KPHL - 1:400

[BubblesAviation]

It’s hard until you do it a couple times. Airports have certain regulations depending what aircraft go where of course and there’s some loose literature surrounding certain airports and FAA/global requirements and regulations.

Seattle actually has documents online for their ground markings and what lines go where and how big/long each line is which is fun. For example on PHL here, I haven’t found anything online like Seattle’s but if you look at nearly every other US Airways owned gate from 2005-2015 you’ll see they’re all the same basic shape. Anything up to an A320/21 on this diorama is the “triangle with a box top” as I’ll call it. I’ve made the max width on those to be ~1 7/8in on each side of the centerline, as in scale that’s generally about how wide that space is to accommodate those aircraft. The 757 gates change by adding the flat perpendicular lines in front of the engines, and also increases overall width to ~2in on each side of the centerline. Some airports are even a touch bigger to specifically accommodate winglet 75s easier. The 767 gates are the 757 shape, but bigger now! Every US Airways gate (mostly) has always looked like these which becomes easy to replicate as you do things. Certain gates will also have their own quirks depending on space requirements and all that fun stuff which does make it more difficult.

I am home now and want to work on this anyways so let me do a new gate and try to remember to take photos during the process!

Just reading this. I have set realism markers for my fictional stuff to make my gate markings realistic to a fictional airport.

Colors may vary.


Jetblue


Delta/United


Southwest



Only difference that I do between Delta/United’s and American’s is the top.

 

[bakejobb_23]

Just reading this. I have set realism markers for my fictional stuff to make my gate markings realistic to a fictional airport.

Colors may vary.

View attachment 65449
Jetblue

View attachment 65450
Delta/United

View attachment 65451
Southwest


View attachment 65452
Only difference that I do between Delta/United’s and American’s is the top.

These aren’t bad! Only major correction, Jetblue on the wingspan lines usually aren’t too long, only just barely encapsulate the end of the wing/winglets, In scale maybe a half inch or so depending on the airport. The rest look good for modern standards!

 

[BubblesAviation]

These aren’t bad! Only major correction, Jetblue on the wingspan lines usually aren’t too long, only just barely encapsulate the end of the wing/winglets, In scale maybe a half inch or so depending on the airport. The rest look good for modern standards!

That was my first JetBlue so I have to correct a little more.

 

[IndyJets]

Idea for you and @Purpleplane ... why don't you team up to show the situation surrounding each end of a specific PHL-IND flight? Agree on a specific date, flight number, and tail number (assuming you each have the same model in your collection)... then set up your terminal with whatever activity would have been going on at departure and arrival time at each end...

 

[Purpleplane]

I can do that.

 

[bakejobb_23]

Idea for you and @Purpleplane ... why don't you team up to show the situation surrounding each end of a specific PHL-IND flight? Agree on a specific date, flight number, and tail number (assuming you each have the same model in your collection)... then set up your terminal with whatever activity would have been going on at departure and arrival time at each end...

I can do that.

i love that idea! Once I finally get this thing finished i’ll shoot a DM and we can coordinate I don’t have any duplicate regs which might get a tad difficult but I should basically have enough models to do enough!

 

[Purpleplane]

i love that idea! Once I finally get this thing finished i’ll shoot a DM and we can coordinate I don’t have any duplicate regs which might get a tad difficult but I should basically have enough models to do enough!

Sounds good. I don't have any duplicate regs either. I have basically at least 1 model of each type in each paint scheme.

 

[bakejobb_23]

Sounds good. I don't have any duplicate regs either. I have basically at least 1 model of each type in each paint scheme.

1997-2003 schedules would probably be easiest for me with what I have, also mid to late 2010s as well! do you have any schedules for PHL sitting around for those years that would match up with your IND schedules?

 

[Purpleplane]

1997-2003 schedules would probably be easiest for me with what I have, also mid to late 2010s as well! do you have any schedules for PHL sitting around for those years that would match up with your IND schedules?

I have OAGs for 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003. 1997 you'll be able to find on https://www.departedflights.com/oagintro.html
actually 1997, 2001 and 2005 would be on https://departedflights2.com/

 

[IndyJets]

The rectangles on top of the roof are definitely A/C in some capacity. I don’t know what the black spots are but they’re flat on the real building. possibly roof patch work? possibly access panels? Walking platforms? These terminals are originally from the 1960s so it might be part of the hodge-podge layout now.

The black spots are walkways to access the equipment. I had a couple of places on IND where I had to install those. I did mine using decals.

Apparently the type of roof material used on these buildings can't be walked on directly.

 

[bakejobb_23]

The black spots are walkways to access the equipment. I had a couple of places on IND where I had to install those. I did mine using decals.

Apparently the type of roof material used on these buildings can't be walked on directly.

Interesting. I was planning to decal/weather my terminals at some point but also considering getting them remade by someone else. There’s a few things with these terminals that need improvements for a V2 that should hopefully take it over the top someday. Most 3D print creators are backlogged right now so it’s been pushed back a lot lol

 

[IndyJets]

Interesting. I was planning to decal/weather my terminals at some point but also considering getting them remade by someone else. There’s a few things with these terminals that need improvements for a V2 that should hopefully take it over the top someday. Most 3D print creators are backlogged right now so it’s been pushed back a lot lol

Have you reached out to Andrew Roeske of Tarmac Designs? He may do as he did for me and offer you a free print in exchange for the rights to the design to be added to the product line.

