Kirk

If I find myself digging through my old photos in the coming weeks (unlikely, frankly) I'll post the picture. The other thing worth digging around for references on is the gearbox colour. I think McLaren used a magnesium alloy in this era and it has a unique finish rarely captured well in models. Hopefully the MFH book has this covered. 🤔🙂

I think that it is the combination of flawless detail work (no signs of gaps/filler/sanding/adhesive - regardless of zoom - ever) and the highly shaded/highlighted painting style. As you say Rob, unique.

I seem to recall seeing this engine at a show many years back and noticing these grilles on the cam covers present. Perhaps they were made by Honda but not fitted to race cars for access/weight reasons? Pretty odd in F1 to make parts for aesthetic reasons, I know - but I don't think that they are entirely fictitious. Whilst I think you were right to remove the kit mouldings, the PE replacements seem to lack the depth of the real thing. Very good job though. I hope you are still winning.

Not a chance. This is epic. 🙂

I love how your individual components are more detailed than normal mortals' models.

Summer holiday? 😉

Just awesome. And flowers too!

Far, far more believable than many professionally made film miniatures.

Just been reading up on ILS on Wikipedia and have absorbed enough to learn that you must be modelling the glideslope antenna found at the end of the runway facing approaching aircraft. Your mast looks very much like those illustrated. I must declare a personal interest: the guy that taught me project management many years ago was responsible for delivering the ILS systems in the major UK airports (which always seemed SO much more impressive than the poxy IT systems projects the class were battling with). I'm sure he would have been chuffed that anyone might want to model an element of such a ubiquitous system. It seems important to me that there are people in life who seem to love and excel at making things. Please don't ever stop, Oliver; your models are truly epic.

Your ground certainly seems a darker colour than your reference photos but doesn't look unnatural to my eye. I suppose it depends to some extent on how hot/dry you envisage your setting. Perhaps the issue is that the ground looks so dry that any grass would be very parched/yellowed. I suspect you'll go lighter and the scene will look magnificent. Incidentally, do you still progress the main helicopter alongside this ground work or do you tend to keep it one thing at once?

Looks like it might be one of the little buildings east of the runway. My guess would be a backup generator for the ILS and lights? And you're right: being German, there would be NO careless painting of the pattern.🤣 I hope you'll have a few flowers on your base too!

Just as a matter of interest, what's in the (real world) little building that needs such a big vent? Generator?

Something tells me that if in real life that 'someone' was working for you, they'd be told to go back and do it again until it was right! 😁

Irritating as it must be, I can't imagine that real checkerboard markings are perfect. Leaving a little bleed in evidence might actually increase realism?

(x3^3)! Superlative model making in every respect.

Will you need a bigger base? 😉

Is there an Academy Awards category for "Best Diorama Involving an H.34"?

I see that the quality of this has literally blown the figures' minds...

Not sure whether to be inspired or burn all my styrene. This is all just amazingly good. At 1:16 it would be impressive. 1:32?? Will go with the inspiration for now, and save sending the neighbourhood up in smoke for another day. Edit: I suppose I could argue that the hammer handle is a bit too light at the end, but it really is a bit of a gratuitous dig. Better than any hammer I've ever made...

Wow.

Are these scan- or CAD-based? I'm rapidly coming to the view that the battle between 3D scanned figures and all other techniques is a non-contest.

I thought the last toolbox was great. What do I know. The thing that stands out to me most in this last update is how unrealistic the figure looks in comparison with all the scratch-built jewellery. Let's hope Reedoak come up trumps in time for this diorama's completion.

It wouldn't look wrong on 50 x 20 but it might be a challenge to store!

Base is beautiful... but yes, it needs to be bigger to do justice to the scene. To my (armchair expert) eyes, anyway. What's your concern with the toolbox?

Thanks for the heads up Oliver. Sorry about the decals. I won't tell if you don't.