Hello eveyone. I am currently building an O-2A air force skymaster from a 1/48th scale Testors kit and hope to make a diorama set at a dirt air strip with bushes/grasses. I ask; are there any tips, tricks websites, hints, etc. that would help me add detail? (i.e.:
What should I use for the grass, dirt, large rocks?

Are there any other details I should add in to make this scene more authentic, if so, what are they, and how/where do I get them?

I know one particular detail I would like to add is "remove before flight" tags for the props and WP rocket pods but don't know where to obtain these?

Any help or assistance you could offer would be greatly appreciated. This is my first serious model since I was a kid and want to make it super nice so thank you in advance for your help. I know you guys &gals will come through for me.

Hey Chad... the best looking grasses I've seen were bristles from an old paint brush - in the uk the brush in question is used for painting fences, is about 6 inches wide by 2 inches, and the bristles are short and stumpy... The one I used was bleached pale straw colour, but i'd left it in water and the metal band securing the bristles rusted, staining the bottom of the bristles... this gave a great two tone natural look, but for real natural tapered tips, it's a good idea to actually paint a couple of fences first which wears the bristles a bit. Simply cut them off near the metal bit in clumps, hold them between thumb and forefinger and dunk them in elmers, then stick them where ever you want them; - less is more - and when applied over Silflor tufts, or heki/noch grass matts, they look really natural; There was a great review on here on the types of grass matt. They are better for a general textured ground cover for the most part, but need more details added, like rocks or long grass, in scales larger than a model railway...
As for dirt and stones - pick them from the street, wash, dry, sort them and secure with elmers where needed.
There may be a feature on Aeroscale about dirt runways. But for 1/48th scale airfield peirced steel planking, try here
Hope this helps - keep us up to date!

Richard