WWII - German airfield

This is a display being planned to accommodate a small number of 1/72 scale German fighter planes and ground staff at a small airfield.

The models includes:

Messcherschmitt BF109 G-5 fighter
Messcherschmitt BF109 G-6 fighter
Focke Wulf FW 190 F-8 ground attack fighter
Messcherschmitt Me410 A1/U4 heavy / ground attack fighter
Fuel Truck
Ground crew
German infantry
German MG42 squad
Guard tower and checkpoint

10mm extruded foam board
Evo-stick contact adhesive (note: don't use this on XPS foam!!!)
PVA glue
Toilet paper / tissue paper
Fine sand
Polyfilla / spackle

As usual, I cut two tiles to the right width of the Billy bookcase shelves; 76.5 x 26.5cm, sketched on the general layout of the display and then also used a few cutouts of the models to ensure that it would all fit.

In the image below there are two 1:72 BF109 templates and one of the Me410 - taken directly from the models I intend to use, so I know there will be plenty of space. The left tile will be the maintenance area with a short taxi section to the main runway on the right tile.

Fig. 1: General layout of the display.

The concrete/runway sections of the display are filled with a mixture of Polyfilla (spackle) and PVA glue for added strength. They'll be sanded flat and scored to represent typical, individually-poured, concrete slabs later.

Fig. 2: Left tile cut and filled with Polyfilla. Fig. 3: Right tile cut and filled with Polyfilla.

Polyfilla (spackle) set:

Fig. 4 Fig. 5

Adding on tissue paper and watered-down PVA glue for texture and strength:

Fig. 6 Fig. 7

Sanding concrete sections flat:

Fig. 8: Left tile sanded flat. Fig. 9: Right tile sanded flat.

Adding individually poured sections and damage:

Fig. 10: Left tile cracking and weathering Fig. 11: Left tile cracking and weathering

Fig. 12: Right tile cracking and weathering. Fig. 13: Right tile cracking and weathering

Unfortunately, whilst drying, the right tile developed a real crack part way through the runway section. This is likely down to the 3mm hardboard backing not being strong enough and slightly warping with the weight/moisture in the polyfilla and glue. I did my best to make this look like another section of weathered and broken concrete like some of the smaller sections, but this may still need a further repair (likely superglue) when the whole thing has dried out completely. Next time I do any 'concrete' displays I suspect I'll use a solid wood baseboard.

Fig. 14: Real crack in the right tile. Fig. 15: Real crack modified a little to match the other weathering - got to make the best of it!

Finally dry, and actually not looking too bad. The crack in the right tile didn't get any worse, so I set it with superglue and chased it out a bit to look as if it was intended. The left tile has warped quite a bit though, so I made the decision to add an additional base board, which I will glue and clamp these boards to (that's the next job, before starting any scenics):

Fig. 16: Left tile has a very fine crack, but is badly warped on the extreme left hand edge. Fig. 17: Right tile has a bad crack, but has dried okay, with a little work the crack has been weathered to look as if intended.

Testing out some layouts on the runway tiles:

Fig. 18: Left tile has the maintenance area, observation tower and flak emplacement. Fig. 19: Right tile has the airfield entrance and guard hut and the main runway.

Added 6mm plywood baseboard and screwed into the original hardboard base - both tiles now nice and flat:

Fig. 20: The really warped left tile now perfectly flat. Fig. 21: Plywood backing added to right tile to keep it the same height.

Added a bit more filler to level out some of the areas where glued-on scenics will be placed, as well as squaring off several edges of the tiles to make for a neater finish:

Fig. 22 Fig. 23