MILITARY DIORAMAS by Paul Asaban

Photo Album 5 - Flakvierling

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About me
Photo Album 1 - The Road to Minsk
Photo Album 2- The Road to Minsk
Photo Album 3 - The Road to Minsk
Photo Album 4- OS2U Kingfisher
Photo Album 5 - Flakvierling
Photo Album 6 - Building the Flakvierling
Photo Album 7 - Dauntless SBD
Photo Album 8 - Dauntless SBD
Photo Album 9 - Channel Gazing
Photo Album 10 - Stuka and Matilda
Photo Album 11- ME-109 and Spitfire V
Photo Album 12 - Anzio
Photo Album 13 - Anzio
Photo Album 14 - Bastogne Aftermath
Photo Album 15 - Normandy Ambush & more
Photo Album 16 - The First Time I Saw Paris
Photo Album 17- Aachen 1944
Photo Album 18 - Aachen 1944
Photo Album 19 - PT109
Photo Album 20 - "Corner Kick" Curtiss P-40
Photo Album 21 - Building "Corner Kick"
Photo Album 22 - Black Widow
Photo Album 23 - Assorted models
Photo Album 24 - Somewhere in Saudi (A-10)
Photo Album 25 - Top Gun Air Show
Photo Album 26 - Top Gun Airshow 2
Photo Album 27 - The Mother of all Battles
Photo Album 28 - The First Night - F-111
Photo Album 29 - My kids are in on the action - Christian's Dioramas
Photo Album 30 - My kids are in on the action - Nicole's Dinosaurs
Photo Album 31 - Coming Soon - Operation Market Garden
Photo Album 32 - The War Room
Photo Album 33 - Antique Ships Restoration Project
Photo Album 34 - Restoration Project II
Photo Album 35 - Restoration Project III
Photo Album 36 - Restoration Project IV
Contact Me
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WORLD WAR II DIORAMAS
"The Weather Clears"
8-Ton 20mm FLAKVIERLING
 

overviewflak2.jpg

Above: My latest model, an 8-ton German halftrack built by the Krauss-Maffei motorworks in Munich. The model kit is from Tamiya, the house is a Verlinden product. The Germans used the chassis of this vehicle for many variants, including troop transport, gun tractor, and in this case, a mobile AA battery. In this diorama of the Battle of the Bulge, the skies are finally clearing just before Christmas, 1944, and Allied planes are back in the air, hence the name of the diorama.  

guncloseup2.jpg

Above: The gun crew and their weapon, the excellent 1940 design of the magazine fed 20mm AA gun. The gun aimer sits directly behind the weapon, and controls angle and elevation with 2 rotating wheels. On either side of him, loaders feed the ammo clips into the gun. Behind, another crewman feeds the ammunition to the loaders. The loader to the left shows the stress of war on his face. By raising the eyebrows a bit, and accenting dark areas around the eyes, jowls and above the chin, a fatigued look can be achieved. Practice, practice, practice. I always remember what I learned from Shep Paine: a well painted face can save a mediocre body, but a well painted body cannot save a poorly painted face.

flakback.jpg

Above and right: A rear view of the vehicle. The side panels and rear gate come down when the gun is in action, and hinge upwards when the vehicle is moving. The ammunition handler and extra ammo boxes are clearly visible.

houseinside2.jpg

Above: What was once a charming living room has been turned to cold debris. A couch has survived, as has a chandelier and some wall sconces. The chances of the chandelier surviving the destruction and/or looters is slim to none - I just like making them and they add a nice touch. Barely visible is a table in front of the couch, with an abandoned German helmet and canteen - proof of a pause of war for some German soldier in some past forgotten moment. The chandelier is made of gold plated earring parts, and the light housings are real crystal beads.

flakfront.jpg

Above: The beaten and weathered front of the half track, including the license plate. The tarp to the left is made of Kleenex.

farmdone2.jpg

Above: The front of the Verlinden farmhouse. The gate is a doll house iron gate, the lamp above the door is real crystal, and the ironwork in the windows is OO train track. The doors, shutters, roofing and everything added to the house is scratch built.

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overviewflak3.jpg

Above: A close up of the Flakvierling and the crew commander scanning the skies for enemy aircraft. The trailer behind the half track is scratch built, and carries captured US fuel and supplies. The commander's rifle and canteen are by the tree. The trees are dead sections from my azalea bushes, with many extra branches drilled and glued in place. The snow is baking powder. The mud on the tracks and road is real mud. When dry, coat the mud with dull coat. Ice on the road is simulated with diluted white paint covered with gloss coat.

commander.jpg

Above: The crew commander looks for enemy aircraft. He wears standard winter camoulflage for the Wehrmacht. On his belt is a map case on the left, a Luger holster on the right. His boots have cloth wrapped around them for extra warmth. Ice and snow cling to his boots, giving his feet an unnaturally oversized look. Every little detail adds to a diorama - no detail is irrelevant. Note the footprints in the snow.

soldier.jpg

Above: A tired and wind burned soldier trudges through the ice and snow behind the half track. He carries a Panzerfaust over his shoulder, a precursor of today's Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG). In his belt, the standard "potato masher" German grenades. In his left hand, the world's first true assault rifle, the fabulous MP-44.

flakback2.jpg

Flakwagenbench.jpg

Above: A close up of the courtyard of the farmhouse. A wrought iron park bench sits abandoned and covered in snow.

houseinside.jpg

Above: The dining room. Broken china sits on the shelves to the right, and a shattered mirror is on the far wall. The mirror frame is from an earring part, but you can use almost anything. Cut out a small plastic piece of the same shape as the chosen frame and paint it black, and then glue aluminum foil on it. Glue this assembly to the back of the frame. When dry, "break" the mirror by cutting out sections of the foil with an exacto knife. A lone family portrait still hangs on the wall.

windshiled.jpg

Above: The cab section of the half track. Mud on the windshield has been cleared away by the wipers, leaving clear wiper marks on the windshield. How is this done? Take a small section of clear tape and affix it to a piece of flat plastic. Carefully scribe two windshield "tracks" with an exacto knife. Remove the two cut outs, and stick them on the windshield in the appropriate places. Soak an old brush in actual mud or acrylic paint diluted with water. (DO NOT use lacquer paint thinned with turpentine - you will eat away the tape and ruin the windshield.) Brush the windshield and let dry. Remove the tape, add the actual wipers in place, and you're done!
 
...and don't forget that every vehicle has wipers that track differently! Do your homework!!