Musings on an air/sea rescue scene

[qn30jEkPz7]

So...

 

I've never built a boat, helicopter or a diorama (unless you count a fancy dress outfit) so what better to do than combine all three

 

From the For Sale section I got this set

 

 

Which I was thinking of turning into a little scene like what the box lid does show. Thusly

 

 

[qn30jEkPz7]

Thinking is to build the base of wood and hardboard, texture with plaster/filler and then paint in layers going from 100% paint to 100% varnish to get a good scattering depth with little bits picked out in white

 

Helicopter mounted on acrylic rod from http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/311523376518?_mwBanner=1&varId=610526264724

 

Additional figures for the boat and helicopter crews from http://www.modelsrgo.co.uk/pj-production-1-72-sar-helicopter-crew.html

 

Still some thought to go into this before I crack on

[Bandsaw Steve]

Go for it. What could possibly go wrong?

[qn30jEkPz7]

In case anyone is wondering how a fancy dress outfit could be considered a diorama...

 

There was a party with a 1960s theme so I went as the moon landing 

 

 

There were straps that went round neck and back like an apron

 

*moon not to scale

Edited April 12, 2017 by LostCosmonauts

[Badder]

31 minutes ago, LostCosmonauts said:

In case anyone is wondering how a fancy dress outfit could be considered a diorama...

 

There was a party with a 1960s theme so I went as the moon landing 

 

 

There were straps that went round neck and back like an apron

 

*moon not to scale

Mad! lol I'm hoping you're not thinking of turning the air-sea rescue into a hat?!

 

Rearguards,

Badder

[qn30jEkPz7]

On 12/04/2017 at 14:18, Badder said:

Mad! lol I'm hoping you're not thinking of turning the air-sea rescue into a hat?!

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

That's an idea. It'd certainly make a splash at Royal Ascot

[Bandsaw Steve]

I don't mean to offend, but when I first saw the photograph I thought you were holding a large cow-pat.😦🤢🙄😂

[qn30jEkPz7]

On 14/04/2017 at 21:09, Reconcilor said:

I don't mean to offend, but when I first saw the photograph I thought you were holding a large cow-pat.😦🤢🙄😂

 

Spray painting a cowpat would have been quicker

[qn30jEkPz7]

Ok - probably time to get going with this

 

I knocked up a basic box out of spare hardboard and some pine. Am going to rehome the Apollo lander at the same time so that I can try things out and make a pigs ear of them small before I do it big

 

 

Simple enough - PVA and lots of screws so it seems solid

 

And then onto the familiar fill, sand, repeat drill. I've added a small block in one corner and drilled it out so that the mounting rod for the helicopter comes in on the diagonal and 22.5degrees off vertical

 

Little version for Apollo sat on top of the ASR scene below

 

 

Current plan is to cut the eventual acrylic rod so that it presents a horizontal surface and glue a bit of steel to it and then hide a little neodynium magnet in the base of the Sea King so that I can take it off for moving around. Does that sound utterly daft?

Edited May 4, 2017 by LostCosmonauts

[qn30jEkPz7]

Righty-ho. Time for a trial run. Rehoming that Apollo lander to try out building a base, texturing and painting it...

 

 

That seemed to go ok

[qn30jEkPz7]

Now onto the real deal

 

Trying out the composition with a blank in place of the lifeboat

 

 

After cutting out the recess for aforementioned lifeboat

 

 

And then a first coat of plaster. Textures etc. aren't staying in place - just playing with the first coat while I think

 

[Badder]

Good job! I like the new lander base. You could maybe represent a bit of the Sea of Tranquillity, but I think it's just fine as it is.

 

And good progress on the ASR base. Now, I know there's a fashion for having models overhanging the edges of their bases, and in some cases that's fine, but I'd be worried about your Sea King getting damaged. Rotor blades are not as sturdy as a Tiger 1's gun barrel, or the nose of a Tornado for example. But then, perhaps you are not clumsy like me, and you haven't inherited mad cats through marriage, and your wife doesn't take to trying to give your models a going over with a feather duster.....

 

Rearguards,

Badder

[qn30jEkPz7]

@Badder no fear of cats, dusting or accidental knocks here. My completed models all get packed off to a corner of the loft and they just have to put up with dust. 

 

As long as they survive my efforts to climb the ladder one handed they can moulder without fear of impact

[qn30jEkPz7]

Have been making progress on the chopper (WIP here http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235021024-airfix-raf-westland-sea-king-in-172/) and with the boat stalled (No WIP on that because if we can agree on anything in this polarised world it's that boats are just seaplanes that failed to reach their full potential) it is probably time I cracked on with the scenery.

 

Quick sand down of the first coat of polyfiller

 

 

A pose of the models so I can fix in my head how I want it to look

 

 

Then after some artistic experimentation with the polyfiller (and a mess that a toddler would have been proud of) we have a sea surface texture that I think I can paint up and be comfortable with

 

 

[qn30jEkPz7]

So to painting - plan was to undercoat the whole thing, gloss coat the sides and mask then work over the upper with a dark blue grey and thin out slowly with more and more varnish to give depth and then a final subtle highlight.

 

So that's what I've done - as below

 

 

 

 

Et voila

 

Next up some highlits in white, replace the pine dowel with clear acrylic and finish the boat & helicopter

Edited May 23, 2017 by LostCosmonauts
photobucket finally worked

[clive_t]

Following with interest, mainly to see how you model the sea surface - looking great so far!

[Gimme Shelter]

yep - I like this one.

 

Its a kit not often seen thee days and its nice to see it being turned into life

 

looking on with interest

[Rob 1]

Looks very interesting, there's the potential of a good looking little diorama here - I'll be watching with interest.

[goggsy]

Interesting work, I look forward to seeing this progress. I've got that Lander in my stash, keep meaning to break it out to do something a bit different. I remember reading in an old magazine a recommendation to use cigarette ash as moon dust; apparently if you make a pile of it and the blow in the centre it makes a convincing blast pattern of the right colour and consistency. I can imagine how many arguments that must have caused among 1970s modellers and their wives/mothers when they started scattering fag ash all over the place.

[cambridge]

if you have an helicopter flying that low on the water don't forget to add the effect of the helicopter downwash on water or it won't look realistic

 

 

 

[Gimme Shelter]

where's it gone LostCosmonaughts ? Keep up the good work _ I've just checked in for an update

 

here's a few chopper and sea rescue dio's I put together to give you a motivational push with yours

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KEEP CALM AND RESCUE MODEL DIORAMA ON ...!

[qn30jEkPz7]

Thanks @Gimme Shelter - work deadlines, business travel and a weekend away to watch some maniacs racing mountain bikes have meant a modelling hiatus and a banishment to the loft of the WIP. Going to get back to it in a couple of weeks. 

[qn30jEkPz7]

Going to get back to this

 

By way of an update (and an experiment at replacing photbucket with flickr) here are some pictures of where we stand.

 

Next step: finish helicopter

 

After that: Softwood dowel to be replaced by acrylic, downwash and wave highlights 

 

 

 

 

[qn30jEkPz7]

Smallish update

 

For @clive_t - this is what the water surface looks like closer in. Just farting around with plaster and airbrushing to see what I get

 

 

For @cambridge I've had a first go at getting a downwash effect.

 

Sanding a depression under the centre of the blades

 

and then airbrushing in some concentric circles of sea grey and white

 

 

[clive_t]

Nice one, cheers 

 

Like the downdraught effect too