Jump to content

A Hangar you say.....


Recommended Posts

A long time at home, lots of cardboard, spare time.  Let’s face it that’s a bad combination for silly ideas.  Some years ago I started a project to build a Hardened Aircraft Shelter (HAS) form cardboard.  I reasoned at the time that it would make a good diorama to show off my 1/48 Cold War Jet builds.  And it has done that very well.

 

Now I originally settled on the HAS as a compromise on size.  I had originally looked at making a hangar.  But that is silly.  An RAF Type C hangar would fit the bill.  Like the ones at Wattisham.  Now in 1/48 that would be about a metre wide and nearly 2 metres long.  See?   The idea is plain silly.

 

But maybe just the front of the hangar, to act as a backdrop.  Or maybe the front part with a mirror in it.  Like @Mancunian airman’s T2 hangar.  Pose things something like this

 

1591814-large.jpg
 

Or this

 

1546616-large.jpg
 

Type C Hangars to me just look right

 

IMG_1120.JPG

 

So now the time element comes in.  I started scribbling some measurements 

 

nbIv3i9.jpg
 

We had a delivery of Ikea furniture a little while ago and the boxes hadn’t gone to the tip.  In the boxes are some nice reinforced packing strips too. So taking the measurements, a ruler, a pencil and a Stanley knife I thought I would see what it would look like.

 

The is an end - nearly 1m wide, ready for the doors to be cut out.  The strip on top is one of the reinforcing strips that could work

 

a9SSE8u.jpg
 

So a bit more cutting out & a Harrier for scale

 

f8C7OUf.jpg
 

just for scale too that is a full size fridge & freezer behind.  Yep this is madness.

 

So that is one end, one set of doors.  How big would a whole hangar be again?

 

eEitDAc.jpg

 

8VIMt4X.jpg
 

So what if I double all of the walls with packing corrugated card.  Make 2 ends, two sides, a floor & a roof that lifts off.  All parts go flat.  Really not keen to build the 11 roof sections with associated steel work.  More making a slot together scale hangar.  Finally a backdrop that will even make my Hercules look, well not quite small, but you get the idea....

 

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It'll all end in tears. How big would it be as a flatpack and which bed to store it under? And, how did you sneak in and take those pictures on our decking?

I like the idea of just the doors/end of the hangar as a backdrop. But hey, it's your time/cardboard/glue etc, and I have time to watch. Let's do this thing!

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

It'll all end in tears. How big would it be as a flatpack and which bed to store it under? And, how did you sneak in and take those pictures on our decking?

I like the idea of just the doors/end of the hangar as a backdrop. But hey, it's your time/cardboard/glue etc, and I have time to watch. Let's do this thing!

Well it’s got to be about 1m x 2m if the roof is in one piece.  Ends about as it is but 2 of them & side walls.  Think it will need a floor to hold it all together.  The trouble is detail - the door rails either side of the main doors will be pretty fragile for a flat pack stuck out in the garage.  Yep it ain’t coming in the house, that’s for sure.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Made up the other end but didn’t cut out the doors - keeps it stronger & only need one display end.  Then cut the sides to length.

 

xpWTKRm.jpg
 

Found a couple of nice cardboard packing that is almost the right size to go the length.  I have had to order more hot glue gun glue before I can put those bits together.  Going to come up with some kind of slot to fix the sides to the ends when assembled

 

s1UFUbi.jpg
 

I like the use of pots of Humbrol paint for scale in photos.  This is 5 litre Dulux!

the strengthening strips may not be technically there in the real building but they will make it strong and gives a nice platform to drop the roof on.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well it's looking rather good. I like the upscale to 5 litres idea! 

The door rails would need to be plug in or, glue them to cardboard and make card 'rails' with spacers, fixed to the hangar sides to slide the assembly into.

And, that can't be our decking as we don't have that table, so I'll forgive you. :laugh:

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What seemed at first to be a barking mad idea makes more and more sense to me. The more I look at the photo's at the top of the page, the more I think it will make a first class backdrop for model photography. The Jury is still out here, on the need for a whole hanger, but the door end is a really good idea. Mind you, open doors would give that much more to work with...

 

Whatever you end up with, well done for even attempting it!

 

Tony.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers Tony.  Yes a detachable end was the starting plan, but a full kit would be fun.  I even wondered about doing a separate about 1 foot section behind the doors as well.  I have previous I am afraid with airfield buildings

 

g5zubzv.jpg
 

so have a taxiway, HAS, Control Tower and a vehicle shed, plus various hard standings.  

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It you wanted it to be a little more sturdy this is what I used . . .  A T2 measures approx. 240' long by 112' . . . . IIRC

Grimsby-diorama-hangar-002.jpg


Grimsby-diorama-hangar-003.jpg


Grimsby-hangar-doors-006.jpg


Grimsby-hangar-doors-010.jpg


Grimsby-hangar-doors-022.jpg

 

There was enough left over from the  One sheet to build an earlier pre-war hangar as well . . . . .
Grimsby-hangar-doors-053.jpg

Edited by Mancunian airman
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi @Mancunian airman I remember watching you start this.  A T2 is a lot thinner skinned than a type c, and the reason I thought I would have a god is because I have a load of cardboard to use up or it will go for recycling.  So going to see how the card comes along. What’s is the lower card building you have there?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That was a pre-war hangar similar to a Type 'A' Shed built about 1937 . . .

