1/200 747-400: St. Maarten diorama: *FINISHED*

Modeling Subjects Airliners and Civil Aircraft
1

Hi fellows… [:)]

This project was started in mid 2008 but was set aside while skills were honed enough to complete it, so I’ll begin with the WIP photos, then pick up where I am this day:

I decided to begin the process by working-up the wing. Since it will be displayed as if it’s about to land, everything will be hanging out, so I dissected the flap & spoiler sections…

I used sanded spru rods to reinforce the Flap Guides…

The rods were heated and bent to the correct angle and glued into the groves, then before it set, the final positioning was done…

Puddied the seams and it is now before the fan getting dry…

I boxed in & braced the areas inside the Slat openings and between the upper & lower trailing edge wing surfaces (flap opening), scratched landing lights, then assembled the wing halves and flexed it…



I also sanded, shaped, and trimmed out the Slats and Kruger Flap, so they’ll be ready and waiting when I get to that step!

Building the inboard flap section using the “Wire Brace” technique, which sure makes it all go together easier and look more like the real thing.

Here’s the assembled slotted flaps, dry-fitted to the flap guides…

LE Slats - made from the pieces extracted from the lower wing half…

…dry-fitting the structurally complete flap-job…

The Captain’s/First Officer’s expression has St. Maarten written all over it…

June 2008 - - - Feb 5 2010

Back at it again here…

Resurrected the St. Maarten diorama that was set aside in 2008; today I took it from the box, cleaned it up, re-painted the blue and applied the decals… (the wing is dry-fitted in place)

I got the wing attached and cleaned up, but too pooped to get into the landing gears tonight…



More to come… [:)]

Take care,
Frank

2

Update… spent most of today scratching new main landing gears, as the kit pieces are way too thick. I retained the top part which attaches to the plane and added stretched sprue parts below that except the axels. Here they are after the main construction and dry fitted on the plane:

More to come…
Frank

3

Very nice work! I love the detail on the landing gear. [Y]

4

Thank you Jeremy… [B]

I know the whole thing doesn’t look like much now, but wait until you see how it comes alive when it’s hanging in the air a few feet over Maho Beach, with beachgoers ducking for cover! [Y]

The plane detailing is almost complete, getting ready to start of the beach scene now.

Take care,

Frank

5

Such a cool work, so little comments - pity! You are actually doing with the wings what I was about to do in 1/144, but ended up only thinking about it. Maybe some day… St. Maarten - I hope to get there some day again and duck for cover myself - I just have to try it. Keep up the good work and have a nice day

Pawel

6

Cool, is this the plane that landed in the water right off of the beach?

7

Thank you very much, Pawel & Manny ! [B]

Pawel: I put it off flapping a 747 a long time, then finally mustered the courage using a cheap 1/300th kit, which actually went pretty well, then I done this one, and just last month finished a 1/144 example that was flapped in “take-off” configuration… /forums/t/123452.aspx It’s not that bad if you take your time and have a well stocked spares box… oh yeah, LOTS of sandpaper and SHARP hobby knife blades! [:O]

Manny: this one will remain dry I suppose, but will be dusting the people really good, much like the one in this video… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAfQwDizpRo

I appreciate you fellas dropping in!

Take care,

Frank

8

Finally got her finished at 5:30 this morning! [Y]

This plane gathered dust way too long and it was gratifying to get her done!

Enjoy,
Frank

9

Superb! I saw the video a couple of years back, looks spot on.

10

Cool pics, cool dio! My question: how did you suspend that baby mid-air? Thanks for sharing, have a nice day

Pawel

11

Thanks Lloyd and Pawel… [B]

Half of the plane and scene are an illusion, generated by the material being affixed to a true first surface mirror which absorbs the brunt of the seam lines and causes the mirror surface to become virtually invisible. This technique allows aircraft/spacecraft/birds/angels… bombs etc, to look like they are in unsupported flight; close up you can tell, but more than 2-3 ft away and the subject is floating before your eyes, to the point it causes people to stare! [;)]

It’s the ONLY convincing way to replicate objects in-flight without using a forced view display (on these, the viewer can have 180 degrees horizontal and viertical true 3D prospective; perfect for an against-the-wall narrow shelf or desk as it appears to create an opening in the wall with the plane floating in the middle)

Read more about it at my website: http://FloatingMID.com

Take care,

Frank

12

Frank,

I am dumbfounded! That is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen a modeler do! Very creative!

Do you also build the other half of the plane so in effect get two models for the price of one?

Excellent work!

RODC

13

Nicely done! Next time you take some pics of it blow some cigarette smoke across the water and it might look like jet blast spraying the area…

14

Thank you Rod and Manny… [:)]

Rod: A few nice things about doing a model this way is that you pull two builds from a single kit (economical), you only have to build one wing/set of engines/main gear (the other side will match exactly), you can display it in half the shelf space (or exclude the base board and hang it on the wall as a plaque), and the most fun, watching people trying to digest what they are seeing! This one’s for you, Matthew!!~ [angl]

Manny: That is a great idea for a picture, except I’d need to reposition the people dashing to get out of the way… (which I probably should have done anyway) My wife said… “Well, that sure must be a brave bunch of beachgoers just standing there like that!” LOL

Take care,

Frank

15

fantastic job !!

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Thanks Redwing, I appreciate it, sir! [B]

Here is a couple pictures of the road between the beach and the threshold, showing the beachgoer who is jumping off the wall to avoid the Body Landing Gears!

Take care,

Frank

17

Frank this is just plain awesome[t$t]I’ve seen model railroaders use mirrors to make part of a layout look bigger than it actually is but never thought of doing it with a model plane.

18

Thanks halfpint33! The mirrors accomplish a real deceiving illusion, as well as making a narrow disply shelf appear much wider.

Take care,

Frank

19

That’s really good. I might have to try a mirrored project like that.

I’ve actually landed at that airport several times. It’s pretty fun.

20

Very nicely done! I too have been to SXM several times (returning again this year) and this diorama reminds me of how cool this beach is for spotting aircraft! One of the reasons why I first went to St. Maarten!

What’s next? KLM MD-11 on the same approach? [H]