I have had this brewing in my head,notebook,and requisitions closet for about 3 years.My idea is for the "Unsung Hero".A mechanics unit has set up in a liberated town and is recieving "casualties".I want to convey the swamped feeling that these men must have felt at these makeshift workcamps so,there is going to be a large # of vehicles.Just to give you a clue,heres the list to begin with;
1) Tamiya Willy's Jeep
2) Tamiya Duece&Half
3) Tamiya Sherman Jumbo
4) Tamiya Dragonwagon
5) Italeri Watertank Truck
6) Italeri WC 62
7) Italeri WC Command Car
Italeri WC Anti-Tank Dodge(gun removed and extensively reconstructed{to an AFV Club model I think})
9)Italeri M-32 Recovery Sherman(if I can find one!!!!!!!!)
10) AFV Club M-10
11)Acadamy M-18 Hellcat
All of these will be extensively detailed for opening up or converted.There will also be 3 buildings,a well,and foliage,so you see,the size of this diorama is huge.It will take alot of time and effort,but will be worth it.My question is this,I know I am not the only one with grand ideas,so what would your super-diorama be?

Here are a few ideas: (all 1/35 th scale)
Complete Vietnam firebase with M109s, M102s, and mortar pits.
Mash 4077 Camp- have wanted to do this for a long time, just too big.
Full Battery of howitzers on a firing point.
Vietnam LZ with multiple helos dropping troops and gunships giving flank security.

I have it in my head of a convoy of Germans entering a town with loads of bombed out buildings. The convoy will have a few merceds and opel trucks. A few motoercycles with and without side cars. A field kitchen drawn by horses and a few other horses for that matter pulling something or other. This is one thing I think is overlooked a lot. I see a lot of convoy types on the move and there is always so many horse drawn items, early and late war. Then quite a few weary soldiers, weary from battle or a long march. maybe some armour with tank riders as well. maybe kubels and schwimmys just to make up numbers.

This picture has been in my head for a year or so now, and I have bought quite a few of the items needed. Its just getting around to start the project and add to it over time!
The thing is as Im not long at this game yet I want to practise a few things and always tell myself that this is my goal. Maybe someday eh?

Heavy,
Have you seen the dio in First Cav's Museum down in Ft. Hood. Its what you described in the Vietnam Drop Zone.
Anyways, my superdio is in the works, gathering all the models. It will be the a scene, well not exact, from Black Hawk Down.
It will have 3 or 4 Hummers and one 2 1/2 truck. A couple of buildings and all the figures to go around it. The best part is the black hawk fling over head and maybe another Little Bird.
So far, I have the Hummers, 2 1/2, and the black hawk.

Pete,
Yes i have seen the dio at 1 CAV museum. It looks good, but has a few glaring inaccuracies like gunners out of the top canopy on a huey, etc. But that is the general idea.

I like the concept, especially with the parascopic vision blocks set in at eye level to view it. Gives a pretty cool perspective.

PERISCOPE VIEWING BLOCKS!!!!!!????????? That must be a new addition. Its been a while since I last seen it. We are talking about the one with the rice patties and helo's and M113's. I remember seeing that thing back in the 80's when i visted my dad when he was stationed there. Ive seen it a couple of times while i was on active duty several years back.

Rger, same one. Last I saw it, 1998, it was in a case under glass with vision blocks at a few places that allowed eye-level view. Looked pretty cool. The Museum went through a remodel when i was there. that may have been one of the upgrades.

Two or three of them come to mind:

Vietnam: an ACAV, M48A3, M48A2 w/dozer. The dozer is moving a tree that is blocking the road while the tank and ACAV provide security. The Vietcong are sulking in the trees... afraid to start something with a tank and the ACAV on high alert...

Cold War... 1/76th scale... a platoon of M-60A1's is making a flank attack on a Motorized Rifle Company accompanied by a platoon of T-62's. BRDM's and BMP's are burning and the CAV is running amok...

