Building a Moment – A Behind the Scenes Look with Huy Ha
Earlier this year, Pacmin Studios oversaw the production and delivery of a full 1:1 scale model of General Atomics’ latest development in unmanned aircraft, the Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
Our Director of Special Projects at Pacmin Studios, Huy Ha organized the final delivery of the project from Pacmin Studios in California to Maryland for the AFA trade show. If you’ve ever been curious how something like that gets accomplished, take a look at Huy’s account of the project below.
When most people think about trade shows, they think about the show – the final product. They’re busy worrying about their travel plans and making sure they see everything they want to see.
Rarely does anyone think about how something like that even came to exist. It’s easy to overlook the fact that hundreds of people had to work together to set everything up in a matter of days. It takes a lot of effort, coordination, adaptability, and sheer luck to pull that off.
We had to get the CCA model to the show in 2 days. That means there was essentially zero time for mistakes.
Normally before such an exhibit, we would practice transporting the pieces, assembling, disassembling, etc. so that when we get to the show, we’re experts in how to handle the model. Under these constraints however, there was no time.
Our schedule meant we had to load the parts up for transport almost immediately after they were complete.
We partnered with TWI Group, a shipping company that actually specializes in shipping logistics for trade shows. We needed a company that was familiar with the urgency and delicate nature of moving a model like this.
The model was divided into seven parts that were loaded onto multiple TWI trucks and driven to Maryland in just 2 days, with multiple drivers taking shifts while the others slept.
As they drove, I flew in to Maryland to meet them. Despite the rush to arrive, I now have to wait until the parts are unloaded off of the truck by the forklift drivers. Then I rush again to make sure everything made it safely, which thankfully was the case for this model.
Once I know everything is in good shape, I start working with the local crew to assemble it all. It’s important to acknowledge the pressure of the situation, but not be rushed to the point where we might make an irreversible mistake. The deadline is important, but the safety of everyone working and the product is still paramount.
The crew I’m working with have never seen this model before so the first step is just education. I need to teach a crash course on how the parts need to be handled as well as what the final display should look like. From there we move everything we can until we get to a point where we need to wait for assistance from the forklift drivers.
It’s always impressive to see everyone work. The people working at these shows are under so much pressure yet still maintain a level of calm and confidence. To see some of the forklift drivers maneuver huge, expensive pieces of equipment they’ve never seen before with such speed and confidence never ceases to amaze me. It takes a certain type of person to do this work.
Once we’ve got it set up, it’s mostly just housekeeping – making sure everyone who will be around the model knows not to climb on it, stuff like that.
Then the trade show opens and all that work culminates to just a few hours of actual showtime. Once it’s all over, we have to reverse the entire process in 1-2 days. We disassemble the model and have it ready to be shipped back to General Atomics for storage. I go home and the crew at the convention center prepares to do it all over again for the next show.
Even though there’s so much preparation involved and the actual display is up only for a few hours, the moments it creates are worth it. When people see such a large, physical model in front of them, it’s really special. It creates a level of excitement and wonder that a two dimensional picture or video just can’t achieve. So while we technically make models, I’m reminded at shows like these that those moments are what we ACTUALLY create.
By Max Ouweleen
Marketing Coordinator at Pacmin Studios and The Model Shop
About Pacmin Studios
Pacmin Studios has been serving the aviation and transportation industries with creative physical and digital models and exhibits since 1946.
Known for producing high quality custom aircraft display models, Pacmin Studios has evolved to provide a suite of additional services, including graphic design, CAD, CGI rendering and animation, livery design, and other transportation marketing solutions.