 

[bakejobb_23]

Have you reached out to Andrew Roeske of Tarmac Designs? He may do as he did for me and offer you a free print in exchange for the rights to the design to be added to the product line.

I may, I just got my LAX terminal from him so I may be going back. I do prefer the clipper models jetways over everyone else’s still, but TD’s new three tier jetways excite me. I hope to have someone make custom length jetways for every gate as there’s some odd sized ones at PHL for how tight it is. It’s a touch task as it’s like 20 unique length jetways. 2 of them don’t even extend in real life as they just pivoted side to side to meet the aircraft (they were replaced in 2015ish timeframe. I hope to have all that replicated eventually.

 

[IndyJets]

I may, I just got my LAX terminal from him so I may be going back. I do prefer the clipper models jetways over everyone else’s still, but TD’s new three tier jetways excite me. I hope to have someone make custom length jetways for every gate as there’s some odd sized ones at PHL for how tight it is. It’s a touch task as it’s like 20 unique length jetways. 2 of them don’t even extend in real life as they just pivoted side to side to meet the aircraft (they were replaced in 2015ish timeframe. I hope to have all that replicated eventually.

I was able to replicate all of the jetways at IND using either the GJ "long" or "short" versions, adjusting them to fit. I did make some extensions for some, from the terminal to the pivot point. I got really lucky I suppose.

But Andrew should be able to fix you up just right. He already does jetways so it's just a matter of customizing the length.

 

[bakejobb_23]

I was able to replicate all of the jetways at IND using either the GJ "long" or "short" versions, adjusting them to fit. I did make some extensions for some, from the terminal to the pivot point. I got really lucky I suppose.

But Andrew should be able to fix you up just right. He already does jetways so it's just a matter of customizing the length.

IND, while also being old, still had a good amount of space if I remember correctly (compared to PHL lol) plus not being a hub, and closing in about 2010 helps too. Remember PHLs B/C were built in the 60s, one of the oldest terminal buildings in America I believe. Yes they’ve undergone hundreds of improvement and gentle expansion projects but every gate was maximized to be able to accommodate those 757s and briefly/sporadically the 767s. AA only uses up to A321s there now so they’ve been able to get a couple feet of breathing room which is nice but even the taxiways and everything surrounding them is just tight. Talk to anyone who knows PHLs airport and they’ll tell you they need to demo the whole place like LGA did a couple years ago. It would benefit the whole of PHL eventually but the city probably doesn’t want to invest the money until it’s too late and then they’ll start the plugs to stop the water intake.

Tangent aside, I need some s h o r t jetways and some weird extensions. I think 2 longer GJ jetways fit the right way at certain gates and the short ones fit maybe half or so. It’s crazy you don’t realize how tight it is till you start building it

 

[bakejobb_23]

I have been working hard to get this project done. Lots of tedious work has been completed tonight. all the white striping along centerlines and the yellow striping for the jetway safety zones are now complete. Along with that the road is nearly complete. All that is left is a layer of clear coat spray to lock this in, adding numbers and labels on all the black squares, and doing a ton of weathering (finally!) Tomorrow (or very soon) I should complete the numbers and other signage. then a day of weathering and clear coating to finish up! Not too much left to go!



B:


C:

 

[OllieBHaas25]

That looks amazing!

 

[bakejobb_23]

No new progress today but I HAD to set it up to see it. Enjoy a few preliminary photos before it’s fully done. Enjoy!



I am realizing I should 100% get a background for this. I would love to have an angle of the main head house between B/C and maybe show a few of the other tails down the pier. Might be hard to achieve but maybe I can find someone to edit together a few photos and use some AI to get that done someday. If anyone has any recommendations on custom backgrounds let me know!

 

[BubblesAviation]

No new progress today but I HAD to set it up to see it. Enjoy a few preliminary photos before it’s fully done. Enjoy!

View attachment 68037View attachment 68038View attachment 68039View attachment 68040View attachment 68041View attachment 68042View attachment 68043View attachment 68044

I am realizing I should 100% get a background for this. I would love to have an angle of the main head house between B/C and maybe show a few of the other tails down the pier. Might be hard to achieve but maybe I can find someone to edit together a few photos and use some AI to get that done someday. If anyone has any recommendations on custom backgrounds let me know!

Just amazing work!

 

[LeoMuse747]

No new progress today but I HAD to set it up to see it. Enjoy a few preliminary photos before it’s fully done. Enjoy!

View attachment 68037View attachment 68038View attachment 68039View attachment 68040View attachment 68041View attachment 68042View attachment 68043View attachment 68044

I am realizing I should 100% get a background for this. I would love to have an angle of the main head house between B/C and maybe show a few of the other tails down the pier. Might be hard to achieve but maybe I can find someone to edit together a few photos and use some AI to get that done someday. If anyone has any recommendations on custom backgrounds let me know!

Stunning beyond words... a masterpiece