I am wanting to build a diorama of a paratrooper who has misdropped in Normandy. I would like to have him bumming a ride from a passing M5 Stuart crew. I plan on having a small abandoned farmhouse with a hole in the roof. On the roof and leading into the hole will be the paratroopers parachute. Then a small country road outside the house by a fence will be the tank crew talking to the paratrooper. I will have some vegetation like trees and what not. I plan on building the house from scratch using foamboard, balsa, and cork. I have a few major questions that I need answered in order to keep the diorama realistic.

1.) If a paratrooper landed on an old wooden roof would he go through the roof or hit and roll down the roof? I would prefer a wood shingle roof, but I am open to use a thatch roof if that would work better. If using a thatch roof what material is good to simulate that?

2.) What would be the best material to simulate a parachute, tissue or use actual silk?

3.) Who makes a good paratrooper figure? I was looking a DML's Normandy Paratroopers for obvious reasons.

All questions, comments, concerns welcome. All the help I can get would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Ryan

Nice setup - I like the planning you have put into it so far. Great quesions, good plan.

I'll start with a twist and a purist point of view. During the D-Day operation the paratroopers were one of the first dropped and I would not suspect that an M5 would be there so soon after his landing. I wouldn't let it deter you - just know that that's out there.

As far a a paratrooper going through a roof, either style. They are about 180 pound man, with another 80-100 pounds of gear falling from the sky on top of a 100 year old roof. Right through. Now consider it from this aspect - if your a person falling through a roof how good are you going to feel? How good is the gear going to look.

I would try and contact Kancali about the chute. For the RMG campaign he did a great chute hanging from a tree.

I did put some thought into the condition of the trooper after the landing. I was thinking either a homemade splint on the arm or leg. I know from my own personal military training they teach us Self Aide Buddy care. I am sure a paratrooper could splint his own leg. It would add some drama that he limped to the road and got a ride from a passing tank to an aide station. Figures are a real challenge to me and a weak spot, so for this diorama they will either add to the overall theme or detract from it. Hopefully the add part!

Thanks for the input.

Cheers,
Ryan

Hey ryan
Have been doing some research into some US figures and it seems Nemrod have some excellent figures including Airborne in some great poses. Or was that Warrior?!
Anyways I recommend perusing catalogues of either
Brad

You may use tissue for the parachute it would be easier to shape it over what ever it has landed on. Nice idea im sure this happend more than once.

Nemrod has some excellent paratroopers though they are in "action" poses. For what you are going for it seems you need a relaxed figure. Hornet makes a paratrooper that is gazing upwards and in a more relaxed pose though I do not know if he is still available.

Nemrod has some excellent paratroopers though they are in "action" poses. For what you are going for it seems you need a relaxed figure. Hornet makes a paratrooper that is gazing upwards and in a more relaxed pose though I do not know if he is still available. As far as linking up with the Army.....because of the misdrops I am sure they saw troops from Utah beach before encountering some of their own so I do not see this scene as that unlikely.....especially if the trooper had injured his leg.

Might I suggest this...

Build your house. Put a broken hole in the roof where the para crashed through. Leave the chute on the roof with the cords going down the hole. That way you can actually see that the para crashed through the roof rather than he just happened to be near a house with a broken roof