Back to model airplanes!

 

                                             Thank you, Jim Davis and Garfield, for making us laugh!

The last several weeks have been very busy with the holidays, business year end and I got Covid.  But I did keep busy with some plane building.  I still consider myself a novice at building airplane kits.

First up is the Grumman. I really enjoyed this kit.  It has several options as a carrier plane, the landing gear can be down and you can have the winds folded back.  

I chose the Hollywood version with the canopy back.  I am still growing my paint collection. The pale blue here is too pale.  

The seamline needs work...but I am a novice!  I can get away with that! 

The P40 is a simple build.  It goes together easy.  This is new tooling.  I just need to weather better. 

Prop Decals are nice and add a little extra detail 

I like this!  Great decals.  

I really enjoyed this kit.  Easy and old school, again new tooling. 

My lament is my paints.  I have some different ones on order.  The yellow is from Vallejo and it is very thin.  I can't get it to thicken up.  

Kate is sweet!  This is a kit with 2 planes in the box.  Both are identical. 

Not a lot of detail and the landing gear is simplistic. 

Fun kit anyway... especially if you are experimenting with painting as I am.

Soon I am going to put the Revell Battle of Britian kit together. (After a few other things...)

The Glory of playing with toy soldiers!

 

Every now and again, it is important to remind myself why I got into the wargame hobby.  Occasionally, I will set up a game with my Atlantic toy soldiers and play a simple game. It takes me back to the fun times as a kid. When both real life and playing were bright and filled with imagination. 

Here is the line up! 

            Russian Infantry                           Lend Lease GMC trucks                    Bad Ass tanks

               

      The big guns 76 mm                  Well.... these are going to be JSII's  

VS.

                             HQ                                      Tiger I                                 German Infantry

                                Air Defenses                                             Pak 75mm

Scenario

 Late Summer 1944 and a German unit is holding a small outpost between two hills.  They know the Russians are coming but they are ordered to hold.  NO RETREAT! So, they braced for impact...

Marshal Konev arrives in his jeep and issues
 orders for the artillery to open fire. 

The guns open on the German position. (Here, I wish I had the software to edit in gun blasts. If anyone knows what to get or how, please let me know.)

German troops milling about....

Holy Spaetzle! 

The Soviet tanks and troops move out!

When a 1 or 2 on a 12 sided is needed, JSII delivered! BAM Pak 75 is wasted. 

Hit one in the defenses...

Russian horde moves in closer. One T34/85 with infantry support moves in to assault a pillbox. 

The other JSII gets a lucky shot on the advancing Tiger on the road as the artillery blasts the barbered wire. (Side note, if this was a real game...I'd be pissed as the Germans.  I'd question the die.  Seriously, another one gets rolled. What are the odds?) 

The only reinforcement for the Germans was a lone sortie by an Airfix Focke-Wulf 190. 

While in flight, the Soviet artillery knocks out the German HQ detachment and the JSIIs are shelling the German tracked vehicle. The FW-190 puts an end to the machine gun mounted GMC trucks. 

Still not a good day for Gerry...

The Pak 75 crew gets a solid shot off and K.O.'s a T34/85.

There was some back-and-forth gun fire. But the Soviet advance was too much. The remaining Germans broke and ran for the Oder River. 

Disclaimer: No plastic soldiers were killed, maimed or otherwise injured in this quasi-historical event. They are all returned unmolested to their proper barracks. 

Rules: Home created 2001.

  

The End

Airbrush and beyond!

 

Pocket War Comics has some vintage images... give it a look see. 

Well, I finally achieved some success with my airbrush kit.  I must admit I was getting frustrated.  I apparently needed a smaller water trap on the pen itself, even though the compressor has one.  The hose is too long and causing condensation build up in the line.  I picked up a set of 3 of these little guys on Amazon.  

I got this Airfix Stuka on Ebay a few weeks ago.  I think this re-release is from the 90's and the decals were a little old.  The decal paste was thick and challenging to keep it from clouding up the decal. 

I was pleased with the results.  Though, not exactly what I wanted, it still came out decent.  Planes are much harder than tanks!  They have to come out clean and neat.  Tanks just rough'em up a little and they will do. 

I am using a set up Vallejo paints. Some of the paints are not like other ones.  Some spray really good like the dark green.  But, the light green does not.  I struggled with it on the Panther tanks. See below. 

Mixing paint to get a light blue was a mess.  But, that is operator error!

In the end, it was a fun kit.

Okay, I know Airfix tanks are not great.  HOWEVER, I enjoy them and Hobby Lobby had 40% off so... I bought two kits. Besides, it gave me an opportunity to experiment with my airbrush on an inexpensive kit.  How Airfix artists settled on desert scenes for the Panther artwork, I will never know. Maybe it is the Southern Caucasus Mountains???  

The figure is from Hat, German Tank Riders. The decals are from Plastic Soldier Company. The ones in the kit are boring. Again, it was an experiment with the airbrush to work on camouflage.  

It is a simple kit and very enjoyed to work with.

Airfix you still hold my heart...