The main theme for our 2014 Scale
ModelWorld display was pretty obvious, this being the RAF Red Arrows'
50th season. But as they are the World's most famous users of the BAE Systems
Hawk aircraft - and 2014 also marks the 40th anniversary of the Hawk's first
flight - this was the ideal opportunity to include a "sub-theme" of all
Hawk-equipped aerobatic teams from around the World.
Our display was arranged into three sections
- the Red Arrows theme at one end, the Hawk Teams sub-theme at
the opposite end and a "general" display of any other aerobatic team models
between them. Due to the siting of our display stand, in between the IPMS(UK)
Bomber Command SIG and Hawk/AJT SIG, this all had a nice feel of "continuity"
about it : At one end, we had the RAF Scampton "connection", with our Red
Arrows theme adjacent to the Bomber Command SIG display, while at the
other end, our Hawk Teams sub-theme neatly joining on to the Hawk/AJT SIG
display.
We are also proud
to have won the Bronze/3rd Place Award for the "Best SIG Display" at SMW2014 -
thus making this the fourth year in a row that we have received an award at
Scale ModelWorld - the biggest show of it's kind in the World
!
The whole display was presented on an area
of approximately 24 feet x 4 feet (7.3m x 1.2m) of table space. A grand total
of 103 models are on the entire display, 7 in 1/32nd scale, 10 in 1/48th scale
and the rest in 1/72nd scale. They were made by 15 of our
members.
The basic idea
behind this display theme was to create a semi-diorama of a "Red Arrows
Historical Open Day" at their home base of RAF Scampton. Following on from our
recently released booklet, "Evolution of the Red Arrows", published by
IPMS(UK), we attempted to recreate this in "3D", by having models to represent
the many colour schemes and marking variations which the Red
Arrows aircraft have appeared in.
Overall, it is by no means a faithful diorama
representation of RAF Scampton. However, the Hangar was scratch-built, based on
photographs taken at RAF Scampton and although all of the other models on this
part of the display are in 1/72nd scale, the Hangar was built in "half-relief"
and to a somewhat smaller scale, to give the impression of "forced
perspective".
Arguably the main focal point of this theme
display are the 2014 Red Arrows themselves, flying overhead in
their trademark Diamond 9 formation, trailing white smoke ! These too
are all 1/72nd scale, built straight out-of-the-box using the latest Airfix
Red Arrows "Starter Set", which includes the special 50th Season
tailfin markings.
Down below, the "Open Day Diorama" is further
reinforced by the inclusion of a Red Arrows Land Rover and also
their support truck, which many of you will have seen at airshows around the
UK. There are numerous Red Arrows groundcrew (the "Blues")
attending the static display aircraft (the red-suited pilots obviously being in
the Hawks flying above !), as well as Henry Prince's dog, Dusty, the
Yellowjacks Mascot !
Other items of interest on display are a
historical collection of Red Arrows patches, an RAF Scampton
Station Crest, the 2014 Red Arrows brochures, a jacket once
belonging to Sqn Ldr Ray Thilthorpe, Red Arrows Team Manager 1979
- 1982 and nametag from the overalls of ADTSIG Member Mike Verney, who was on
the Red Arrows groundcrew from 1978 - 1984 - and "Circus 3" in
1984.