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Thursday, November 3, 2011

~ Knuffingen Airport ~

by Tina~in_ut

It took a grand total of six years to build but an incredible new miniature model, called Knuffingen Airport, based on Hamburg’s airport, has finally opened to the public.

It’s on display at Miniatur Wunderland, in Hamburg, and features 40 aircraft that take off and land and 90 vehicles that trundle around the runways automatically.

Making something this small and perfectly formed doesn’t come cheap. It cost 3.5million Euros – but the result is plane-ly amazing.



The real airport opened in 1911 and remains the oldest operational airport in the world. When it was first built it covered a mere 45 hectares – it’s now ten times bigger and measures a whopping 2.2sq miles.

The various vehicles and planes on the model version are able to move around thanks to an innovative ‘carsystem’, which manoeuvres the vehicles by computer.

The planes even take off thanks to miniature wires that carry them off the end of the runway.


The attention to detail is astounding. The planes park themselves and passenger walkways slowly move into place. 


The tow trucks even feature little flashing orange lights and the petrol tanks can be seen indicating which way they are about to turn. What's more, the airport lights up spectacularly to create an entrancing night scene.





37 comments:

Zona said...

Good Morning!!

TINA: Omg..I want one! Ok..I know..that's ridiculous..I mean I have no where to put it and I sure wouldn't want to dust it...but I still want one! How did you find about this? It's just over the top cool!!

Zona said...

I just watched the other vid..with the trains and boats..I'm lovin' this place..sooo cool!

Another busy day today..Mr Z's vacations wear me out.. :D

Have a good day one and all! :)

Unknown said...

OMG! I have collected these airplanes for 20 years. Herpa...Dragon Wings...all the finest of these heavy replicas that have unbelievable detail. And my collection is impressive because I stay on top of that world....

This airport is my fantasy. Really. Since I was very young I have always been attracted to every aspect of airline travel.

When I started collecting these planes I was attempting to get a replica of every type of plane I had ever ridden on....then it just kind of exploded....lol

I bought a special cabinet for them. More of a curio cabinet with a mirrored back and glass shelves that I had customized with additional glass shelves for a total of 8 and halogen lighting...the planes are all perfectly placed...some on stands...and it is beautiful...people see it and say whoa!
Kids think they are toys and are mesmerized by it and I always have to take a few out for them to look at up close...

I could blabber about this for hours...

this is my alcohol...my drug.

I have all the Braniff jets thats I worked on...they are my favorites...

This airport would be a dream come true for me but I would prefer a replica of DFW...and I have plenty of room for one so please make your donations today to make my wish come true...

Did I mention I'm dying?

Tina I am impressed...this made me stop thinking about the fact that after you watched that video of the Judge beating his daughter and said "yeah...we did that to our kids for the same thing...only we beat em with clubs"....

she and they prolly deserved it...I gotta watch this video again!!

Tinka said...

Good Morning Zona-My-Baby - I want one too. I love anything in miniature. That's why I love my doll house and enjoy going through Miniature World, (a tourist attraction downtown). This is the most fascinating thing I have ever seen.

Tinka said...

Good Morning Michael - When my "ship comes in" I will buy the airport for you.

Thanks Tina for sharing this with us.

Off to check my farms. Take care everyone.

Unknown said...

Thanks Tinka!!

When my ship comes back I'll take everyone who wants to go to this place in Hamburg!!

On the Queen Mary II!! Sail over from NYC and fly back....zoom zoom zoom!

Wait. I tend to be overly generous. Let me get a price on that trip before committing....lq

Shirley(NCC-1701) said...

Splat!

Afternoon Zona (beautiful as always), Michael and Tinka!

Shirley(NCC-1701) said...

Tina this is a very cool model! The builders of this must have had a blast (a few headaches too but...). You could look at this for houes and still not see everything. Thanks Tina!

Shirley(NCC-1701) said...

Michael you should show us some pictures of your airplanes.

Just_Lin said...

Zona You are so bright and beautiful today! Have you taken down your Halloween decorations yet I haven't. I guess I should put that on today's agenda.

Just_Lin said...

