3D Stands
Accessory: Flight Stands
Review by Russ Lockwood
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3D StandsAccessory: Flight StandsReview by Russ Lockwood |
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Enter 3D Stand, from New Dimension Games, Inc., a clever idea how to put miniatures and model planes or spaceships above the tabletop or floor. 3D Stand consists of three pieces:
Large photo of antenna/bead assembly (45K) You must glue the model or miniature to one of the beads. Since they all snap on and off, the idea is to glue one bead to the underside of the model/miniature, then snap the model onto the rest when needed.
Pros and Cons I've played in a few of aerial miniatures games, mostly WWI with 1/72nd plastic models and once with 1/700 scale WWII plastic models. Both used the sliding-style antennas mounted on a base. In the WWI example, the flexible part to depict banking was a plastic flexi-straw. You couldn't invert it at all, although you could go 90 degrees in a bank. It was a tad precarious and you had to be careful when twisting, especially because the base wasn't near heavy enough. In the WWII game, banking wasn't as important as height, and the tiny 1/700 scale planes were glued in place. Other games I've seen at conventions used scratchbuilt dowels with clothespins and wire. Testing Not having any 1/72nd models about, I can't say I tested it out in a game, but I did assemble one, extend the antenna to its fullest height, and hung various objects about it with the beads at a 90-degree angle. A plastic Transformer held up fine, as did a wooden egg timer. A roll of scotch tape (in plastic dispenser) also was fine, but a Matchbox truck (in cardboard packaging) tipped the unit over. I had to lower the antenna down to the second segment (about 18" tall from tabletop), before the stand held the truck aloft. An 8.5-inch long metal scissors tipped the assembly over in an instant, although lowering the unit to just under the 2 segment height stabilized the center of gravity enough to keep the stand upright. OK, this may not be the most scientific of studies, but it shows what you can expect from various objects. You can always add weight on the base to keep larger models flying. As I put the stand through its paces, turning and twisting the beads takes a little practice, as I would detach them if I tried to make too sharp an angle. If you go over about a 45-degree angle between two beeds, one will pop off. One concern is the attachment of a bead to a model. The bead "head" is flat and approximately 1/4 inch (7mm) in diameter, which means you may need to shave a bit off curved undersides of models for a proper fit. A liberal dose of glue is a necessity, and the company recommends a layer of epoxy over where bead meets model for added strength.
There are alternatives to 3D Stands, but there are none easier that 3D Stands. The plastic beads bend with minimal effort, they feel like they will last a lifetime, and the base seems heavy enough to ensure stability for most models. The $9.95 price may put you off, especially if you have a dozen or two planes, but if you figure out what your time costs to cut out and finish bases, drill a hole, buy antennas, find interlocking beads, and manufacture such a thing yourself, you may not feel so queasy. Packs of 10 beads cost $4.95 plus 50 cents for shipping/handling. Contact:
4 Kennedy Rd. Cambridge, MA 02138 617-576-9447 NDG@world.std.com world.std.com/~tonyr/ Back to Other Game Review List Back to Master Game Review List Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1997 by Coalition Web, Inc. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com |
When it comes to recreating aerial combat with miniatures, that third dimension can be difficult to duplicate, especially if you want a real visual look. Certainly boardgames have dealt with this by using markers/counters or paper log sheets, but when you are using miniatures, you really want to "see" in 3D.
The antenna puts in the wooden base, with the a bead already affixed to the top of the antenna. Nine more beads are loose, but snap onto the other bead, forming a flexible chain of 10 beads. It takes all of about 2 minutes to assemble.
These beads can then be flexed and moved with ease, including being bent 180 degrees, meaning your plane can now depict being inverted while actually, well, inverted. Certainly relatively small miniatures are safe enough, although fighter planes larger than, say, 1/72nd scale, might require additional beads if you want true upside down portrayal.
The five-segment antenna is tall enough for perspective, whether you opt for "very low, low, medium, high, very high" style altitudes, or mark lines on each segment for greater gradiations.