Noy's Miniatures 1/72 WWII Heavy Bomber Display Base
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Overview
Noy's Miniatures is becoming a familiar name in the world of display bases, with a growing range of printed bases in scales ranging from the small 1/144 up to 1/32. Sized to fit standard kits, the choices cover everything from Second World War fields to modern Russian tarmac. While we have reviewed several of their smaller sets, this set, designed for four-engined 1/72 bombers, is one of larger bases Noy's Miniatures produces.
The Base
The WWII Heavy Bomber display base comes rolled in a sturdy cardboard tube for protection, and measures almost 24 inches by 16 inches. The base features a large section of tarmac, edged by grass, simulating the typical "frying pan" dispersal pads used by the RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. The printing is quite good, and as can be seen here, holds up well even with close photos.
The large size, though, does present some challenges, as does the material. While the material is heavy paper, it is not rigid cardstock, and the protective rolled shipping method creates an issue upon arrival. When pulled from the tube, the paper is curled rather heavily, which is challenging to undo. This base pretty much requires mounting to a board of some sort, and while I thought I would give it a try myself, the amount of curling has me thinking it would be safer to take it to a frame shop and have it professionally done. Given the large size, I might also want to put a simple frame edge as well, for extra protection.
As another alternative, you might think about mounting this onto a piece of thin steel sheet, and then frame it. Then you could embed small niobium magnets in the wheels of your models, hang the base on the wall, and display your models vertically. If you give this a try, test the magnets first to make sure they will hold your model firmly, and be sure that your landing gear is firmly attached to the model. Fighters should be no problem, but you might need bigger magnets for a large bomber, and it would not be pleasant to watch your newly finished B-24 fall from the wall, leaving the wheels attached to the base.
Conclusion
While the size presents some challenges, the quality of printing more than makes up for it, and a great benefit of this base is that you can easily photograph 1/72 fighters without having the edges of the base appear in the photos. You might even be able to get away with twin-engined bombers as well, and perhaps even a Lancaster or B-17, depending on the photographic angle.
My thanks to Noy's Miniatures for the review sample. If you can’t find their display bases at any hobby shop, then email them and they’ll reply back with information on how you can obtain yours direct.