1:48 Soviet hexagonal plates 1930-1960 (Runways up to 1000 m, Taxiways, parkings - 1) - Acrylic 3 mm (410 x 270 mm) (410 g)

Hexagonal airfield slabs as a ground for a 1:48 model

A display base from the Kelik brand with a motif of hexagonal concrete slabs of the kind that paved Eastern European airfield surfaces. The extent of the motif is set out by the name of the item itself: surfaces from the years 1930 to 1960, runways up to one thousand meters, taxiways and parking areas. The name is also the source of the figure of acrylic three millimeters thick, of the dimensions 410 x 270 mm and of the weight 410 g.

What the ground does for a finished model

An aircraft set on a bare table looks like a sample; on a paved surface it gains its surroundings at once. The regular pattern of the joints between the hexagons offers the eye a comparison with the outline of the fuselage and the wing, so the size of the machine reads at first glance. The larger format will moreover carry a twin-engine type or a fighter with a trolley and steps added. In a photograph the surface then acts as a ruler that tells the viewer how large the model is.

Practical notes on use

The board is finished and nothing needs gluing or spraying to stand a model on it. Anyone who wants to go further can underline the joints between the slabs with a dark wash, settle fine pigment around the landing gear wheels and add a few blades of grass at the edges of the surfaces. Try any such step in a small place near the edge first, as the print cannot be brought back. Store the board lying flat so that it does not warp.

Who the base suits

• Aircraft modelers in 1:48 scale
• For a display case and for the table at a competition presentation
• For machines of Eastern design from the 1950s
• Anyone who photographs models on a faithful ground