USAF MUSEUM - display pictures wanted

**Ragnar200** · 06-22-2015 08:48

Did anyone who visited the USAF Museum in Dayton get a picture or three of the 1/200 diorama of an 8th Air Force base in East Anglia. At last notice it was located on the ground/entry floor of a replica of a replica control tower on the museum grounds. The aircraft were supplied by Yr Hmble & Obed and detailed and airbrushed by Dennis Knight. It would be nice to see how the offspring are getting along.

On which note, AIM has just re-released castings of our B-17G and B-24J as used in the museum diorama. Warm, fuzzy feeling...............

Ron

**Guntruck** · 06-22-2015 12:29

Haven't seen the diorama but have scored some of the B17Gs already! But the cherry on the top of my last AIM order was the He177, which is beautiful.

**matt56** · 06-22-2015 13:59

The control tower is next to the quonset huts as you drive up to the museum. I would be happy to drive by later this week on my way home from school (weather permitting) and see about taking some happy-snappies for you, Ron. I only live about 25 minutes away anyway, but I teach at a school that's only about 2 miles away from the museum, and this is my last week of Summer School. Is the diorama the limit of your needs at this stage of the game?

All the best,
Matt

**Ragnar200** · 06-22-2015 17:59

Steve.......Another scale sprog spreading joy - the He 177.

Matt.........Wonderful. Thank you! Pictures of the diorama would be great for Dennis, for me, of course, and for Paul Howard - the current major domo of Helmet Aircraft. Please post a few here as well. It would be fun for folks to see what was going down a couple of decades back.

I have one more lust at Wright-Pat. I have to figure out how to file a request for pictures of a model shown in the high speed wind tunnel. Picture a flattened space shuttle reworked for very stealthy conventional operations. Very close to our proposal for a Blackbird successor. Somewhere in my files I actually have drawings for a 1/200 version.

**Stumptonian** · 06-22-2015 21:34

I took 170 pics just over two years ago but nothing of the diorama. Will try to post some of the others in the next week or so.

**matt56** · 06-23-2015 11:26

I was able to slide by the museum today on the way home, and the overflow parking was open (which happens to be right next to the control tower)!! The fellow who was volunteering in the Nissen huts had the key to the control tower, and he took me in for a tour and so I could take some pictures.

This first one is the B-24 assembly plane (often photographed - at least I've seen lots of pics of it before)

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Next we have some planes together on the ground, just 'milling' around

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Here you'll recognize a couple of B-17s...

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And this last speaks for itself - I wasn't sure if you wanted this (it doesn't seem to have the name of the folks you mentioned above...)

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For anyone who has visited the museum but NOT stopped over to see the control tower and Nissen huts, it's worth the walk - lots of neat stuff inside!

All the best,
Matt

**BobP** · 06-23-2015 14:14

Went to the AF museum when I went to Origins a few years ago. Walked down the runway where the tower is but didn't go inside. My loss. Thanks for the photos Matt.

**matt56** · 06-23-2015 14:35

It's really pretty neat, Bob. The Nissen huts are set up as a briefing hut and and adjoining NCO 'club', replete with mannequins in appropriate poses. The control tower is kitted out with all the appropriate amenities - the diorama is on the second floor, along with the main control area - while the ground floor is an amalgam of the various rooms necessary for handling a group of bombers. If you've seen "12 O'Clock High", you know what it looks like - but seeing it in-person is still very cool! Next time I go, I'll take some interior shots of the buildings, if you'd like...

Ron, I have a few more pictures from today - would you like me to post 'em or somehow send 'em to you? Or do I need to stop back and take some specific pictures you were hoping for?

All the best,
Matt

**grumpybear** · 06-23-2015 14:41

Don't think I will ever get to Dayton so thanks for the pics

**Ragnar200** · 06-23-2015 14:58

Wonderful!!!!!!!

Matt, would you be so kind as to send me a set of the images as an email attachment? ron200hbm(at)gmavt.net. I hope you got a shot or three of the whole shebang!

Bob Sellers was the chap who ordered the models from us on behalf of the 8th AF Association. The aircraft are our HBM. Painting and detailing by Dennis Knight, then the chief chef and bottle washer of Helmet 1/200 Aircraft, which is now operated by Paul Howard. The vehicles are Mercator and Skytrex, now all part of the SKytrex Action 200 range. The actual diorama was done by Bob Sellers.

Many thanks again!

Ron

**matt56** · 06-23-2015 15:58

I'll be happy to send all of them to you, Ron - I didn't get a shot of the whole thing, as the way it's set up isn't quite conducive to that, but I have multiple shots that give you a good idea of the layout, and I can always stop back for more long-range pics...