Spitfire 123 130 Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 Hi all, and sorry if I've posted this in the wrong forum, but i need some help deciding what to build for a diorama base for an RAAF grey nurse spitfire mk viii of number 457 squadron (A58602). The aircraft was based on Morotai island in the dutch east indies, so I want to have a small portion of a jungle on the base (jungle plants and a few palm trees) so would this be accurate? Cheers, Riley Link to post Share on other sites
alt-92 3,509 Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 Perhaps perusals of some Morotai Spitfire images may help? Or some more recent touristy images - the type of vegetation would still be largely the same so might serve as example. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
dcrfan 341 Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 (edited) I'm doing a Pacific super diorama (aka a model railway layout) in 1/48th. Coconut trees are simple to make. See first few pages of this thread. https://rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/26916/wwii-airfield-diorama-south-pacific I have not got around to my jungle end of the diorama. Edit. I just did a search on Australian War Memorial site photo collection. Quite a few hits on 'morotai sptifire'. This one is a very nice Spitfire dispersal photo. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C237167 Note not a coconut tree in sight on any photos - all jungle trees. Edited January 3 by dcrfan 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Spitfire 123 130 Posted January 3 Author Share Posted January 3 Hi, thankyou both for the replies. I found a website with some good photos of different squadrons on morotai: https://wepidgeon.com/pidgeonpost/?tag=morotai-airfield Dcrfan, your coconut trees look great! I think I will use the same technique you did to make them. I hope you will put a picture of the finished super diorama, it is going to look superb when it's finished! Cheers Riley Link to post Share on other sites
Spitfire 123 130 Posted January 6 Author Share Posted January 6 Hi again, I have another question about the diorama. Would the ground around the airfield on Morotai have been dirt or sand? Also can anyone reccomend a good way to imitate either? Cheers, Riley Link to post Share on other sites
Spitfire 123 130 Posted January 10 Author Share Posted January 10 Also would anyone like to see a WIP on this diorama? Link to post Share on other sites
dcrfan 341 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 On 1/6/2021 at 10:54 PM, Spitfire 123 said: Hi again, I have another question about the diorama. Would the ground around the airfield on Morotai have been dirt or sand? Also can anyone reccomend a good way to imitate either? Cheers, Riley Or crushed coral. A quick Google identified an article where US Army and Aussie airfield construction engineers had difficulty finding suitable airfield surface materiel on Morotai so it could be any of the three. I use matt gel medium to give a slight texture to the surface. In NZ I used tubes of gel by Reeves. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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