Spring Fling 2012 - The Aero Squadron Lounge

On the property of the local aviation museum sits The Aero Squadron Lounge, a WWI themed lounge modeled after a French farmhouse ruin. Outside is a replica 1917 Sopwith Camel aeroplane, and inside you will find a unique setting to enjoy a beverage and view the WWI and aviation memorabilia. Climb the tower for an aerial view of the Sopwith Camel and picturesque grounds. Stop in today and enjoy one of our signature cocktails: The Flying Ace, The Bombardier, The Tailgunner (limit two please) or The Barnstormer. Please don't feed the hens.
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As you can see, this is a 360° build, with the removable fireplace being the remaining component of the bombed out back wall. This allowed me to include more inside while still maintaining a view of the inside. It's a difficult build to photograph and is best seen in person where you can walk around and peer into all the openings.

I made just about everything for this build myself, including the 1:32 scale Sopwith Camel, dogwood tree, flowers, hens, fireplace and furnishings. The things I purchased include the glass, plastic and metal items as well as the display cabinet, shrubs and lighting. For the interior, I used all WWI photographs found online and built matchstick frames for each and every one of them.

I added two inches to the height, width and depth of the original kit as well as a tower with spiral stone stairs and a balcony. The most challenging part of the build was the 1:32 scale Sopwith Camel, built from a plastic kit by Academy. It had been a long time since I built a model car, and I had never built an airplane let alone one with rigging. I love the way it turned out!