Miniature Model Airports have become a way for collectors to show
off their collection of miniature airplanes. Amongst all the different
types of miniature airplanes on the market today, die cast airplanes
are the best. The quality and detail on the die cast airplanes is
superior compared to the same scale plastic planes. The three most
popular scales are 1:200, 1:400 and 1:500.
The 1:500 scale is the
smallest of the three. It is dominated by Herpa Wings. Herpa is a big
provider of not only die cast scale airplanes, but also die cast scale
cars. Throughout the years Herpa has increased the level of detail in
their models, making them some of the best for the 1:500 market. In
addition to the airplanes, Herpa also offers a variety of Airport
buildings, airport mat sets and accessories to build model airports.
They are very nice and very detailed.
The 1:400 scale is a "medium
size" scale. The two big players on this market are Gemini Jets and
Dragon Wings. Herpa Wings also has some offerings, but not many.
Gemini Jets and Dragon Wings offer some of the highest quality in both
construction and detail. Gemini recently unveiled a line of Airport
buildings and accessories for the 1:400 market.
The 1:200 scale is
the biggest scale of the three. Lately there have been more offerings
from Gemini Jets and Herpa Wings. The quality and the details are
exceptional. For example, on most of these models you have rolling
rubber tires and, on some models, rotating engine rotors.
When
designing a model airport, you want to decide how much work you want to
put into it. You can purchase ready-made airport mat sets (or foils),
buildings and accessories, or you can build all from scratch. If you
are building the airport from scratch, you may want to check the FAA
website, under planning and capacity to get all the necessary
specifications for runway length, width, clearances, etc. To convert
these measurements to the proper scale, use the following formula:
measurement in inches = measurement in feet x Conversion-Factor
where
Conversion-Factor is 0.024 for 1:500 scale, 0.03 for 1:400 scale, and
0.06 for 1:200 scale. For example, the width of a typical runway is 150
feet, to change this to 1:500 scale:
150 x 0.024 = 3.6 inches wide
If
you want to design your own terminals, you can use a variety of
materials. For the beginner, you can use Balsa wood, or cardboard. For
the most advanced, you can go to your local hobby shop, and check out
the model railroad area. Much of these materials can be used in the
construction of buildings for your airport. Whatever the level, use
your imagination and have fun!
If you are ready to start building your dream airport, click here to check out some amazing airport designs, or check out my blog at http://4by8airports.com.
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