Honda Aircraft Site Model

site model

Just Shipped:  A  site model of the Honda Aircraft Headquarters, Research, and Production facility in  Greensboro, North Carolina, located at Piedmont Triad International Airport. This facility is home to the new HondaJet personal aircraft, scheduled for shipment in early 2012.

The site model, along with the aircraft itself, was unveiled this week at the OshKosh AirVenture Show .

The design of this particular site model was driven by our client’s request for exceptional attention to detail. To achieve this, our model makers were given  a multitude of data: aerial views, autoCAD drawings, PDF’s, ground level pictures and exact measurements for items such as:

  • air conditioning ducts
  • generators
  • HVAC units on the roof of the buildings
  • cooling towers

The scale of the model 1″:40′ was very small, which contributed to the over all impact of the finished product.

Take a look:

Can a Model Maker use Mass-Produced Parts?

Professional model makers are in the business of building (and sometimes designing) one-of-a-kind creations. Very occasionally, though, a model maker decides that fabricating a particular part from scratch is not in the best interest of the project. In these instances, an existing product might be bought and deconstructed to extract a commodity out (sometimes referred to as “kit bashing”).

 

 

 

 

 

These plastic wheels have been removed and reassembled from off-the-shelf toy trucks. They will be added to built-from-scratch trucks. The trucks themselves are not the main focus of the finished model. Ultimately this project will be a training model for a shipping company that would like to have table top practice at the real life task of loading and unloading pallets.

It’s uncommon to find preexisting parts, particularly in the right scale, for a custom model project. Internet searching has made it a bit easier to find a usable commodity. Sometimes it’s a smart choice for a project, and ultimately for the client’s budget, to include ready-made pieces in the construction.

Museum Models – Caretakers of the Past, Present and Future

museum model

Did you know that there are almost 18 thousand museums in the United States? Are you aware that zoos are classified as museums? The American Association of Museums (AAM) lists the  following  types of museums on their website:

  • Arboretum/Botanical Gardens
  • Art Museums
  • Children’s Museums
  • Historical House or Site Museums
  • History Museums
  • Natural History or Anthropology Museums
  • Nature Centers
  • Zoos
  • Science/Technology Museums
  • General Museums
  • Specialized Museums (such as Railroad, Military, African-American)

Did you ever wonder how they are funded? While many charge admissions, there are a fair number that are free-of-charge to visitors. Private charitable donations provide the largest percent of funding followed by admission charges (including gift shops and concessions), government funding (25%) and investment income.

For those interested in museum careers there are degrees offered in museum studies, historic preservation, public history and non-profit management. Of course museums require a host of services to develop, support and run their institutions. Things like  facilities management, public relations, institutional planning, retail services, membership & development, collections stewardship and human resources.

The most obvious feature of a museum is the exhibits themselves.  While some museums are known for their collections of original artifacts, many more use reproductions, display boards, dioramas, props, scale models, interactive kiosks and hands-on exhibits to educate and entertain their visitors. Exhibit companies design these spaces to maximize a particular museum’s goals, and model making companies are often called upon to create the actual objects that go in these spaces.

The  International Council of Museums (ICOM) defines these spaces as “a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment.

Model makers pride themselves on providing quality museum models that will hold up to the high standards of these institutions.

Scale Model of Innovative Shelter for Rapid Response

When response is needed quickly, SAIC’s Expandable Shelter System  (ESS) is the solution for military, homeland security, law enforcement and commercial use. It’s a self-standing, self-contained, rugged and secure entry shelter that transports readily by rail, ship, aircraft or vehicle. Shippable and stackable at 8×20 ft, it expands to 20×24 ft, with approximately 400 square feet of space inside. It’s a space that can adapt and reconfigure to multiple uses such as communications center, field kitchen, medical facility or sleeping quarters. Each unit allows for self-sufficient electrical power, climate control and satellite communications. Multiple units can be strung together.

KiwiMill was given the task of building the scale model for this superior-designed shelter system. The scale model was built in  1/8 scale using sheet metal, acrylic and brass hinges for the main body with the addition of ren board, ABS plastic, brass tubing and evergreen strips for the generator. The key feature of this model is its functionality. It operates much like the real thing, doors opening and the shelter expanding in the same fashion as the actual shelter.

Model with Working Parts

Our model makers have shipped out the asphalt plant model with working parts. Seven feet tall, with functionality, this model simulates the movements of an asphalt plant. Doors and chutes that operate in the real plant with hydraulic cylinders have been mimicked using 12v electric linear actuators. Augers and buckets in a real plant that run on gear motors have been simulated using miniature gear motors.