The Little World

I am a sucker for good ideas, and I occasionally have them. Not for long, because when I recognise one I immediately change it for a mistake. Not in this case, However…

I am building two more diorama trays for the library exhibit – the first two of RCAF WET DOG seem to have worked well, and in a few months it’ll be time to change the show. I have decided to give them Uszhitmi Aerodrome this time.

Uszhitmi was a way station in the North East of the Soviet Union that acted as an emergency field for aircraft going east or west to Siberia or Vladivostok. In the time of the Tsar it was the place that people who were exiled from Siberian labour camps were sent to. It has deteriorated since then…

To equip Ushzitmi I needed some typical Russian buildings. Wargamers Shop to the rescue. Tactics in London Court is a maze of gaming kits and supplies – the premier venue for this sort of thing here in Perth. I repaired there, bought several little Zvezda and Hasegawa vehicle kits, and leapt upon a box with two Russian log houses in it. There was a Ukrainian house kit as well, but it was too nice for Uszhitmi. Another time…

The kits are reminiscent of the 1950’s Plasticville models that graced Lionel layout. Four walls, a roof beam, and two roofing sheets. One is a shingle or thatch and one a board roof – good variuety for the set. Two houses per box. There are brick chimneys.

Hard to assemble? I was tempted to try eyes-shut just to say I could do it. The basic build took 15 minutes.

The decoration took all day – layering paint and effects as the cabins took shape. I used up older acrylic and tempera paints that were on the leftover shelf. I’m starting to use more oil washes and these proved perfect for the log effects. I also remember what log cabins look like from my youth in Canada – we lived in a succession of them – I know how dirty they get around the base in winter.

Uszhitmi will be seen in two seasons, as I have Soviet planes painted for summer and winter. So far I have two vehicles built and am on the lookout for more. And I’ve got VVS ground crew and an AA gun kit as well. Normally I don’t look at the Russian stuff in the hobby shop shelves, but this time I’m having a ballski.