http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/non-wwi-aviation/53033-bleriot-peregrine-wip.html

A Temporary Detour !
The mayor portion of this build is now behind me(the creative ,fun stuff) and whats left of the summer weather is going fast so I plan to make a short detour into something different and work on my Peregrine/Bleriot sculpture for awhile.Finishing the Backyard Flyer will be reserved for the rainy days but I need some sun for awhile.
If anyone is interested this thread can be found temporarily at the above address.Basically it is a mix of woodcarving and modeling techniques.

Just for fun I put all 5 modules together to take a few forced perspective pics of various subjects. I enjoy playing around with the camera using the facade as a backdrop.None of the models depicted are finished they are here for composition purposes only.

The following is a great free online book for novice diorama builders.The author Ken Hamilton has kindly OK'd it to be published here.This book is now out of print.Thanks Ken.Cheers! John.

Meanwhile the leaf arrangement continues as it is still raining a lot here in my area of the GWN.

I originally thought that this would be a Spring scene but with all the leaves it looks more like Fall.Leaves that have spent the Winter under snow are more compacted come Springtime.I have noticed that just before the first snowfall gardeners tend to dig up the old flowers and vegy gardens so that would explain the bare ground.Some small bushes and the grass can stay quite green right up until the first snowfall.The only thing that I really need to change are the sprouting tulip bulbs.
This change of seasons will also give me much more room for decorating and weathering the whole scene with leaves on the roof and gutters etc.....

As far as the storyline is concerned,Spring was a nice statement about the renewal of life but Fall would work just as well as a story of the end of something.Those last few days before the first snowfall in Canada can be quite dramatic as it seems that nature just stands still for a moment in time waiting for the onslaught.
A walk in the forest at this time of year is an unforgettable experience here in the GWN.

I recently read in the local newspaper that a large RR diorama (layout) here in Montreal is being forced to find a new home.The problem is there never was any plans made for this eventuality and there is no way to take it apart.
So another huge piece of modeling history will now end up in the garbage due to poor planning.
I see this often too on an individual level.Guys take a lifetime to build layouts that can't be moved and are just too big for most homes.Some of these are really little works of art that deserve a better fate. Someday they will probably be highly sought after by collectors ,hobbyists and museums ( after most have already been tossed in the garbage) as examples of our brief historical era of modeling will then be quite rare.
If you care about the fate of your stuff and I think most of us do,give a little thought about the future and do your stuff in modular sections or even a series of mini-dioramas that can easily be taken apart.I don't know how many times I have overheard the RR guys at the local hobby store talking about this very subject in very sad tones of too bad about this guys layout and what a shame about that guys layout when a little pre-planning may have made all the difference.Modules are really the modern way to go now if you care about the future of your stuff.

Sticking leaves to a flat surface where you don't want to use spray alcohol because of its effect on the acrylic paint has to be approached a little differently.
I use straight white glue put on with a small brush,sprinkle the leaves on and blow off any excess.Subsequent areas that require more leaves can be built up using an eyedropper for the alcohol and then the usual water/glue mix .
Take a look at the normal patterns in nature created by the wind and rain and vary your leaf patterns accordingly.

The Hand of the Small Scale Modeler.
As you guys know I don't do small scale WW 1 models, mainly because I gave it the old collage try and flunked.
But here is an idea that I would love to do if I could, so I am passing it on to you guys for your consideration.Maybe it has been done before but not to my knowledge and surely not in the WW1 genre.It would only really work in small scale.
You could sculpt the hand or much simpler modify an old mannequin hand and paint or bronze it to suit your purposes.Rest the airplane upon the upturned palm and viola you have an interesting piece.It would not only give real meaning to the small scale but also be a testament about what a small scale modeler can accomplish with his hands.

