Making runway bases

[Turbofan]

On 25/04/2020 at 07:55, armored76 said:

Hello,

 

I've seen lots of very attractive runways displayed below the fantastic models, around here. I was wondering if someone built their own or can suggest a good source for them? Preferably one that can be stored away after the photo session.

 

I guess, it should be one that can hold a 1/144 Gulfstream as well as a 747-8F, size-wise.

 

Thank you!

Cristian

Hi Cristian,

I've had quite a few positive comments about the refurbished baseboard I've recently used for my BA 747

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235072809-1144-authentic-airliners-british-airways-boeing-747-100/

So I thought I'd write a bit about how I went about constructing it here.

It's quite a big 120cm X 90cm X .9cm sheet of MDF which came with a pallet of flooring.

Originally I used A4 card for the concrete taxiway areas and model railway grass mat for the grass but the card either shrunk or buckled depending on the humidity and needed to be stuck down again on a regular basis. The final straw was when my daughter's hamster escaped one night and ripped off loads of the grass matting!

Once everything was removed I drew where I wanted the taxiways to be and sprayed one with Halfords Grey Primer to simulate tarmac. The other taxiways were to be concrete which was hand painted with two coats of Johnstone's Seashell from a tester pot I found in the Range for £1.49 (for those of you in the UK).

The concrete was then divided up into 34mm squares, which equates to 5m in 1/144, with a pencil.

The white centrelines were drawn on with a Uni Posca PC-5M paint pen, available from eBay or most art shops. The PC-5M has a tip just the right width for 1/144 centrelines. To draw the straight sections was easy with a long straight edge taking care to keep the edge elevated slightly to prevent the paint from creeping under. For the curves I used a flexible curve bent to the right shape.

 

For the grass areas I painted a base coat of green emulsion, again from a tester pot from the Range, then used some model railway landscape grass flock I had hanging around sprinkled onto gloss green paint whilst still wet. I added a sprinkle of mulched green foam first for a bit of texture. Once the paint is dry the excess flock can be gently knocked off.

When I get around to it I intend to spray a fine mist of black, white and grey over the taxiways to add some more texture, especially on the tarmac which I feel is too 'flat'.

This is where it's up to now.

 

 

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Ian

 

Edited May 8, 2020 by Turbofan

[armored76]

Thanks for sharing, Ian! This looks really promising.

[Abandoned Project]

1 hour ago, Turbofan said:

Hi Cristian,

I've had quite a few positive comments about the refurbished baseboard I've recently used for my BA 747.

So I thought I'd write a bit about how I went about constructing it here.

It's quite a big 120cm X 90cm X .9cm sheet of MDF which came with a pallet of flooring.

 

The concrete was then divided up into 34mm squares, which equates to 5m in 1/144, with a pencil.

The white centrelines were drawn on with a Uni Posca PC-5M paint pen. The PC-5M has a tip just the right width for 1/144 centrelines.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Thank you ever so much for posting. There are some real jems in there, like the scale for the concrete squares.

[Antti_K]

On 4/26/2020 at 12:10 AM, Abandoned Project said:

Does this cover aprons or just runways?

Hello guys,

 

ICAO Annex 14 covers it all; aprons, taxiways, runways, placards, obstacles, paint markings, lightning systems.

 

There are some simple, generic rules for all licensed aerodromes: all painted markings are white for runways and yellow for taxiways and aprons. Taxiway edge lights are coloured blue and runway edge lights are white. The spacing between the lights is usually the same as the width of the runway or taxiway. Usually runway width is either 45 metres ("Eastern Block") and 60 metres for western countries.

 

And then there is some one million smaller details as well😉

 

Cheers,

Antti

[Turbofan]

Hi Antti

Do you know when these rules were effective from? I'm sure I have seen images from 30-40 years ago with white taxiway centrelines.

Cheers,

Ian

[Antti_K]

Hello Ian,

 

these standards have been pretty much the same for ages; Annex 14 was one of the "original" Annexes to ICAO Convention (signed in December 1944) although it was known by a single letter back then. Unfortunately I don't have my copy of Annex 14 at hand to give you more detailed information. But you can safely create an airport base with white runway and yellow taxiway markings and use it for a setting from the 60s till present day.

 

Of course new items have been inserted into Annex 14 over the years. An excellent example is that beautiful "Rapid Exit Taxiway" base you show in post #26. If you wish to add taxiway center line lights onto to the base, there should be a yellow, then green, again yellow, green and so on. Rapid Exits appeared in Annex 14 probably in the 1960s for the first time. The idea is to minimize the need to use wheel brakes and "save" them for maneuvering on the apron.

 

Cheers,

Antti