THE JET AGE RESERVE COLLECTION

MODULAR DISPLAY CABINETS

Making or collecting model aircraft, trains, buses or other vehicles is a rewarding hobby that stimulates interest in history,engineering, economics, geography and other topics, but always presents the problem of where and how to store and display the collection. As has been recounted on other pages, the models must be protected from dust, moisture and accidental collision damage but mere storage in opaque boxes robs both the modeller and collector and any other interested party of easy viewing.

Similarly, although many model railway and road vehicles are now sold in partly transparent boxes - such as the Gloucester RCW built coal wagons seen above - keeping them in these means that they are separated from the rest of the collection and cannot be readily compared with items of the same ilk. Moreover, the packaging for die cast model aircraft is usually bulky and completed plastic model aircraft rarely fit the kit box from which they came!

Similarly, apart from those designed for large scale model cars with pre-moulded transparent covers fitting relatively small plastic bases, such boxes are difficult and expensive to manufacture with more than one transparent face. For example, the display box with five transparent faces large enough to hold its 1/10 scale skeletal model Gloster Gladiator (pictured above) represented a major financial investment for the Jet Age Museum.

The new approach to cabinet construction with which the Jet Age Reserve Model Collection has been pleased to co-operate though uses only readily available materials and minimal skills to create - as can be seen courtesy of these photographs taken by my friend David Bunbury - a very pleasing and effective result.

At the heart of the new design is the Baby Bookcase sold through Argos Catalogue shops and also online at www.argos.co.uk . At the start of 2008 this could be found at the top of page 206 of the Argos Catalogue - under Lounge furniture - and cost £ 9.99.

A larger version - the Small Extra Deep Bookcase - costing £19.99, similarly featured two adjustable shelves and was available in the same range of wood finishes - Oak, Beech, Maple and Pine.

The Indonesian made Baby Bookcase ( Catalogue numbers 609/ 0083, 609/ 0090, 609/ 0100 and 610/ 9455 depending on the finish required ) externally measured 650mm wide, 165mm deep and 825mm high. A Maple version fully completed as per the instructions is on the right of the picture above but to the left - under the framed photograph - is the prototype modular display cabinet. This had the internal dimensions of 619mm x 160mm x 734mm.

The modular display cabinet comprised four outer planks and a stiffening plinth and back panel - held together by the wooden dowels, screws and tacks provided - and assembled with just a hammer ( with nail guide included in the package ) and a Phillips type screwdriver - ideally a ratchet one to drive the countersunk screws completely home. The two adjustable shelves were however set aside for recycling into other Baby Bookcases ( along with the plastic coated steel holding spigots provided if needs be ) and replaced with 6mm thickness perspex shelves measuring 619 x 150mm.

In the prototype example seen above, four shelves are used to display a total of 20 Spitfire-sized ( or smaller 1/72 scale ) aircraft, allowing underside detail to be appreciated on all but those on the bottom row. Further experiments have resulted in a Mark II cabinet with five shelves and a nominal capacity of 25 aircraft. In this instance, the top shelf is mounted on spigots inserted in the top set of holes and subsequent shelves on spigots in every other set of holes. The original prototype cabinet has now been upgraded to Mark II standard and a second cabinet - built from scratch to Mark II standards - has begun trials in the same location.

As an alternative, the original shelves could be cut down to the same dimensions if a smaller number of larger, heavier models were to be displayed. As it was though, the 6mm perspex did not sag at all under the light weight of the plastic aircraft and seemed stiff enough to cope with die cast model road vehicles - either marshalled in straight lines or angle parked - or trains on lengths of suitable track which would also help spread the load evenly.

Once the shelves were fitted tight against the back wall of the cabinet and the model aircraft placed in the desired order, the unit was sealed by placing a 6mm perspex sheet measuring 619mm x 734mm against the front of the shelves. This allowed the front of the large perspex sheet to be rebated 4mm into the cabinet, thus reducing the possibility of it accidentally falling out. However, although it seemed to be a snug fit and the imposition of load on the top horizontal plank would have further stabilised it, a tack was driven into the top of the left hand plank as an extra precaution.

In the future though, a more elegant safety device would be a lid with four vertical sides just long enough to halt any escaping perspex but short enough to allow the contents of the cabinet to be seen. This would also further load the top plank but be easily removable when access was required. In fact, for display from both sides, the stiffening back panel could also be replaced by 6mm perspex, although the integrity of the whole cabinet might be compromised if both perspex sheets were to be removed at once! The shelves would also have to be suitably narrowed, perhaps making such a double-sided transparent cabinet suitable for road and rail vehicles only rather than even small aircraft.

All the 6mm perspex used in this project was supplied by the well known firm of Haden-Browne Plastics ( 01452 525314 Fax 01452 300671 ) of 278 Barton Street Gloucester GL1 4JJ.