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Randy Guenin
2 articles

Battle of Midway A Monster Diorama Project.

December 15, 2013 · in Diorama · · 18 · 5.7K

I can't take credit for the project but I did do the detail work, (kit construction and modifications), and helped with some of the engineering, as it applied to my kits.

The is at the Pacific Air Museum at Pearl Harbor. It has 40 ships and about 70 aircraft. All the kits were built between Nov 2011 and May 2012. In other words I was just finishing as the whole thing was being broken down into four parts for shipping.

All the Japanese carriers were trashed as they were described in the book Shattered Sword. They are all wired up with LCD lights, tin foil and props like aircraft smashed in the hangerdeck and will burn for years.

You can spend hours looking at it. Ensign Gay is in the water, like a find Waldo puzzell.

The I-168 is sneaking by underwater to be in a position to finish the Yorktown the next day. The Nautilus is up in the corner making a high speed run to attack the Japanese Fleet a second time.

Reader reactions:
6  Awesome

7 additional images. Click to enlarge.


18 responses

  1. I was very impressed by this diorama when I visited the museum about 18 months ago. I tried to take a few pictures of it but it is so big I could not fit it all in! Nice work to you and the team that put it together.

    • Not much of a team. The Boss, Carl, an ex Corsair Pilot who designed the base and who started the project. The bosses son whos' contributions were minor and me, I did just about all of the construction and helped update some of Carls ideas to a point where they could be practical.

  2. Beyond impressive. Most realistic water I think if ever seen. What is it?

  3. Ensign Gay can be seen under the national insignia on the wing of the number 4 Dauntless in the 4th photo, correct?

    • that's a devastator

      • You guys all seem to know about Ensign Gay , whats the story ?
        N.

        • ENsign Gay was the pilot who witnessed the sinking of three Jap Aircraft Carriers, his plane was shot down after the first attack , killing his gunner.
          He survived the attack hiding under his seat cushion until after dark when he inflated his life raft, He was rescued 30 hours later by a PBY.
          He was awarded the Navy Cross, Purple Heart and Presidential Unit Citation for his part in the attack.

          I hope that clears things for you Neil.

      • Oh yeah...my bad - (too busy lookin' for Ensign gay) - ;(

      • I built a couple of Devestators all were the old Airfix kits. Liked having the engines turning. Very sad having to shoot them up for the display. Try to balance the damage but couldn't shake the saddness of doing a series of aircraft with wounded and dying crew struggling to fight on.

  4. looks like a noble project...keep it going

  5. That is one awesome diorama there, words cannot describe it.
    Randy you deserve a big pat on the back.

  6. Very impressive...what scale are the ships and was this diorama "sealed up" by some type of plexiglass shielding? Dust kills a ship model's appearence and doesn't do the "ocean" any favors either.

    • The ships are mostly 1/700 scale. The aircraft range from that scale up to 1/72 scale depending on their position in the display.
      Different scales make it easier to force the perspective.
      The whole display is sealed up and climate controlled.

  7. Randy,
    Very impressive

  8. I want to take a moment to thank all of you for the positive feedback about the Midway Project. I hope that besides educational value that it can hook a bunch of kids on our hobby. (I wish I could get a buck for every destroyer kit that's going to sell.)

    I also have gotten a bunch of stuff into the Fine Scale Modeler Online Gallery. For some reason they only wanted one picture of this diorama.

    Tried to sell them on an idea for an article and they don't care. The single picture so far has been viewed 3,800 times.

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