# World’s Largest Model Airport Completed In Hamburg **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 13, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-s-largest-model-airport-completed-in-hamburg/581841 "2011-05-13T23:14:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-s-largest-model-airport-completed-in-hamburg/581841/1 "2011-05-13T23:14:37Z")
At a cost of US$4.8 million. By “energetic twin brothers with no shortage of dreams.” See it [here](http://singularityhub.com/2011/05/11/worlds-largest-model-airport-completed-in-hamburg-germany-150-square-meters-costing-4-8-million/). Pretty impressive, but I dunno. If I were energetic with no shortage of dreams, I’m not sure I’d build a humongous model airport. But it does look cool. The planes even fly! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-s-largest-model-airport-completed-in-hamburg/581841/2 "2011-05-13T23:19:41Z")
I bet I could land a small airplane on that baby and convert it into the world’s smallest real airport. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-s-largest-model-airport-completed-in-hamburg/581841/3 "2011-05-13T23:30:11Z")
Maybe they should have a little terrorist-commandeered plane run into the terminal. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-s-largest-model-airport-completed-in-hamburg/581841/4 "2011-05-13T23:39:44Z")
It’s only a model ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-s-largest-model-airport-completed-in-hamburg/581841/5 "2011-05-13T23:43:15Z")
TSA: Tiny Security Agency FAA: Federal Atomic-Sized Aviation ILS: Itty-Bitty Landing System ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-s-largest-model-airport-completed-in-hamburg/581841/6 "2011-05-14T15:27:55Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > It’s only a model Shh. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-s-largest-model-airport-completed-in-hamburg/581841/7 "2011-05-14T17:21:10Z")
What’s with those jetways that aren’t connected to anything? ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-s-largest-model-airport-completed-in-hamburg/581841/8 "2011-05-14T17:46:25Z")
So cool! It’s more than just building models and placing stuff next to each other. Stuff moves, blinks, takes off! Speeds of movements are also according to scale. All done using computer controls, and the entire model is interactive. The details are remarkable! I’d pay to see it. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-s-largest-model-airport-completed-in-hamburg/581841/9 "2011-05-14T18:11:43Z")
> [@nivlac](#): > > So cool! It’s more than just building models and placing stuff next to each other. Stuff moves, blinks, takes off! Speeds of movements are also according to scale. All done using computer controls, and the entire model is interactive. The details are remarkable! I’d pay to see it. If it becomes a tourist attraction I wonder what the lines/security will be like. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-s-largest-model-airport-completed-in-hamburg/581841/10 "2011-05-15T00:47:58Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > If it becomes a tourist attraction I wonder what the lines/security will be like. I did a bit of research after viewing the article and video. The airport display is being added to an existing miniature diorama of some 1500 square meters, housed in a restored factory building in Hamburg, Germany. According to the source I read, about 5 million people have visited the display since it opened a few years ago. This makes me all nostalgic for another animated miniature on this theme called ‘Roadside America’, once located near, er, Hamburg, Pennsylvania. My Dad took me there a couple times when I was a kid. The insane scope of the German one blows it away, however. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-s-largest-model-airport-completed-in-hamburg/581841/11 "2011-05-15T02:29:03Z")
I looked at the video diaries of the lead makers of the model… The level of detail, craft and technology used is insane. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SDXb5ITsQ0E/maxresdefault.jpg "Hinter den technischen Kulissen | Gerrits Tagebuch #13 | Miniatur Wunderland") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDXb5ITsQ0E) The planes that take off and land are not permanently connected to the rods, but move to position to be picked up by them, then the plane returns to the other side using an unseen level to then be picked up to make a landing. The setup can be seen starting at minute 10 of this diary: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SDXb5ITsQ0E/maxresdefault.jpg "Hinter den technischen Kulissen | Gerrits Tagebuch #13 | Miniatur Wunderland") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDXb5ITsQ0E) ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-s-largest-model-airport-completed-in-hamburg/581841/12 "2011-05-15T07:42:07Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > This makes me all nostalgic for another animated miniature on this theme called ‘Roadside America’, once located near, er, Hamburg, Pennsylvania. My Dad took me there a couple times when I was a kid. The insane scope of the German one blows it away, however. Also, Roadside America was last updated in 1963. And last painted in 1973. And last _dusted_ in 1983 :eek: I’ve been wanting to take a road trip down Hamburg way to see the Miniatur Wunderland for a couple of years now. This pushes it up on the priority list.