Parachutes on the ground

[flags_of_war]

Does anyone have any good methods for making these at all? I bought some 20mm ones but i keep thinking they look rather small against my 28mm figures.

[Elk101]

What about plain white kitchen roll cut to size and shape and then soaked in PVA and water and shaped as required?

[flags_of_war]

What about plain white kitchen roll cut to size and shape and then soaked in PVA and water and shaped as required?

I was thinking some material but that could be cheaper It might not be smooth though due to the kitchen roll texture.

[Kane]

Toilet Paper? If the leaf is big enough  . I think the key is to search for some decent stuff. You could always go to a cloth store and ask for some scraps of cotton fabric or such? Or destroy an old T-shirt or something?

[former user]

kleenex tissue, paper handkerchiefs.... ?

[Goosegog]

Cheap kitchen towel the stores own bargain brand, when wet any pattern on the paper disappears and you can brush it 'flat' with a wet brush, and push it to make the shape. Sainsbury's value kitchen towel I know does this from experience (not used it to make parachutes, but have considered it). Or green stuff.

[Elk101]

Yes, that's the stuff Goosegog.

[Daeothar]

My initial idea would be to check the local stationary / art supply shop for the thinnest paper I could find. I'm thinking cigaret paper thin here. I've seen the stuff before, and it's even available in A1 format.

Then I'd cut out the canopies and fold them into the desired shape, setting them with PVA glue. Maybe covering the insides with glue first, so they'd stick off their own.

Then, depending on the result, I'd think either another coat of PVA on the outside or, if the initial result is already sturdy enough, copious coats of gloss varnish for strength before Dullcoting them.

And there'd probably be some painting inbetween those stages as well I suppose.

I know that in 1/78 (or 1/72 or 1/87), there are still sets available of WW2 Fallschirmjäger with both open and downed canopies (half open, half collapsed on the ground) in a blister packaging. It was a German company, could have been Preiser or Faller. Was considering them for a FoW project, but that never got started.

Still; they might be of use for you, if their smaller size is not too much of an issue. No idea about the price though; they're OOP, so that might be prohibitive...

[Madmick]

In the pipeline from 1st corps are chutes etc to go with our soon to be re-leased British Para's

[Paleskin]

Sure offensive miniatures do American airborne with chute being pulled from ground position?
Expensive way of solving your problem though!

[BattlewagonBruce]

I have always wanted to do a deployed canopy! I collect toy soldiers too, and a company did a 54mm British Para on a deployed canopy you could hang in your cabinet.
I fancied doing one as eye candy for my airborne games.

The last game I did with the guys, I did the 1 inch paper squares (in Rapid Fire) with each red devil marked on and had a fan at the side of the table. I then got the Brit commander to dice for wind strength before dropping the battalion over his selected drop zone! Well I enjoyed it. One red devil landed in the middle of the German HQ but managed to make it back to his company at the point of a bayonet.

I fancy having a go at the 'chute on the ground thing too!


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