Battle of France/Battle of Britain Group Build Entry Finally Finished
...and it only took four years, three months, 1000 plus toothpicks, a roll and a half of Tamiya tape, a variety of adhesives, many trips to the "spares box", countless hours of fitting & sanding, two bottles of the John Jamison, and a clay jug of Tullamore Dew. I'm not complaining though, as I savored every minute of this build. Most of the time it took to complete this project was spent on the Hurricane which started off as the vintage Revell 1/32 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I circa 1969 (If anyone is interested in how I built this kit, a twelve part photo-build can be found in groups/Battle of France & Battle of Britain 1940). The rest of the time was spent working on (or working out) the smaller details.
I sourced the figures from several different manufacturers as I did not want a totally uniform look, but rather, an authentic representation of the relaxed dress code regulations which were quite common in most RAF units at the time of the Battle of Britain. I also wanted my figures to represent the typical "Brylcreem Boy" pilots that flew at that time. I had to arrange these figures quite a few times before I found a positioning that I was satisfied with.
And so, I have another completed project under my belt and all for less than the cost of any one of those newer 1/32 Tamiya aircraft kits. Enjoy the photographs.
Beatiful setting, showing off your great modeling skills! Well done Seamus!
Beautiful, Seamus!
Your "attention to details" is excellent as well as accurate.
PS - LOVE the dog!
Hey Seamus me old buddy ,you're back ! . I'd thought long ago that you'd packed it all in and moved on to stamp collecting or something ,so glad to be wrong.
Mate this is amazing ,well worth the hundreds of hours you must have spent, so many clever little details ,I liked the way the mechanic has foolishly balanced his drink on the end of the anvil when he could have put it on the table, that's exactly what I would do and then knock it off , I love the deck chair as well ,it's just like the ones I have did you scratch build that?
Glad you're back mate.
Neil.
Oi Neil old mate! I'm back? I never left,brother. I peruse iModeler as well as several other scale modeling sites on a daily basis. Posting something is another matter. As a husband, father , and homeowner, modeling time is always at a premium. Most of my time is spent working to afford the aforementioned things. One of the major reasons it take me so long to complete modeling projects. However, I would never pack scale modeling in. Modeling is one of very few things I still enjoy in life. You still have a good eye mate. That haphazardly balanced cuppa was done on purpose as I, like you, do the same thing. I can't tell you how many pint glasses I have broken over the years. As far as the deck chair goes, it is only partially scratch built. The sitting figure is a white metal figure (my first) from Andrea Miniatures and retails for about $70.00 (about 54 British Pounds). I found one on ebay that was started (and badly started) for a fraction of the retail price. The upper torso and chair canvas are molded as one piece. The chair frame is separate. The previous owner mangled the chair frame so badly that it was unusable. So, using the mangled chair frame as a template, I scratch build the chair frame from plastic stock.
I really can imagine the story behind this diorama. It looks awesome, well done!
Man! That's a fantastic creation, full of atmosphere and interesting detail. The time spent and the Tullamore Dew consumed were all well worthwhile. I also built the old Revell 1/32 Hurri a few years ago, trying with my four thumbs and a couple of fingers to overcome some of the shortcomings of such a comparatively old kit. Rescribing was fun as well as trying to add some relevant detail to wheel wells and "the office", but none of my efforts compare to the skill you've shown with yours. I spent an interesting half hour looking at your build posts and wondered why I'd bothered since my results were far below the level you've achieved. Tremendous skill and application. Paul
2 attached images. Click to enlarge.
Lovely build. Did you scratch build the starter trolly and cart or are they kit items? Have a 1/32 spifire in the stack that they would look just the ticket with. Makes me want to get started on it.
It amazes me how many 1/32 airfield accessories I can find for the USAAF or the Luftwaffe, but how practically non-existent they are for the RAF. The trolly accumulator is a resin kit produced by the U.K. based company Iconicair and is readily available. The kit requires a fair bit of clean up. Aside from that, it goes together quite easily. The cart is scratch built, but not for this project. I started it some years ago as a U.S. paratrooper cart for I diorama I was building. Halfway through it's building, I realized it rally wouldn't work in the scene I was trying to create, so I shelved it. Years later, when working on this project, I needed some accessories to flesh it out. I took the cart off the shelf, made a few changes /modifications and now it's a RAF airfield cart.
Why did you bother? Because you are a scale modeler. Almost anyone can build a "Tamiyagawa" kit an get a good result, but it takes a real scale modeler to take a sow's ear and turn it into a silk purse. I think you finished Hurricane looks outstanding.
Seamus that is on outstanding build. Love all the little details you've added to this dio, the dog and folding table and chair are a nice touch. Really well done. You may be a little late to the party but everyone will surely take notice of your entrance.
Can’t really add any adjectives that haven’t been already used. Brilliant. Detailed. Interesting. Funny. Terrifically skilled. Beautifully painted. Love the Hurri.
A master work.
Clearly the Jamison is a unfair advantage...when the rest of us are having tea and beer. Never the less, what a great diorama with the figures and aircraft. I know for a lot of modelers the Hurricane is the star of the show. But, naturally, we know that the pilots ...the lads who sacrificed their lives are the real hero's and Seamus you've done a good job of weaving together several great narratives. This is a dio that could easily be in a museum. Some mighty strong work and a candidate for "Model of the Month" . Glad to see that your with the living given your absence.
Two thumbs up.
Beautifully done Seamus, well worth the “wait”.
Man oh man ! This build has everything going for it.
I think this one should definitely be in the running for "Model of the Month"... well done.
My favorite thing happens to be the dog... it's a nice touch and really helps to add some character to an already fantastic display.
Veey nicely done. Love it ?
Jaw meets floor! Amazing!
Gorgeous Hurri!
Excellent figure/dio vignette! Nice paint throughout- Thanks for sharing- makes me want to finish my 1/32 PCM Spitfire IX with J. Johnson figure and dog!
Nice!
🙂 … Greetings … 🙂 :
Honorable and decent diorama Seamus. Good work on those figures. Even the dog looks fine.
Thank you for sharing these pictures … a pure joy to see.
Absolutely stunning - the dog seems to be the star of the show for many folk! An English Bull Terrier if I'm not mistaken! The figures are just fantastic, and the the toolkits, trolley and scenery (the grass looks like you could mow it!). But the plane is a work of art and of a vintage that usually requires considerably more lubricant to be imbibed than you have mentioned. Stunning stuff!
Very, very nice! Love all the details, and you put together a fantastic "scene" from the era. Excellent all the way around.
i've got two words for you "marvelous"
Seamus, my friend, good to see you back! Hope all is well with you and yours. Understand your situation all too well, though the work thing will hopefully be done in a few more years.
The Hurri was worth the wait, absolutely wonderful diorama.