Tina That was totally cool! Thanks for the blog. I guess we're never too old for toys, right? Speaking of toys....where's HOdi? lq

Just_Lin said...

Michael Maybe you should put "visit Hamburg" on your to-do list so you could enjoy that magnificent miniature airport in person. It would have been fun to work on it, huh?

Just_Lin said...

Waving at Tinka and Shirley.

I hope you all have a great day. It is gray and gloomy here now.

Dianne/Denver said...

Hi

Just_Lin said...

Dianne Hi, Hi, to you, too.

Tina~in_ut said...

Thanks for all the comments~ My work husband sent me the link~ I told him you guys would love it and thanked him for the blag~ :D

Dianne/Denver said...

Ok I'm done with my lunch date and can write more now. I didn't really mean to write hi twice but who knows what I do on this phone

Tina, how interesting to have every tiny piece for that project. I don't think I would be patient enough to even do a mini one. Thanks for the blog

Michael, it would be interesting to see a picture and have a blog on ur planes

Tink, I would love to see ur miniatures too

JL, hi back to u twice

Zona, what fun vacation things did u do today? Are u pooped?

Hi Shirley, what's new with u? We had big snow yesterday and 50 today-- crazy weather

Unknown said...

I posted some photos on FB and tagged you all....

This plane is one I love. I had put off buying it because it was pricey.. until it crashed that night. I knew when I saw the news that it was Tropical Megatop that had crashed so I secured one over the phone that night....

I guess it "takes one to know one....but I love these planes....Like Tina loves crafty things I guess...

Tina~in_ut said...

off to opening night of Bye Bye Birdie~ yay!!~

Just_Lin said...

Michael That's quite a collection you have. Do you rotate them in the curio cabinet?

Just_Lin said...

Tina Have fun! Is this the musical that your kids are in? "Bye, Bye Birdie" was the first professional theater performance that I ever saw. I think I was summer before my freshman year.

Shirley(NCC-1701) said...

Why are we saying bye bye to Birdee?

Um Tina you said your "work husband" sent you the link...is he different from your "at home husband"? How many husbands do you have?

Just_Lin said...

Shirley Don't forget...she's in Utah. ;)

Just_Lin said...

25

Tina~in_ut said...

Intermission.......the girl is fantastic......and the boy is doing great with the lighting......

Unknown said...

lol at J/L and Shirley "shes in Utah!"

J/L...no rotating....as I get new ones or sell or trade one I might just put some of the ones that I have had forever away. 250 is kinda the limit for the cabinet.

There are all mostly to the same scale so you can for example put a flock of 737'3 or A320's under the wings of a 747-4 or an A380....and many are on stands that means they have very little footprint on their shelf...

Just_Lin said...

Tina How fun! I'm glad things are going so well with the production.

Just_Lin said...

Michael Is that an extra large curio cabinet?

Unknown said...

Its very large J/L..about 7' tall and 7' wide and mostly glass...

Tina~in_ut said...

My daughter the thespian~

Just_Lin said...

Michael Yes, that is a big one.

Just_Lin said...

Tina Did you take pics!

Unknown said...

Just love her and support her because...it gets better....

Tina~in_ut said...

J/L~ no pics....that girl was freaking hilarious~ I had to run to work afterwards and didn't get home until right before she was going to bed....I went to her room to tell her how fabu she was, and she was worried that she kept dropping her accent....but O M G!!!! her physical comedy was OMG over the top hilarious~ I've never been more proud~ And the techie boy....as he said, "he closes the show" He had the last spotlight and follows the last two characters off the stage and closes it down to nothing....he did a great job! I don't think I've ever paid attention to spotlighting in my life and tonight I knew which one was his each and every time! This is when being a mother is fun! Thanks for letting me gush~

Just_Lin said...

Tina How fun! It sounds like it was a wonderful night.

Tina~in_ut said...

OMG.....it was J/L~ And I get to go again tomorrow and sunday~ ...and next thurs/fri/sat....maybe I'll be sick of it by then~ :)~

Just_Lin said...

Tina Nah, you won't be tired of it. Now, if they were doing it for two months, you might be. ;)