Mexican War and the 2nd Dragoons are charging the batteries, taking them by storm, Captain May in the van...

Just some small ideas...

Jackhammer, check out EBAY. There are usually a couple on there everytime I check it out.

This was one.........;

Others are already in progress. I tend to do longer more drawn out projects now......The waiting period to gestation is however often frustrating, and I have the impression of "spinning my wheels". The next ones are the Greek SAS in Noth Africa, and a three tier scene from Berlin 1945.

Jackasaurous

I love that diorama,CaptianJack! Awesome! Looks like alot of scratchbuilding?Looks like mine will also contain alot of scratchbuilt buildings and details.
Keenan,thanks.I only have one problem with E-bay-My Wife!!! I am not allowed to purchase,only trade so I have to keep combing the fleamarkets and trade forums.Thanks anyway.
The ever elusive kit

I've also had the urge to do the Vietnam LZ dio for sometime so I decided I would just give it a go. I already have most of my figures and the UH-1C and the UH-1D but I have only little done on the UH-1C the rest are still in the box. Here is a site that I found while searching for Vietnam info.( www.warfactory.co.uk) its focus is wargaming but it had pretty good scratch building tips in the scenery section for the Vietnam dioramist or other periods as well .

PFC

I saw a picture of a heavily armoured churchill covered in panther tracks and grass camoflauge wading through 4-5 ft high grass. The churchill had about 15 soliders on it scanning the grass looking for german anti-tank soldiers / guns. I know this has been done before with shermans, panthers, tigers, t-34's etc..... but churchill is so long and flat it lends it's self to more figures, and it's br-ish. Unfortunately there is about 2 plastic brit figure sets so that means alot of scratchbuilding.

Jeff

Hello people

Ever since I played Medal of Honor Allied Assault and I saw the Omaha beach level I thought I just HAVE to make a dio about this!!!

I thought about making it as my next dio (before the contest). I wanted to make waves...transport ships...comming troops...german cannons...concrete bunkers...MG sandbag bunkers...I wanted to make a large dio bace aprox 1m x 1.5m with the landscape, water everything!!!....it would of costed me ALOT OF MONEY!!!
Maby one day I'll get on it :-)

Cris

What would my superdiorama be??

well I don`t know if the american people know the serie. But here in Europe (I think especially the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium) the serie is/was very popular they keep them rerunning
I`m talking about the serie "Allo Allo" the serie goes about a French village called Nouvion during WW2 For all the people who don`t know the serie It`s about a cafe owner that has connections with the resistance with the germans, he is hiding two british pilots.
The problem for the cafe owner is to get rid of the pilots with an idiotic plan from the french resistance(wich of course never succeeds). It`s really an hilarious serie I think.
but back to what I`m actually wanted to say.
My superdiorama would be making the square of Nouvion with all the people and so on.
There are not many vehicles to make for it but because of the gigantic cast that plays in the series I have to model a huge amount of figures like: A whole italian platoon a whole german platoon, the cafe owner his wife, his two serving girls, a couple of german officers, two GESTAPO agents, Two british pilots and many many more.
Plus there is a lot of scratchbuilding involved with it like the cafe, townsgate, the undertakersoffice, the policestation and a beautifull fountain in the middle of the square

why have I not already started on this thing??.......... I need some kind of blueprint or drawings from the village. Everyone who knows the serie and has something at home that shows parts of the village please let me know

Robert,
a dio of René's café would be an EXCELLENT WWII idea !!! Do you have street view pictures of the café ?
I'd love tot see that ! To bring in all those characters, you could install a market in front of the café, or a terrace where many have a beer or a coffee. Could be fun !

Yo General Failure

I`m walking so long with this idea of making the whole village of Nouvion. I really getting crazy about this

but the only thing I gathered through the years is a very small picture of Renee in front of his cafe. I still have to send something to the BBC to see if they got some drawings of the village with all it`s buildings