Category Archives: Aircraft & Vehicles

Entry Level And On A Budget

Aircraft & Vehicles, Miniatures

The Dollar Store is my favorite place to buy fun Christmas Stocking Stuffers.

Had an aerial combat fixation last December.  Don’t know how many hits on Tumbling Dice’s 1/600 aircraft fantasizing about a early WW2 campaign with all the obsolete/obsolescent planes of the late 1930’s.  Then became fixated on Wings of Glory/War for WW1 action.  Lots of time and lots of expense for a questionable solo gaming project.

Back to The Dollar Store….  While rooting around for goodies found (Yes, for $1 each) five piece bags of each of these whacked beauties.

The orange critter does look like a modern jet, while the “Blue Thing” reminded me of SuperCar.

“What the hell, it’s only $2, and it might be fun”.

Well, it was, and while not to everyone’s taste, the results are shown below.

I used an index card to fabricate horizontal and vertical stabilizers for “The Thing”, and then channeled an SS officer who was a Pointillist to come up with the modern jet’s camouflage.  Picked up a tip on the net (forget where) and used light blue with blue Vallejo wash for the canopies.  Works OK.

The next problem is toy-like jet aircraft rules to fit the models.  Cannot be serious with these guys.  Will mess around with that while painting up two more.

Poor Misbegotten Thing

Aircraft & Vehicles, Back of Beyond

Well, it’s over.  The lengthy, frustrating, and unfulfilling process of building the BoB Gunboat has ended.  So many iterations, so many days lingering on the workbench.

Almost all wargame projects start out full of promise, the completed object so thoroughly pictured in the mind’s eye.  Ahh, then the harsh reality of actually building the damn thing.  In many instances the process is so painful that the object is put out of sight and relegated to a box.  Sometimes, it’s just a matter of stepping away, getting a break, and coming back with renewed energy and ability to see what needs to be done for a quality project.  Other times……it just doesn’t happen.

The Gunboat is about as close as I have come to an adult version of my Pinewood Derby car.  My Dad let me build it myself.  The finished project was bad even by 9-year old standards.  Dad tried to salvage things, but it was too little, too late.  The other Cubbies had cool looking cars.  Mine was not.  In a Disney movie, I would win and my ugly piece of child work would be admired.  Didn’t happen.

So it is with the Gunboat, a child-like effort unfortunately completed by an adult.  Oh Well….My, My.

Here’s a picture along with a link to GIF of its Captain.

Ughhhhhhh!

Aircraft & Vehicles, Back of Beyond, Miniatures

Here’s the latest (and probably last) addition to my BoB air force. It’s an Avia BH-11. But, notice something missing? Windscreens.

Yes, it was trash day and in my frenzy to get out both garbage and recycling, as well as tidy up the war gaming room, I grabbed the box of the (I thought) now assembled aircraft and tossed it, with some other stray boxes, into the recycling.

This morning at 0530 I was thinking about the day, and finishing the model. Ooops…..the windscreens were in the ^&Y&^%*$ box which is now down at the Knott Road Landfill. I’ve dumpster dived, but never land fill dived. Ughhhhhh.

Oh Well, My My. Another stupid war gaming trick. I’ll wait and see how much this omission bothers me until I try to fabricate the screens (they were different and neat looking) or just eat it, and (this is insane) buy a new kit.

Here’s a link to footage of a  BH-11 in flight.

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More Progress

Aircraft & Vehicles, Back of Beyond, Miniatures

OK, now fishing is in the way of the Renaissance Skirmish, but I did finish up my Ford Flivver.  Check out the photo of how small it is.  Here’s the story on it.

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Saw it when scanning through E-Bay for planes.  So adorable I had to take it home.  Figure it will make a great personal aircraft for the Mercenary Commander.  Maybe use it to scare the locals, buzzing them and throwing hand grenades.  Again, hopefully adding some pulp elements to the Back of Beyond campaign (whenever that starts??!?).

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Biggie Rat and Itchy Brother – Final Installment For “The Rest Of The Story”

Aircraft & Vehicles, Back of Beyond, Miniatures

Finished the “Rest Of The Story” aircraft.  When I set it next to the plane featured in “The General Is Pleased”, I could only think of these  TV Cartoon characters.  Something about the two side-by-side.  Related, but definitely different.

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As generic and spurious as these planes are, what I like about them is that the are in-scale.  Just received a Fokker D-7 (which was a staple for both sides in the RCW), and it is way too big.

Now that these two are painted, have started hammering away (literally) at the RE-8.  Feel like a medieval orthopedic surgeon (Theodoric?).  Engine mount all messed up.  Didn’t notice it when purchased…..typical.  Should work,  despite the promiscuous use of pliers, files and screwdrivers.  More on that later.

 

The Rest Of The Story

Aircraft & Vehicles, Back of Beyond, Miniatures

With apologies to Paul Harvey……Two similar aircraft, a modeling Body Double.

My last post featured the second aircraft I had purchased at Hobby Lobby.  The first was featured earlier, but my clumsy attempts at removing the wheel spats and pilot head rest relegated it to garage purgatory.  The problem was that I insisted on using what remained of the metal landing gear struts for the new – more period appropriate – gear.

Well, after I finished the “spatted version”, I saw the landing gear problem differently.  Get rid of the metal struts and use the existing wheels (freed from the spats), and wood struts.  What kind of wood….matchsticks worked perfectly.  I drilled holes in the fuselage to anchor the gear, applied superglue to the cut-down matchsticks and..,…..

Back From Purgatory & Ready For Priming

Back From Purgatory & Ready For Priming

Keys To The Makeover - Superglue, Matchsticks & Exacto Knife
Keys To The Makeover – Superglue, Matchsticks & Xacto Knife

 

 

The General Is Pleased

Aircraft & Vehicles, Back of Beyond, Miniatures

Added a force multiplier that will please any would-be Warlord.  Finally finished one of my Back of Beyond aircraft.  It’s the Hobby Lobby ship….not historically correct, but no assembly required and, after priming, painting and dry-brushing, it looks OK.  Should be nice on the table and add something extra to the scenario mix.  Will keep it in neutral colors/markings so it can be all things to all armies whenever the scenario deems it so.

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Demolition Derby

Aircraft & Vehicles, Back of Beyond, Miniatures

A couple of months ago, I posted up about using Matchbox vehicles for RedActions!

Need to fabricate destroyed vehicles, so I decided to experiment on a Matchbox truck that was too large for 25-28mm.  Here’s a picture.

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Here’s what it looks like now, in the process of, shall we say, “modification”?

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After I experiment with painting the destroyed vehicle, I’ll scour E-Bay for a couple of low cost trucks for similar treatment.  Now I just have to work out the explosion/flame/smoke effects.

Air Support

Aircraft & Vehicles, Back of Beyond, Miniatures

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Found this little guy while looking for balsa wood at Hobby Lobby. The cost was a whopping $7.99. It looked like the right scale for RedActions, although the headrest is a tip-off that this piece of decor is really based on a Boeing F4-B fighter of the 1930’s.

The scale might be a 1/48, and therefore a little large for 25-28mm. Using a figure as a type of measuring stick, I was able to estimate the little guy’s dimensions and check it against some info on planes of the late 1920s and 1930s. It’s definately in the ballpark. So, there’s a little era problem.

I do need to cut off the spats and replace the front tires as they are way too big. The rear skid needs to be cut down, and the cockpit is too big, but I’m not going to sweat that.  On second thought, maybe remove the headrest and make room for an observer/gunner.  This might mitigate the size problem.

It will have to be painted. My table isn’t ready for a Yellow Peril.