Sydney Airport Message Board - For the model mad amongst us - The ultimate model for those with $4.8 million

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For the model mad amongst us - The ultimate model for those with $4.8 million

This has to be seen to be believed:

PLANES take off, passengers wander through terminals and workers tend to the jets, but this is no ordinary airport.
The world’s largest model airport/railway, the Knuffingen Airport, has gone on display in Germany.
The incredible model is based on Hamburg Airport and features 40 planes and 90 vehicles that autonomously move around the airport.
It took seven years to build and cost a staggering $4.8 million.
The model includes a “carsystem” that manoeuvres the vehicles by computer. Meanwhile tiny wires move the planes, making them appear to fly.
The model airport, also the world’s largest, goes into operation following seven years of development and construction.
Passengers appear to walk around the terminals and the vehicles even feature flashing lights and indicators. A series of lights around the miniature airport give it a bluish glow.
Luggage, carts, staircases and carparks are also featured in the 150 square-metre display, which also showcases a variety of planes from Airbus A380s to Cessnas.
There are approximately 40,000 lights, 15,000 figurines, 500 cars, 10,000 trees, 50 trains, 1000 wagons, 100 signals, 200 switches and 300 buildings.

http://resources1.news.com.au/images...en-airport.jpg

Herald Sun article, picture gallery and Video

And to think that is NOT the whole model. From what I've heard there are 6 more levels of models there, (had a friend who went there in March, & said the airport model was open then).

Found this link from youtube about the whole shindig http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN_oDdGmKyA

Also have been watching this on youtube, the series of building the airport. Unfortunately it is in german, so have no idea what the guys is saying.
http://www.youtube.com/user/MiWuLaTV.../0/bUqMbtMcECE

That is just fantastic or as we say these days EPIC :eek:
Puts my old hornby train set to shame:p

Love it ... that's my sort of setup.

Any idea of the scale ?

I thought it might be 1:400 but looking at the YouTube videos of aircraft and GHE being tested, it makes me think it may be 1:200 or even 1:100.

Perhaps there may be several models - ie the massive airport 1:400 whilst demonstration models bigger.

Fantastic stuff and a lot of work.

I saw a similar, smaller scale, airport show in London way back in early 1970's where they had a few a/c taxiiing and a loop system with a/c landing and taking off. They had wires at each wing tip with a pulley type system. The departing a/c climbed into a backdrop of clouds etc and disappeared behind black curtains.

There was ATC soundtrack (taken from live ATC previously). Very impressive for its time.

I had thought of doing my own by using Scaletrix track and attaching the car motors to the underside of model a/c (hole in the wing root). Lighting was easy using railway model bulbs, wiring, controls etc. Main problem was controlling speed as the triggers are pretty sensitive and hard to have a slow speed.