Glamour and Technology in Friedrichshafen

A visit to the “Faszination Modellbau” trade show and exhibition in Friedrichshafen—featuring models on land, water, and in the air—is an absolute must for every model builder. Over 350 exhibitors showcase their car, boat, and airplane models—made from all kinds of materials—in seven halls and on the outdoor grounds. Of course, there are also special events as well as spectacular demonstrations of tracked vehicles and construction machinery of all kinds. To accommodate these, countless sand mounds and roads were painstakingly built on the grounds. Oversized water basins serve as the world’s oceans for submarines and other

replicas of ships as the world’s oceans. Railroad tracks as far as the eye can see, and train after train, each one more beautiful than the last. Once again this year, the super air show featuring individual pilots was a major draw. The pioneers of aviation—the biplanes, equipped with machine guns and bombs mounted on their landing gear—in particular had the audience on the edge of their seats with their breathtaking demonstrations. With so much splendor and technology on display, it’s no wonder that thousands of enthusiastic spectators, young and old alike, visit the fair. Some, with sparkling eyes and a cardboard box under their arm, happily set off for home.