This diorama is one of the latest I built.
A patrol is delayed by a vehicle that has a flat tire. Of course, they don’t want to wait and drive through the rice field, insulting the driver.
The diorama ground is from, like all my dios, styrodur. The plants are real stuff and plastic ones. The signs are selfmade with wood.
I made the street out of cork. The ricefield water is casting resin, coloured green.
The tricycle is a japanese brand in 1:32.
The M88 is from AFV Club, the M113 and M106 from Tamiya. The figures are from Bravo-6, Tamiya, HobbyFan and Valkyrie miniatures. The buffalos are selfprints.
That is outstanding and an award winner … Whole scene tells a great story and the detailing is top notch. Water movement of the 113 going through the paddy field is brilliant and the water in general looks perfect.
Now THAT is a great diorama, masses of details & narrative included – brilliant! I’d give you a prize just for the water effects alone – perfection. If I have a criticism – and I’m fighting myself to say anything against it – I would have liked to see a larger base & less cramped vehicles. But what am I talking about, it’s superb
Thank you very much.
I agree with your criticism, but my space in my cellar is limited. I’m only building dios and I have around 16 of them and a lot in planing. . And the dio is in a display case, so I can only build in this shape.
Yep understood, it’s a common problem I can identify with. I made such stupidly big dioramas I had to throw all of them out. So you’re much smarter than me, no question. Looking forward to seeing what you do next.
That is fantastic! Lots of details to drink in and a great little narrative! Really good vehicle and figure models, with all of it supported by an excellent base! Little things like the puddles of water behind and beside the broken down vehicle, and the water movement around the water buffalo are small details but shows how much work went into this. Love it!
Very well done, obviously a lot of work and research went into this diorama. I just was thinking of the backstory, armored column coming up a road, stop for a vehicle w/flat tire? I’d smell an ambush. Take the obvious go around through the rice paddy? Perfect location for mine or IED…makes you think.
Nice job.
Excellent work Christian! This is a great diorama, so many elements here. The vehicles came great as well as the figures and especially the ground work.
One question: I never knew you could drive an M113 sitting on the drivers hatch. Do the laterals have extensions on them? Never seen that before. So cool!
Not sure how they did it but a guy that I built a kit of his track years ago had let me see his pictures for reference and that was how it was set up. He was in 5th Mech. Wayne
A few more thoughts: Yes, as the up gunner for two deployments, my immediate thougth was ambush. But who’s to say it’s not two seconds away from hitting that mine?
I don’t know of there were extended controls an a 113 or not, but it seems like something a broom handle and some hundred mile an hour tape could solve to get to that pedal.
We did dead driver drills in the HMMWV - you can drive it from the back seat or the gun turret in an emergency using the choke as a throttle. It’s enough to get you off the X.
Yeah, I wish I’d made copies of his pics. Course I wasn’t real into modelling at that time. It was more a favor for a fellow vet. Haven’t seen him in many years. Wayne
If you do a Google Images search for 5th Mech in Vietnam about half way down there is a picture of a driver with this setup. I don’t know how to transfer it, but maybe Frenchie can find it. Wayne
And the dio is in a display case, so I can only build in this shape.