Twin brothers, Frederik and Gerrit Braun, have recently completed the construction of the world’s largest model airport costing a grand total of $4.8 million dollars that started back in 2000. The model, Knuffingen Airport, is based on the Hamburg Airport and features 40,000 lights, 500 cars, 15,000 figurines, 10,000 trees, 1000 wagons, 50 trains, 200 switches, 100 signals, 300 buildings, and 40 planes.
The fact that the Knuffingen Airport can come to life makes it that much better with all aircraft and 90 vehicles which are capable of moving around the airport.
Knuffingen Airport Impressions
The airport is a 1:87 scale and the attention to detail are amazing from people’s clothing to the various types of cars to even the choice of colors for the plants in the parking lot. The automated movements of all the vehicles are simply amazing. The technology used is based on the Faller Car System which is a magnet that is attached to the steering arm and guides the vehicles along a steel wire beneath the road’s surface. A sophisticated computer control system coordinate the movement of 90 vehicles with each vehicle having its own processor that assesses its situation 20 times per second. The vehicles are also programmed to obey road signs and traffic signs. The aircraft at the airport even taxi, takeoff, and land using small wires. Even the speed of the aircraft and vehicles are to scale to give it a realistic feel.
Visitors to this airport can interact with the airport with a push of a button as it is programmed to carry out 11 different pre-programmed scenarios. One very cool scenario is the “fire incident” in which a smoke starts to come out of a house followed by actual flames. A fire brigade of three to four vehicles is dispatched with sirens, lights, and all while traffic yields for the fire trucks. Talk about cool!
For more details, check out Miniatur Wunderland and have a look at the gallery below.
