REAL tabletop parachutes!

[Geudens]

I'm building and painting my SF airborne brigade and although dropships are on the to do list, I also wanted some parachuted troops and equipment but saw no point in painting a number of figures that would last only one turn on the tabletop (whilst descending...).

So I went to work in Corel Draw, made a ractangle with rounded corners and a slightly smaller one to fit it the centre, typed a line of "-----" and placed this vertically in the rectangles, cutting and pasting it untill I had lines of stitches all over the "canvas".  I then downloaded a woodland pattern from the net and placed it behind the (clear) rectangles: voila!

I printed the design twice on 80 gr paper and glued it back to back, making a sturdy enough canvas.  I then slightly bended two floral wires (1mm thick) in the centre over a length equal to the canvas, glued the wires on the inside (on the black lines of the inner rectangle) and cut in at the corners, so I could fold the rim.  A couple of more cuts in the rim made that look real enough to and I then twisted the wires into one lump at the bottom with two pairs of plyers.

I glued a piece of magnetic foil to a small metal base and a small length of plastic rod to the bottom (to fit over a GW flying base).

Since my figures all have washers underneath, they stick to the magnetic foil and the parachute is held in place on the back of the figure with a tiny elastic band (well, will be so, I have to go to the shop to buy some...).  I tested it with a larger elastic and feel confident if a small enough one is used, it will look like just another belt on the figure. As soon as it is "landed" the chute and elastic are removed anyway... For taking the pic (paratrooper) the chute is just placed in balance (but won't stand handling... ), but with the vehicle it is stuck between for and aft, so I don't need to attach it there...).

For a cost of next to nothing (the printouts being probably the most expensive part) I have now the possibility to really "drop" my troops!   

Rudi

[Gluteus Maximus]

Great idea for demo/participation games 

[Sendak]

You're a genius!

'Chutes are simple, effective, and convincing.

Schweet!

[Geudens]

Great idea for demo/participation games 

Indeed; for participation games it will attract people and for demos it will attract attention (I hope...).

Rudi

[chicklewis]

Highly cool, remarkably effective ! 

Rudi, your genius is showing.

Chick

[Major Weenie]

Sigh!
Again a fine job of miniature craftsmanship.
ECH, over at the TBC, appears to have whipped himself into a nautical frenzy of compliments on your work.  I fear that, somehow, this will result in me having to 'make something.'
You are coming up with too many 'annoying' (as in annoying = too good to ignore, and thus means more work for me) ideas of late.
Regards,
Dow
PS - I am now going to take your advice and 'Post some things.'  Other LAF members should now blame you for the eclectic barrage of nonsense to follow.

[Geudens]

Thx guys!  I'm willing to create a few pdf versions of the chutes (in different patterns of camo) and a tutorial, but probably no over the next few days (I'm on vacation - at home... - and have to do some work on 1/1 scale buildings...   ).

Rudi

[earthdog]

How can i say anything that hasn't been said before....

Great idea

You're a genius!

Highly cool

a fine job of miniature craftsmanship

Splendid idea, excellent looking work, this is definitily going into my "Hint&Trics" list.

Did I mention that I like them?

[twrchtrwyth]

Excellent.

[Plynkes]

Outstanding.

To go a stage further and actually 'drop' figures on the table, I have a suitable parachute, that I was given as a novelty Christmas gift. It is a packed chute that attaches to the top of a champagne cork (it digs into the top, the chute itself is stored in a container that clips to the side of the bottle). When you pop the cork it launches into the air and floats gently to earth. All you need to do is think up some way of to attaching your figures to it, and you have a great random way of determining where (or if) your parachuting troops land on the tabletop.

It would probably be best just used as a cool way of deciding where to put the troops rather than actually launching them with it. But if you really, really like champagne and don't much care if your figures get bashed about, you could send each individual figure on to the table this way. Though by the time a few troopers had landed, I don't think anybody would be in a fit state to actually play the game...