I decided I wanted to do a simple diorama for my new JSI Huey I purchased. The model is excellent and I thought a diorama would show it off nicely. The Huey is also one of the most iconic symbols of the Vietnam War so I thought a diorama featuring this very versatile helicopter would be nice to do. This diorama is dedicated to all of our soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War and served our country during that time.
Also, this diorama would not have been possible without the help of Razor. Razor supplied me with a wonderful compliment of Vietnam figures to outfit the Huey and give it a proper crew. He sold me these figures at a much better price than you would find on Ebay and I am truly grateful for all his help. He is one our diehard collectors and respected board members, and I have traded and bought from him numerous times for the things I need.
Finally, very sorry about the cat photobombing the pictures. These were taken in front of my wood stove and getting him to move from that spot in the cold of winter, well, its not happening.
Enjoy this diorama!
Corey
To save some money and reuse, I actually reused the base I had built for my Tuskegee Airmen diorama. People asked about the ground cover last time. They are floral mats you can get at AC Moore that come in squares in two sizes. They have a peel and stick backing. They work great for our stuff because the ground cover is more realistic in scale for the larger pieces. My word of advice on using it is to keep the paper backing ON and glue it down using craft glue or another glue. The glue they use when you peel the backing away is extremely sticky and will stick quickly and permanently to everything. You won't have the chance to reposition it. Also this stuff is messy, so lay down some newspaper or something when you use it.
To add some height this time to replicate the higher grasses of Vietnam, I used that soft moss you can get at the craft store. Do not use the dried stuff as it is very hard to work with and crumbles everywhere. Although this is not as accurate as it could be, it covers large areas effectively and you get a lot of it at a time. I found a slightly different color of it in a supply box from another project and used that to fill in some areas. The dirt is the same stuff from the Tuskegee Diorama, just repositioned and more added to simulate a road. To hold this all down to the base, I add a very light coat of spray glue (the Elmers craft bond) to the whole diorama then a craft sealer.
To keep the diorama simple, I chose to replicate a simple supply dump where a gunship might land to take on supplies such as fuel and ammo. The accessories are all from the PTE lineup and make great supplies. At some point I may repaint them to a more realistic shade, but for now I'll just let them be. I do not glue them down so I can use them in other dioramas as needed.
The MUTT Jeep is on hand to help the Huey crew load supplies and perhaps pick up some supplies of their own.
The gunner is getting a helping hand loading supplies aboard the Huey. The pilot is busy discussing mission strategy. Razor made most of these figures for me and I am extremely grateful as they make this diorama look great.
Looks like the Huey will be good to go on its next mission shortly...the cat...not so much so.
Thank you everyone for looking at my diorama.
!!!
