Hong Kong "Kai Tak" International Airport.

Charter · 05-01-2020, 10:55 AM

Hello.
I have always has a great love for "Kai Tak" airport, the international airport of Hong kong from 1925 to 1998. When it has been closed i started to cry, especially because i have never had the occasion and the privilege to land at runway 13/31 after the dramatic right turn once the pilots saw Chequerboard Hill!
Even after its closure in 1998 Kai Tak remains one of the most extreme and beautiful airports of the world.
So, having to realize an airport of the past, i decided for Kai Tak, where the most beautiful widebodies and airlines of the world landed and took off.
These the airlines landing/taking off at Kai tak:

Aeroflot
Air Canada
Air China
Air France/Air France Asie
Air India
Air Mauritius
Air New Zealand
Air Niugini
Air Vietnam
ANA
Alitalia
Ansett Australia
Asiana
British Airways/British Asia airways
British Caledonian
BOAC
CAAC
Canadian Airlines
Canadian Pacific Airlines
Cathay Pacific
China Airlines
China Eastern Airlines
China Northern Airlines
China Northwest Airlines
China Southern Airlines
China Southwest Airlines
Continental Micronesia
Delta
Dragonair
ELAL
Eva Air
Emirates
Grand Air
Garuda Indonesia
Gulf Air
Imperial Airways
Imperial Japanese Airways
JAL
Japan Asia Airways
Kampuchea Airlines
KLM
Korean Air
Lauda Air
Lufthansa
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Singapore Airlines
Mandarin Airlines
Martinair
Nauru Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Pan American World Airways
Philippine Airlines
PIA
Qantas
Qatar Airways
Royal Air Cambodge
Royal Brunei
Royal Nepal Airlines
SAS
Shanghai Airlines
Singapore Airlines
SAA
Swissair
Transaero
Thai Airways
United Airlines
Varig
Vietnam Airlines
Virgin Atlantic
XiamenAir

A pleasure for the eyes, an incredible list of airlines and, considering all the widebodies landing there, Kai Tak was (and still is) the King of the airports!

I already realized the airport but i had a problem: having pasted in a bad way tempera colors the grey of the apron cracked so i had to remove it and to restart everything.
I am ready to restart the project.

uncle beat · 05-02-2020, 06:11 AM

This realization is going to be incredible! I loved this airport. Back in 1997 I spent a whole afternoon at the city park in front of the checkerboard hill, above which the planes made their final turns to line up with the runway. For a plane spotter, this was pure heaven. Good luck with the painting--this will be a fantastic project!
Pete

Charter · 05-03-2020, 04:32 PM

Thanks Pete, always much appreciated.

After this drama

i had three options:
1) buy another wood panel
2) nail above the "cracked" wood panel another, new wood panel
3) try something i have never tried, stick a cardboard paper above the "cracked" wood panel hoping to obtain something useful.
I decided for the 2nd option, i nailed/sticked a new wood panel above the cracked one, obtaining a completely "virgin" panel to work. And now i am ready to start to re-realize Kai Tak.

About the idea of a cardboard paper sticked above a multilayer wood panel i have to try it because could be a good way for the future!
First of all, with an enough large grey cardboard paper there is no need to paint the wood panel, with no bending problems; second, the apron would already be done because the cardboard is grey, so i should only realize the tarmac grid; third, with cardboard i could use different colors than Uniposca, even coloured pencils.
Yes, i have to try this new method.

Charter · 05-05-2020, 03:35 PM

Checkerboard Hill is done: it seems more "Pan di Zucchero" with Cristo Redentore of Rio de Janeiro on the top, but the effect is good the same.
This is how it would be

Speedbird 001 · 05-05-2020, 04:11 PM

If you ask me....the ground looks even more realistic now with the cracks

Charter · 05-05-2020, 04:12 PM

...and what a sad end!

Charter · 05-05-2020, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedbird 001

If you ask me....the ground looks even more realistic now with the cracks

For this one...

Speedbird 001 · 05-05-2020, 04:19 PM

Actually been ther in 2017, arriving as Tourist. Nowadays the runway is Hosting one of HKG's Cruise Terminals. Hadr to imagine then what it was before….pity.

Malefiska · 05-06-2020, 12:22 PM

This airport has always amazed me despite I've never been nor there, nor in Asia (except Japan).
I even wanted to make a diorama of it but never started as I don't have the airlines that can fit on it. Good luck with this project !

Charter · 05-06-2020, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malefiska

This airport has always amazed me despite I've never been nor there, nor in Asia (except Japan).
I even wanted to make a diorama of it but never started as I don't have the airlines that can fit on it. Good luck with this project !

My sad aviation gap too, Pierre.
Thanks so much for the encouragement.

uncle beat · 05-09-2020, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charter

Checkerboard Hill is done: it seems more "Pan di Zucchero" with Cristo Redentore of Rio de Janeiro on the top, but the effect is good the same.
This is how it would be

How I miss the Kai Tak checkerboard! Seeing it again here, is giving me some inspiration for my own creations. . . .

Charter · 05-09-2020, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uncle beat

How I miss the Kai Tak checkerboard! Seeing it again here, is giving me some inspiration for my own creations. . . .

Did you land at Kai Tak my friend? What a missed occasion for me!
I am working on the project even if slowly because i am thinking to re-store my old airplanes (B747-100/200/300, DC-10, L-1011, A310, A300, etc.).

uncle beat · 05-09-2020, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charter

Did you land at Kai Tak my friend? What a missed occasion for me!
I am working on the project even if slowly because i am thinking to re-store my old airplanes (B747-100/200/300, DC-10, L-1011, A310, A300, etc.).

I landed at Kai Tak twice. The first time was arriving from BKK on a Japan-Asia Airlines DC-10 (with the departure to NRT on their 747) in 1991; the second time was in and out round-trip HKG-DXB on Cathay 772 airplanes in 1997--sitting in their old-style business class recliner seats (how times have changed!!!). For both landings, I had window seats on the starboard side of the aircraft, which gave the most impressive views of the landing as the plane flew in between skyscrapers, and then looking nearly straight down

during the last right-hand turn onto final. Amazing!! Paradise for any aviation lover, I was in Heaven//Pete

Charter · 05-10-2020, 02:55 PM

The airport is finished! I am particularly proud of the result because there are no more Kai Tak pics in Google Maps or Bing Maps, so i had to realize it using various photos took from Google trying to having a general but well detailed map of the apron and runway.
I hope you like it.

"Checkerboard hill"

uncle beat · 05-12-2020, 03:58 AM

That checkerboard looks great!