Scale: 1:390
Project duration: March – May 2024
Number of children involved in the project: 50
The model of Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport was made by the participants of the Back to Basics workshops during the 2023/2024 school year. Fifty students from the following primary schools took part in it: Davorin Jenko Primary School (Cerklje na Gorenjskem), Janez Puhar Primary School (Kranj – Center), Matija Čop Primary School (Kranj), Stražišče Primary School (Stražišče), Šenčur Primary School (Šenčur).
At the beginning of the school year, we had a team meeting with the Back to Basics mentors and discussed how to involve all the participants of the Back to Basic workshops in a joint project. As previous experiences have shown, children love to take part in large group projects. That is why we decided to make a model of a local landmark, Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport.
While planning the project, a diploma work by Primož Stare, an experienced modeller, was of great help to us. Primož used to lead plastic modelling clubs in primary schools, which is why he chose the topic of promoting plastic modelling for his diploma work to complete his studies. The title of his diploma work is “Technical Activity Day for Promoting Plastic Modelling Clubs on the Basis of Project Work.” In his work, he described how students can make a simple diorama – a model of Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport.
Students began working on the project at the beginning of March. We had workshops that lasted two 45-minute lessons, once a week. The aim was to complete the project by the end of the school year.
First, we had to choose the right airplane model that would be appropriate for our project and for workshop participants ranging from the second to the ninth grade. We chose a Revell 1:390 scale model of the Boeing 747-200 Air Canada. In our opinion, we chose the optimal solution given the limited scale and plastic models that are available on the market. We had to adapt the whole diorama because of the scale (the airport diorama does not include the whole airport area, as we agreed on the dimensions of the model to be 150 cm in length and 90 cm in width). When making a diorama, it is of the utmost importance that we refer to the same ratio or scale of all the constituent parts.
The model contained only Canadian Air marking options. To make it more authentic, we made special decals of different airline companies, such as Emirates Airlines, EasyJet, Adria, etc., ourselves. At the same time we encouraged the participants to search for and explore data on airline companies that are frequent users of our airport. The models were made according to the Back to Basic method. Back to Basics is a unique method that we developed to make it easier to try out creative technical hobbies.
The participants were given airline data as well as the necessary information about the airport, and they also learnt about the important parts of the airport that are essential for continuous operation. We used laser-cut MDF boards and 3D-printing for making the constituent parts of the passenger terminal, service hangars and the control tower. The children worked in groups. Their work was based on reference photos we had received from Fraport Slovenija. They assembled the constituent parts and painted them with acrylic paints. The greatest challenge was to mask and paint the runway, the taxiway and the apron. With the help of the mentors, the children successfully finished the airport diorama.
We, along Primož Stare, would like to use this project to encourage technology teachers in primary schools to organize such technical days. That is why we are developing an online classroom within the project to assist anyone interested in creating a similar project.
We would like to thank all the people who helped us with the project. The final project – the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik airport diorama – was first introduced to the public on 25th May 2024 at the 16th International Festival of Miniatures, Festival SVM 2024, in the Park of Military History in Pivka. As part of the presentations, we organized workshops where visitors made Boeing 747-200 Air Canada in 1:390 scale. In the end they could decide whether to take the models back home or they could become a part of the airport diorama. More information: https://btb-tutorials.com/back-to-basics-was-a-proud-sponsor-of-the-16th-international-scale-model-festival-svm/
Our wish for the future is to present the project at events taking place in Europe, and thus inspire a wider public to engage in technical hobbies and, consequently, pursue tech jobs – the professions of the future.
