As I am currently hosting the ARC Floatplane group build the model I selected to enter was the Tamiya Swordfish in its floatplane variant. I also thought that setting it in a water diorama would be very appropriate and anyway I think model floatplanes just look wrong out-of-water. The first decision to make was which aircraft to depict, either all silver early type or the half camo version. I went for the camoflage version of 765th Squadron based in Gibraltar 1941, much more interesting to the eye.

First off I collected various PE sets the Tamiya fret and also the excellent Eduard PE set for helping with the detailing. One omission on Tamiya's part is the molded leading edge slats which could so easily have been supplied as separate parts. Most of the time when Swordfish were at rest the slats drooped which ment cutting the slats from the wings and scratchbuilding them so they are extended. Apart from that the rest of build went pretty trouble free except when it came to adding the wings to the fuselage. The wings have to painted before adding the rigging and THEN connecting to the fuselage, it was at this point the whole lot collapsed. But I got there in the end and left off the delicate aerial wire and m/gun until after the diorama was complete.

I used a picture frame for the diorama base and scratchbuilt the jetty using planked wood. The water is made using clear casting resin and I made a guess for the correct colour to use to simulate a deep water harbour, this was simply a coloured dye added to the resin when it is mixed. The resin is laid in 2 layers, the first layer a darker colour for the deeper water and the thinner top layer with hardly any colour added. I had intended to make small ripples on the surface but things didn't work out and I'm left with a VERY calm sea........oh well.
 

After the resin had cured, which took an age, the various other diorama parts have been added to the jetty. Pilot figures from CMK and ground crew from Tamiya Kettenkraftrad along with a modified PSU.

Thanks for looking and happy modelling

Photos and text © 2006 by Pete Hudson

April 25, 2007

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