Hi, I'm new to this forum - my first posting.

I'm doing a 1:72 diorama set in WW2 post-Normandy where a fleeing Tiger tank is blocked by a crashed ME109. Need some help on how to do battle damage eg bullets holes, broken wings on the ME109.

I've googled the subject and many suggested sanding the area and later poking holes, cutting to create the jagged edges, etc.

Any other methods?

Impressive idea..........hope to see it posted soon...........

You can use a drill...........and use a blade to hollow out the hole (just twist a knife into the hole........you can also use the heat method.........and drag the needle or object ........to ensure that the hole is not 100% round........

To crack glass you can take a small drill bit hammer onto the plastic.......then once the crack is visible you can make a hole.......you can also pull out pieces of the clear plastic and similuate with wrapping plastic class torn out........

Hope this is off help to you

bEST
mR b

Hope to see your build/diorama soon

billie,
As the Me109 is essentially a metal skinned bird; bent, ripped and punctured weathering on the metal surface is all good. Drilling for cutting apart after thinning the plastic gives a bery good effect for anything with puncture and tearing effect. Rippled metal is a bit more difficult.

Should be an interesting and challenging subject especially on the broken wing idea too as you need to also model the ribbing.

Sanding down the area to be damaged is normally the way to go coz metal like plastic actually deforms when hit with something hard . For example, when a sabot round hits a tank. Can't remember the actual term for it.

Anyway, if my poor memory holds there was a dio involving a crashed ME109 in the desert in Shep Paine's book I think.

There's 2 kinds of damage. One which is what brought the plane down (i.e. AA gun fire) and the other is damage sustained in the crash. Usually when plane meets ground the first to go are all the tiny, fiddly, skinny thingies that stick out like antenna, machine gun barrels. The propeller probably shows the most damage next coz it was probably still spinning when the plane ploughed into the ground making it bent and the metalwork showing and mud stuck to it. Having the cockpit window thrown open with broken glass adds a nice dramatic touch. Undercarriage torn apart and scattered behind the plane would be another likely damage had the pilot tried to land the plane.

Minor damage would be scratches especially on the wing tips and the undersides. Destroying the wings as CKLoo mentioned is a bit more work as you will likely have to show the internal struts.

Damage can also be emphasized by groundwork showing broken branches and ploughed ground with deep cuts behind the plane. A plane doesn't need to be totally blown to bits to bring it down as a few well placed shots to the engine will bring it down so you may want to go easy on the bullet holes.

Btw welcome to the forum Billie and do share your work with us. You can if you like introduce yourself to the guys here:
New Member Introduction

Mr B, Loo, Beachbum, I'm so honored you guys, the "Sifus" here, took the trouble to reply my humble query.

Mr. B, thanks for the cracked glass tip - i was just going to ask. :-)

Actually, I've been away from the hobby for over 20 years and my goodness, how's its changed! So much info over the Net, etc.

So for this project, I'm throwing everything at it. It'll be my first time doing masking, kit-bashing, dry-brushing, washing, weathering, diorama, you name it.

Growing up as a kid in the jungles of Sarawak (I'm from oil-town Miri), I didnt have access (nor $$$) to paints, putties, modeling articles. I only had a tube of glue and the trusty ol' nail cutter!!

I'll be too embarassed to post the works here since this is my 'free-for-all" and I'm just using it as a learning or rather catch-up process. ;-P

Loo, saw you at the Thunderbird airshow but you were just out of ear-shot.

Actually Billie I'm no Sifu unless if you are talking about avoiding work and wasting time...then I can probably be called a Sifu for those. :D

Truth is I came back to this hobby after 25 years and they are many forumers here as well in the same boat so you will find yourself in good company. So don't feel embarassed showing progress pics here coz you will get more useful input than criticisms.

Lastly most of us here started with very little just like you. I believe most of the guys here can tell just as "sad" stories of their early modelling days. :) In fact I think there's a thread somewhere here on comparing how we all started. Heck, I siphoned off some of my Dad's ICI gloss paint for the gate to paint the waterline on my Airfix HMS Manxman.

You are welcome Billie

I too am no where near a SIFU..........just experiment and try things out.............end of the day to me, it is a hobby.......and its fun to relax and unwind

Hope you have fun with your hobby

Best
Mr B

Hi billie,

I have also just joined the forum few months back and have been talking alot. :P

As beachbum said, I also started modelling young age, and only start to realize I could paint the model when..... well... after building like 10 or so grey plastic finish model planes (those days I could get hasegawa planes in Parksons with ang pao money).

I started like .... well... 8 years old i think, and stop the hobby when I was 18. When I go to Australia, I found huge Modelling Supermarkets and they sell Modeling Magazine at newspaper stalls. I kept myself updated in the hobby until I got back to the hobby couple of years back.... I still have stash of stuffs I bought from Australia.... mainly update sets.

Coming back to you diorama, I suggest you first start with reference photos of downed planes..... ME109... you mean BF109?

Some image search of shot-downed bf109:


This image shows some bullet holes near the cockpit. However, it crashed with soft landing on wide grass land, so..... not realistic to depict "blocking road crash". If wide land... how to block the road?


Wanna build some engines?? ^_^ ^_^


Found this excellent photo on the web. But might be difficult for you to make the realistically thin body material in 72nd scale. But this one really works for you.


Another good photo, note the bent rotors and twisted metals.

The rest... find youself.

It'll be good if you can show some recovery vehicle trying to tow away the downed BF109.... and probably the tank commander is debating whether or not to just ram over the plane with the Tiger..... Just some brainstorming... :D

Just a found website that uses actual metal/aluminium foil to replicate battle damage:




http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/lofive...hp?t187139.html

Looks cool.