It’s a small world after all, or at least a small airport

Though it’s not big enough for anything larger than a ladybug to fly out of, after seven years of work, the world’s largest model airport has finally been completed. After six years of work and $5 million in costs, the world’s largest model railway now has a fully-functional airport. The  job is based on Hamburg, Germany’s Fuhlsbüttel International Airport, which opened in 1911.

Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland, one of Germany’s most popular attractions , already boasted a model railway that housed over 200,000 tiny inhabitants and over 6 miles of track. 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.

At the Wunderland, visitors can watch the tiny goings on in various German and Scandanavian citites and towns, as well as some American locales as well. Each set is alive with the activity of trains, cars, and emergency vehicles that deal with periodic “disasters.” There is even a model of Hamburg itself, and I sincerely hope a tiny model of the model inside the model leading to infinite regression and the end of Universe.

Though the real airport in Hamburg covers almost 6 square kilometers, the display covers only 150 square meters. That’s a lot of airport to fit into that size display. The creators were able to fit in 40 planes, 500 cars, 50 trains, 15,000 figurines, 1,000 wagons, 300 buildings, 10,000 trees, 40,000 lights, 100 signals, and 200 switches.

And this isn’t a stagnant model, it’s continuously moving. There are 40 airplanes that both take off and land, and 90 other vehicles that move all by their selves throughout the runways. The vehicles are powered via computer, and little wires move the planes down the runway and into the sky to make them look like they’re flying. Take a look at the video below to see them in action.

The details are really quite amazing. Passengers appear to be walking on the moving walkway in the terminal. Vehicles, like tow trucks, have tiny flashing orange lights. And some of the cars even have turn signals that work.

The world’s largest miniature airport is on display at Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, which also houses the world’s largest model railroad scene. It appears there’s a lot of tiny transportation going on in Hamburg.

This Video was referred to me by my son, Krish  – He loves Airports !!!