A lot more detail to add such as windows etc but the boxy construction of the sheet, seen top of the brown doors, allows for strength and you can add bit such as door runners with poly glue . . . .

 

 I thought it would be ideal for your side walls, the sheet is clear and you could then incorporate windows seen along the side of the C Type hangar ????

Edited by Mancunian airman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Mancunian airman said:

That was a pre-war hangar similar to a Type 'A' Shed built about 1937 . . .

A lot more detail to add such as windows etc but the boxy construction of the sheet, seen top of the brown doors, allows for strength and you can add bit such as door runners with poly glue . . . .

That will look good.  Not sure how detailed i can go on a project this big from scrap card.  The roof has 11 raised sections, there are ten windows in each side, and I only started it as a background for photos.  Oh well.  Keeps me busy

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got my new supplies of hot glue gun sticks today.  Been cutting out the windows.  These often seem to be over painted or boarded up so tried cropping a photo of  hangar window and printing it to size.  It’s an old model rail trick to use photos of windows & doors in a recess cut in the card wall.  So the plan is to wrap the outer wall in brick paper.  As the wall is two ply I intend to put the “window” in between the two layers.  However I don’t think this level of definition is going to work

 

CPUFSKw.jpg

 

So I think I need a better resolution picture of a window, or put in clear plastic & overlay card window frames.  Be fiddly but doable

 

i do like the CAD model

 

attachment.php?attachmentid=65363&d=1366

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So windows cut out on one side.  Tried the scanned printed windows but they really don’t look great.  If I could get a close up that would work better, but who does a close up picture of a hangar window?  Might just put in clear plastic & make a frame of card x 20!

 

IwGe5Nq.jpg

 

I have some oo gauge brick paper and access to a colour copier so copy & scale up by a factor of 1.6 and cover the whole outside.  Have grey roof tiles too that might work.  Maybe even find some white brick paper for the inside.

 

Shot with the ends too.

 

729WKrs.jpg

 

I have cut out the windows on the other side too now.  I think the roof will start out as 3 sections at about 1m x 60cm.  Then start cutting out & firming the roof ridges.  Got to line up the 11 roof ridges with the 10 windows as each roof cross beam runs from the top of the steel uprights between the windows.  My chunky cardboard reinforcements shouldn’t be there but will be dressed up as if the structure has had some remedial reinforcement fitted.

 

I might get back to the Herc for a bit as the weather for building this outside seems to have changed!  Can’t really work on this in the living room.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keeping you busy? I'll bet it is. Most C types had offices down one or both sides and there should be central sliding access doors each side.

I'm not sure when the fire doors in the corners were added or if they were part of the basic design.

I've worked in plenty of C types, and when I moved to 240 OCU at Odiham in about 1981 it was in a T type. Somewhat chilly in Winter!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

54 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Keeping you busy? I'll bet it is. Most C types had offices down one or both sides and there should be central sliding access doors each side.

I'm not sure when the fire doors in the corners were added or if they were part of the basic design.

I've worked in plenty of C types, and when I moved to 240 OCU at Odiham in about 1981 it was in a T type. Somewhat chilly in Winter!

I was thinking of doing the offices as a stand alone block to fit along the visible side - probably never going to need to photograph both sides at once.  I need to have a look for these central doors, can’t say I have seen them so far.  Bet they were chilly!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm doing a google search for you. It looks like they are only there when the 'office block' is built on. These doors were the normal daily access to the hangar for people and vehicles*. I think if you build the office block then 'a central hole' with red paper doors at the back would suffice & be easiest.

Here's one set...

https://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg388/footballplayer2/DSCF3611.jpg

 

And a perfect picture from Scampton....

https://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/05/50/055064_9fbb0210.jpg

 

And, Coltishall....

https://www.challoner.com/aviation/pix/2005/09/16/pix/IMG_6042.JPG

 

*Except at St Athans when my Brother in law tried to drive a tractor through there with a towing arm overhanging each side across the back. OOPS!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers @Pete in Lincs those are good references.  I as going much along the lines of the 3D rendering further up the page which has no central doors either.  They probably didn’t know about them.  I guess they are a little off set as there would be a pillar in between the middle pair of windows - five windows either side.  A lot of the hangar walls have been painted or clad but I was going to go for brick & then do a brick office run down the side.  Might be tempted to camo painted on the doors - sure I have seen that at Wattisham

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Found some long range shots of Wattisham - certainly paint free brick side walls during the Lightning era.  Plus nice big white squares with the hangar number on the side.

 

c6a9b4598022fe2099d3c57d7ffe8049.jpg
 

Nice camo ends too

 

35528176174_769ba5d6f8_o.jpg

 

36227300491_a0f7ec641a_o.jpg

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got resources for the build today.  Brick paper - outside & in.  Roof tiles & opaque window glass

 

ssAeq4V.jpg

 

And a load of 6mm straws to form the start of the roof structure.  And glue.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, TonyW said:

I keep getting drawn back to this thread. 

 

Help.... I'm being assimilated!

 

Tony.

 

 

Your getting drawn in to the mind set where this lunacy actually starts to make sense....

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Mancunian airman said:

I shall watch with intrigue  . . .  

Intrigue?  Not sure that has been a description of anything I have built before!

The trouble is detail.  It’s so big that those lovely little details just can’t be done the same way.  Anyway once I get some progress on the Herc build I will get on with it.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...