Growth and Change: 1:400 Juniper Bay Airport

Starz10p Aviation

Well-known member
Hey everyone. Earlier this year I debuted a new model airport and model airport update series to my channel. This series is named Growth and Change, and i find it to be a rather unique concept. Every update I do for this model airport, I change something, growing a small regional field to a large international airport at a slow and realistic (but sped up) pace. Most of my airports are on a set base with a set terminal, but the reason this one is on loose paper is that the layout changes so much, that it makes zero sense to have a dedicated base for it, new gates and aprons are being added frequently, so the layout needs to be flexible. I made this thread to show off the progress the series goes through, sort of a compliment to the actual series. The main goal of the series is to simulate a real airport’s growth and change over time.

The airport right now is still fairly small, but growing fast.

AIRPORT NAME: Juniper Bay Municipal Airport (Will change name to “International Airport” when the airport grows enough)
ICAO code: KJUB
IATA Code: JUB
Gates: (As of update 4): 10

For example, Update 1 featured a small terminal with one route, a United Express CRJ2 flight to San Francisco.

Here is what the airport looked like then.
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Update 2 brought new airline service, but no airport expansion.

Update 3 was where things began to pick up for the series. Phase 1 of the airport expansion project was underway, and added larger aircraft to United Express’s routes, and a new airline, Delta.

Here is the layout as of update #3

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Update #4, the latest update, was where I expanded the footprint of the airport for the first time, extending the apron, moving the FBO, and adding a new wing to the terminal, also adding the first of two jet bridges to this phase of the airport expansion project.

Here are some photos of the latest rendition of Juniper Bay.

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Let me know what you guys think of the layout, concept, or updates. I will be updating this thread monthly after each update.
 
Let me know what you guys think of the layout, concept, or updates. I will be updating this thread monthly after each update.

I think you have an interesting layout, nice models and plenty of space for a nice diorama! I suggest you to get rid of the paper, it's not really a suitable material for a good airport diorama. Try using an MDF board and acrylic paint for the runway and taxiways. Acrylic paint and modeling grass can also be used for grass areas. There are some very cool tutorials on Youtube about how to create a model airport, which can come in super handy! :D
 
I actually kind of like this idea! I may give this a go at some point for fun. The paper is great for doing things quickly to show rapid change without committing to painting on hardwood which always feels more permanent. Id recommend at least using a ruler or straight edge to mark things out in the future! It will give you a much cleaner look.
 
I actually kind of like this idea! I may give this a go at some point for fun. The paper is great for doing things quickly to show rapid change without committing to painting on hardwood which always feels more permanent. Id recommend at least using a ruler or straight edge to mark things out in the future! It will give you a much cleaner look.
I’ve been trying to lately, The first rendition of the airport (which still exists in segments) was a bit rushed
 
I think you have an interesting layout, nice models and plenty of space for a nice diorama! I suggest you to get rid of the paper, it's not really a suitable material for a good airport diorama. Try using an MDF board and acrylic paint for the runway and taxiways. Acrylic paint and modeling grass can also be used for grass areas. There are some very cool tutorials on Youtube about how to create a model airport, which can come in super handy! :D
I actually have a full time wooden airport. The main concept of this airport is rapid change, which requires changing layouts for gates, runways, and layouts frequently, meaning I would have to repaint the entire airport once a month. That’s the main reason why I use paper, for this concept it’s the only option.

My other main airport is on plywood, has paint, and modeling grass. (You can see the runway in the background of one of the images)
 
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