Build a Model Airport
The creation of a model airport is a modeler's dream and can take considerable time, depending on the amount of attention to detail that you're hoping to achieve. For a beginner, it's good to start with a plan and develop the elements over time.
Steps
- The first step to making your model airport is your imagination. Do you want this to be based off a real life airport, or is it your own airport? What kind of planes will land here, smaller Embraers or Jumbo Jets? Once you have decided what you want from your model airport, decide on the scale which you will use. 1:400 is the most popular scale for airport building but 1:200 for slightly larger model airports and 1:600 for slightly smaller airports are also frequently used.
- Select a suitable base. The base can be made of cardboard, wood, or plastic. It can often be useful to make do with whatever is available rather than purchasing something specific. Have a good hunt around the house.The base is ideally something flat, and sturdy, and you should be able to have a baseplate which can be painted on if need be, to make markings for the runways and taxiways.
- Now you should start setting up the model airport. You can base it on a real life airport but for best results, you should paint the runways and taxiways. Try and find material like grass to use on the edges of the runway for your model airport, as that would be a nice addition.
- Add a terminal and other airport features. One can find premade terminals and Air Traffic Control towers in many hobby shops, but for a challenge, you can also make your own terminals and ATC towers. Make it to a size that fits appropriately on the base, in accordance with the scale of the runways, etc.
- Build the finishing touches. Finishing touches include elements such as taxi lines, runway signs, fuel dispensers, etc. Taxi lines can be drawn using yellow chalk or colouring pencils leading from the runway along the taxiways and finally to the plane parking stands.
- Add planes. Place model planes on the tarmac. If you can also get hold of model baggage carts, portable stairways, aero-bridges, etc. If you're really keen, add the on-the-ground workers as well, some fire engines, fuel tankers, etc.
Tips
- As the project nears an end, add model details in front of the terminal (for example, car parks, transport links, little trees, grass, people).
- If you wanted to make it look like an old airport, you could do things like have a dirt runway or an old barn for the terminal.
- It could really save time to find a sheet of (possibly scrap) paper to plan out the whole diorama before painting it and adding details.
Things You'll Need
- Cardboard or wood
- Paint
- Scissors
- Glue
- Paint
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