Big Boys' toys - part 2

Continuing the tale of my recent visit to the Defence Academy at Shrivenham, we were fortunate indeed to receive a tour of the Small Arms Armoury.  The Colonel who runs the Armoury favoured us with a brief talk and then bid us help ourselves from the well-stocked walls.  While there was (quite understandably) no question of being able to fire anything, it is worth noting that all the guns are fully functional!

These chaps are all respectable, well-educated professionals, and have nothing to do with the 'terrorists' in my earlier post.  Honestly.  Your humble correspondent is front left, toting a PPSH.

The 'Hero of the Soviet Union' pose.  It had to be done.

John Bassett looked worryingly comfortable with this grenade launcher.

Me again, this time with a Czech WZ.61 Skorpion machine pistol - I particularly wanted to try out weapons I have as airsoft guns - including Steyr AUG, AK-47, G-3, SA-80, MP-40 and M-1 Garand.  I also had a look at SLR, M-79, SKS, SCAR-H, M-4, M-16, Sterling and MG-42.

More rifles, including FN FAL and HK G3.

Russian rifles, including SVT-40, SKS and Dragunov.

Some of the many (20+) AKs.

WW2 German automatic rifles, including (centre) early FG-42.

I have located the photos of tanks and APCs I took on my earlier visit to Shrivenham (2005) - I will post these over the course of the next week as a Christmas treat. 

There will be no post on the 24th as (weather permitting - it is snowing here again) Sara and I are getting married!

The Battle of Britain - for real

I am greatful to Ian Drury for drawing my attention to the following.  Makes you think.

In case anyone missed the obit of the most memorable face of the film, The Battle of Britain, here it is. What an extraordinarily courageous man.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/air-force-obituaries/8204673/Bill-Foxley.html

Big Boys' toys - part 1

There is a definite benefit to having friends in high places.  One such is Major Tom Mouat MBE, a long-standing friend I originally met through Wargame Developments.  Tom is currently serving on the staff at the Defence Academy, Shrivenham, and I was fortunate enough recently to receive an invitation to spend the day with him on site.
The day consisted of a tour of some of the training facilities, the small arms armoury and the AFV collection.
The AFV and artillery hall contains many big toys which are used by the military for instructional purposes.  I took loads of photos of the tank collection during my previous visit some years ago - I'll dig them out and post them soon.  This time I concentrated on getting pics of the vehicles I missed (or weren't there) last time.

Fox Armoured Car.  A vehicle I have always rather liked - I remember them being new!  Used by the British Army from the 1970s-1990s.  The Iranian Army was a significant export customer in the '70s.

Ferret Scout Car.  A delightful little thing which I could easily find driveway space for.  Ferrets served the British Army from the '50s and were still in service during the 1991 Gulf War.

The interior of the Ferret, looking into the front of the driver's compartment.

The interior of a T-34 - utilitarian even compared with the Ferret!

A personal favourite of mine - the Strv-103 or S-Tank.  I have always loved the look of this - perhaps after five Volvos and a Saab it's the next logical step...

Another Swedish delight - the Bv-206.  I was entertained to see that the selector for the (automatic) gearbox is the same as found in the Volvo 240s and 740s I have driven.  Think of it as an articulated Volvo wagon.

In the spacious turret of the AS-90 SP Gun we found this terrorist cell plotting their next strike.  Clearly a bunch of desperadoes.  I am unable to reveal identities in case they find me.  Photo taken (at much personal risk) by Tom Mouat.

Next time - the Small Arms Armoury - the balaclavas come off!

1/144 scale aircraft - Ki-44 'Tojo'

After finishing my trios of Ki-51 'Sonias' and Ki-27 'Nates', I turned my attention to the third and final type in the most recent F-Toys release.  This turned out to be the Ki-84 'Frank' - a fairly late-war (1944+) fighter.  Before I could begin, I chanced upon a bundle of 1/144 Japanese aircraft on Ebay.  £7.71 (including postage) later they were mine.  On arrival the box contained two Navy aircraft - a 'Betty' and a 'Zero', and four for the Army - a Ki-45 'Nick' and 3 Ki-44 'Tojo'. 

I decided to deal with the 'Tojos' now and to leave the others 'till another time.  All were complete, save for some markings, so I painted on their Sentai markings (the simplest ones I could find!).  I present two of them for your edification.

Ki-44 of the 246th Sentai in flight.

Ki-44 of 85th Sentai over some remarkably similar terrain.

Incidentally, just in case you are you've been wondering about my apparently encyclopedic knowledge of Sentai markings, I can now reveal that it all comes from this book.

I was lucky enough to pick up a copy of this A4-format publication (OK - it was an impulse purchase) at Partizan in Newark last year.  It turns out to have been £3 well spent.