in front, doors, vent at the back, annex, etc, etc. Its got pretty big.

Edited by bar side
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So I could spend a fortune on building materials, but instead its all getting built with stuff I have around the house.

To get the inside tubular structure effect I soaked the top layer of card from a sheet of corrugated card board and formed it to the inside shape:

EQJZ0pz.jpg

The outside got a clean skin of new card over it:

fDWLB8a.jpg

Now it needed some doors - slow work building them out of strips of cereal boxes:

Oe5l44P.jpg

Then another to match:

X5VkpPN.jpg

The inside wasn't left alone - a cut out at the back for the bast doors & exhausts, ducted air vents over the back and up the sides, lights made from an old Christmas led string that was going out:

EqfPe3X.jpg

Next was the exhaust building on the back:

TS6wyzy.jpg

And vents on the roof and the annex on the side:

NY59KFm.jpg

So that's about as far as things got on the other thread:

3gW3gsl.jpg

More to come as it gets done. Thanks for looking

Edited by bar side
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David - by the end it should be about 1m wide & 1.5m long - that includes the apron and back exhaust vents.I think I will keep it a bit modular & only put it all together when I want to use it

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Plenty of sticky back plastic and pva glue! You can't do something this size with 2 inch square whit metal cast sheets - especially on my budget!

But its meeting the brief as a location to pose models:

IszWWEH.jpg

Lots more details needed to add to the realism. Built a Aim-9 rack based on a photo of one at Ramstein. Think it looks ok. More pipework and cabling to make it look more real still needed.

YUL5KLj.jpg

Edited by bar side
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Cheers guys - it's also been fun to make it which was the other main aim. Got to do some work on the annex, especially the pitched roof and main annex doors.

The later HAS has a racking system and hoist just inside the left main door.

Another plan is for some props and vehicles - especially a land rover & maybe a trailer. Plus some access ladders for the planes.

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Cheers Matt - not as good as your QRA will be I suspect

I'm not sure about that, my Q-Shed is small beer compared to this! I've just posted a question in my thread (not to hijack your thread) that I'd like your opinion on.

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Cheers guys. Progress has somewhat stalled due to household redecorating at the moment. Also found some nice mfd board (about 5mm) that might replace the current floor. The cardboard keeps curling up even though it looks good.

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Thats true Ragtag but it will probably warp less that the cardboard. Paint one side of a sheet of cardboard & as it dries the curl is unreal. The board I have found is the back of an old bookshelf, so it is mdf / card, coated with a wood effect and folded in half (as the arrive flat packed). I thought that being able to take it out and store it folded up might keep it more flat. Also the wood effect might stop the paint soaking in and making it curl up. Need to get it outside & see but the weather is not playing ball.

Took a day out to see the Vulcan for the last time at Clacton this week:

V7HAwzB.jpg

Sad to see her go for the last time.

Nice show from the Typhoon - tricky to get an in focus photo with my little compact camera, the thing never stays still! Energetic would be one description for the display.

wApxWhq.jpg

Edited by bar side
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I dug out the old unit back board (think it may have been a wardrobe) that is mdf & hinged in the middle as usually happens with flat pack furniture. With the original cardboard base laid out on top you can see how the edges are getting tatty and amount of curl. I made up a side extension that doesn't join on that well. The board looks the right width to allow for the apron & door opening areas on both sides so I wouldn't need a side extension anymore.

The main idea is to have a removable base that can be stored separately, and in this case folded in half for storage.

AS4OGmN.jpg

The thing is, do I make it big enough to sit the HAS, exhaust rear extension and annex on? Or just a T shape with the extended bit of apron in front of the annex? I think the T shape is winning on shear size.

Edited by bar side
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Size issues apart I'd stick with the rectangular shape, it might be more versatile in being a base for future dioramas.

It seems that tattiness and curl are a hazard with softer material for bases- it looks like MattBlack had a similar issue with his RAf Binbrook diorama (before taking it apart to do it again to make it even more perfect).

My first vignette base (picture to be posted once the damage done by Hurricane Daughter is repaired) is on foam board, but that has curled up and started to look tatty around the edges too. I think hard bases must be the way to go for durability.

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I agree with Onkey above. I'd keep the rectangular shape and see how workable in the long-run it is once it's all together. You can always cut it down easier than you can add to it if you decide it's too cumbersome down the line. This and I can live my desires to have a full-size HAS vicariously through you...

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Ok, have taken your advice & gone with the rectangle. The HAS was attached to the cardboard with tabs underneath. To make that work with the rectangle that is oversized I have cut slots in the base with a jigsaw.

qrLBPvY.jpg

It fits ok, but I need to make the tabs a bit longer to avoid having a gap at the base & daylight coming in. Then get some paint on the board & see how it looks.

Edited by bar side
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