More on modules.
A few posts ago I mentioned something about building layouts and large dioramas using modules.
I was back in the same hobby store yesterday and made some more inquiries .Evidently,they had two scales on display there "N" (very small scale) and "H" (larger).Someone had the foresight to do the "N" scale in modules and they moved it out in a single morning.Unfortunately the "H" scale will have to be busted up.They are going to try to preserve portions of it if they can.
With all the modern electrical fixtures ,quick dis-connects etc... there should be no excuse for this in the future.With a little planning in the beginning this hassle could have been avoided .
On a more personal level I am sure that a lot of families would love to be spared the agony of putting Uncle Joe's or Grandpa Jim's layout in the garbage because it is just too big and difficult to move.A lot of these decisions have to be made quickly at a very bad time in people's lives and some very fine work and in some cases real artwork is lost forever.
Modules could be built as separate dioramas each with its own little story and complete scene that when put together makes for an even bigger story.
Take nice overall pics of the huge layout as it once was and then create a picture book for your each modular section that could go with it to its new home.Even museums could make a very nice display of your work and put it in context for the viewer without have to find space for the whole thing.
Maybe it is because I am going on 71 now and these things have become more important to me.We all get old some day and faster than you think,believe me.This may not be important to you now but maybe someday it will.Do your family a favor and plan ahead.
Someday layouts will be as rare as old baseball cards are today and probably just as valuable.Lets face it we are in the golden age of modeling when old farts like me are realizing their boyhood dreams and have the money to do so.What I could buy with my allowance as a kid is history now.Times change rapidly today and a lot of stuff competes for our attention and money.

Personally I don't do large layouts but I do large aircraft dioramas in modular form and donate them to Canada Aviation Museum.Even if there comes a time that that they no longer want them chances are the airplane models themselves will survive as historical examples or maybe in a future collectors home.I feel good to at least have given my stuff a survival plan.
Nothing is forever but humans have since ancient times loved models of all kinds and probably will continue to do so.Kids never change and future imaginations will thank you for it and so will the memories of future older folk too .

John,
I read your comments of 08 July and have thought about them a lot since. I had previously heard about the massive Model RR display in Montreal; what a shame and so much lost.
I too have recently woke up in the morning to find that I am (shockingly!!!) old, less then 4 years behind you.
We have a small but reasonably well supported Museum here that has an "Airforce" Museum embedded within it. As a result of your comments I have determined to speak with them (or a second choice in Calgary) about some future contributions; which ever has the best plan and commitment to use the material in future years
Thanks for the wake up call; goes by real fast, don't it?!?

Cheers,
Lance

I have started a new thread over on The Aerodrome.com on building basic wood structures for dioramas.It is intended to be for modelers of all kinds who are not familiar with working with wood.
I will in the future also put it up here as well ,when I get all the bugs worked out.

Sure does Lance ! Cheers.John.

nother pic

Before going off to war,I am sure that one of the last things that our young airman would do would be to secure down his airplane.I have gone over this in my mind and thought what would he have done to accomplish this task.Would he have put the whole thing under tarps to protect it from the elements or would he leave it open and hope for the best?
Ideally he would have stored the whole thing in the garage but then we wouldn't have nothing to look at would we.The other option would be that they knew that he was on his way home and as a surprise his family took the tarps off.I could show the tarps rolled up and put off to one side to suggest this scenario.
The ropes as shown in the pic are home made linen line from my shipbuilding days and is a little fuzzy.A little wax run over the surface should cure that problem.This fuzz could also be removed prior to installation by lightly running a flame over it.

I'm sure you've put PLENTY of thought into this detail, and my opinion may not change your plan, but I think it would be feasible to leave it open and exposed. The attitude of many of the boys in the Great War was one of extreme excitement and pride (for their countries and themselves), and that they would be back home in a matter of mere months. Because of this, he might've left his bird out and uncovered, as if to brag to the neighborhood "look at me--I'm an aviator and I'm doing my part in the War to End All Wars!" (I would doubt that the family would have unwrapped the plane upon his arrival...I don't even like my parents cleaning my room when I'm at college, let alone handling my pioneering flying machine I've worked so hard on!) Depending on when he left for the war (I don't know what you've decided for this detail), his plane could've been left in the yard for a month or four years, and that could be reflected in any weathering you do to the frame. Maybe the wood is stained or warped, maybe a line snapped or a strut broke, etc. This could also add another dimension to the emotional depth of the dio...he's most likely a shaken soul after returning from WWI, and while he was just hoping to come home to his pristine workshop, he quickly realizes that everything is prone to destruction, battlefield or not. And now for the obligatory "but-that's-just-my-opinion" statement. The dio is coming along very well...is there a timeframe you're working with or will the CAM take it when you say they can take it?