MexRev scenery

[Colonel Kilgore]

That's a lovely project, Neil - it's been fun watching it evolve.

Simon

[Leslie BT]

All the boats and the converted crews look excellent.

[Anatoli]

Ay caramba !!! 

What a scenery !! Another great piece !

Brilliant...

[Leman (Andy)]

Agreed.

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

Having purchased some 1:100 aircraft which I can use both in the air and on the ground, my thoughts turn to a small airfield as a juicy target/objective. Trouble is if I remain true to 3mm scale the hangars are way too large...

The Bessonneau hangar (1908-) was a pre-fab timber and canvas hangar. The most common variant in Britain was the 6-bay design, which was 22 metres (72 ft) wide, x 28 metres (91 ft 10 in) long x 7.7 metres (25 ft 5 in) high, excluding picketing ropes. That equates to 21.6cm (8.5 in) W x 27.6cm (~11 in) D x ~7.5cm (3 in) H.

The smaller German tent design 'Type A' was suitable for a sole 2-seater or 2 scouts and according to Cross&Cockade is estimated at 55' 16.5cm (6.5 in) W x 40' 12cm (4.75 in) D. Which is far more feasible.
I will be attempting to model one or two in a combination of styrofoam, paper and wire/balsa...

[Leman (Andy)]

They really do look very good. I love the exposed brickwork.

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

For those of you wanting a flavour of the rugged scenery of NW Mexico. The coastal landing scene from The Mask of Zorro (1998) was shot at San Carlos, on the sea of Cortez, Sonora. It is close to Guaymas, formerly a fishing port and the scene of the first attempted aerial bombing of naval vessels in the world (1913). There's a real rocky vs desert vibe with Sonoran cacti aplenty...

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

And probably my final (and biggest) piece of Mex Rev scenery planned (at least for 2021 that is)... A Spanish colonial Presidio or fort. A base for the Rurales and Provincial Reservists and arsenal to potentially raid or possibly even capture?
They varied in size and set up from a mere camp site to fully fledged fortress.
The concept is a freestyle rectangular enclosure with wall walk, Vaubanesque artillery bastion, gateway with guardroom, barrack block, stables and HQ building. Based on a variety of Presidio types on the Mexican-Texas border and elsewhere, this is modular and makes up into a 12" square footprint. Modular design allows for a variety of other uses such as town walls etc. Architectural cues are taken from a variety of sources.
The main shell is carved expanded polysterene with foamcore, styrofoam and kebab stick/matchstick/balsa detailing... w.i.p. images to follow
For those of you interested the source material is;
https://www.hisour.com/forts-of-loreto-and-guadalupe-puebla-mexico-54380/
https://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/trans-p/images/he4.html
Feliz Navidad, compadres
Neil

[Leman (Andy)]

Looking forward to seeing that coming to fruition.

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

Presidio de San Miguel - a speculative recreation of a mid C18 small to medium scale Spanish colonial presidio, now a Federale garrison and base... a work in progress shot of the whole build in 8 sections now that the shell is substantially complete (PP Federales included for scale). It works out at 13" x 15" including the bastion... The tiled verandah to HQ building to rear, stables to L, stores and artillery bastion to R.
Expanded poly ramparts with foamcore battlements and styrofoam detailing with assorted kebab stick, cocktail stick, balsa and modelling match timberwork. Filler will be supplemented with Milliput finescale detailing - both stone and mud brick. I plan to give it a distressed look with small patches of ramparts replaced with sandbags... Still to model - forge, stables, plus scatter detail of a mast-style flagpole to go in the centre and a well head. I already have hitching posts and water troughs.
The second shot shows the main entrance interior, showing from L to R artillery bastion with magazine underneath, main gate with flanking guard rooms and the basis of the stables which will have an open timber and loose thatch roof.

[Colonel Kilgore]

You have been busy Neil!

I do like the way that the artillery bastion fits in nicely without overpowering the rest.

I look forward to further developments.

Simon

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

I tried to design the bastion to site two 40mm2 artillery bases while still making it compact enough not to be too overbearing. Most Vaubanesque complexes are sprawling in footprint. I made half an ECW starfort in 25mm many years ago based on the Queens Sconce at Newark but it proved too large to reasonably field in games. Many Presidios had only one or two bastions presumably to cover road or river crossings. The ramparts are set at 30mm high (scale 10 feet high) to allow for adobe buildings to abut them. It means that the height is not too overpowering while still remaining a considerable obstacle.
It was so tempting to 'Go the Full Alamo' and include a Mission church and walled precinct but that would have taken up my entire table...

[Anatoli]

This is fantastic !! Superb work !!

I am really fan of this work... There are so many details in this scenery... It is really inspiring.

Again, great work !

Cheers

Xavier

[martin goddard]

I am going to need some more guns and bombers.


martin

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

Some senoritas to distract the guards and a few well placed sticks of dynamite seem to work in most films, Martin!

Glad you like it guys. I find the trick is not to plan absolutely everything in advance and then you find you add incidental details as you go which gives it a more lived-in organic feel. Martin's resin buildings have some lovely added details including chimneys and buttresses which I will also have. Some metal hatches around the powder magazine for access, steps to the wall walk, that sort of thing.
I'm having fun with the stables and the forge seen here at the bottom of this picture. The stable stalls are 15mm wide  x 25mm deep which looks about right. I plan to populate it using a couple of spare saddled horses and maybe a couple of nekked ones from Irregular. The forge is another matter. I've sculpted the forge and an anvil from styrofoam and have to do a set of bellows, tools etc. Unlike the majority of my other builds I'm going to have to paint it as I go and add in details. Once I add the roofing it will be almost impossible to get at...