More KuK aircraft

Back in 1917, things just keep getting better for the lucky chaps of my kuk forces. These are diecast models with some plastic parts. I’ve tarted them up a little with A-H markings.

The Aviatik (right) was well regarded by its pilots, but the Hansa Brandenberg was apparently a real bag of spanners. Designed by one Ernst Heinkel. I wonder what became of him….

Hawker Demon

Sorry it's been a while since my last post - busy with work and other stuff, meaning lots of screen time and a resulting disinclination to write blog posts!

Anyway, let's have some pics of toys, 'cos that's why you're here, right?  Readers of a nervous disposition look away now.

This battered specimen was part of the loot from COW last year.   I've always liked the Demon/Hart/Fury family of pointy biplanes.  While planning a Spanish Civil War game a few months ago I felt a need for a republican light bomber/recce biplane.  The 'correct' thing would have been a Breguet XIX.  There were also a few (three?) Hawker Fury fighters in Spain so it didn't take my fevered mind long to join the dots.  So Demon = wrong.  But then Demon = free.  Still with me?

Repair work commenced to my usual high* standards - liberal doses of blutac and glue being employed in the process.

Elegant eh?

Soon everything was perfectly* aligned.  

I managed to preserve the previous owner's impressing rigging thread.

Paint was added and markings were also painted on.  The result is clearly Republican and has the correct quantity of wings, and for a walk on part in a daft game that's good enough for me!

Bassett's broken biplanes*

 * also featuring Tim's terrible triplanes and mangled Morane monoplanes.

John B very kindly passed me this box of veterans at COW a few weeks ago.  The Demon I came up with an immediate plan for and the Albatross looked useful too.  I was delighted to see the Morane as I didn't have one!  The others have been passed to PHW who has also borrowed the Morane for some photos.

The Morane - an old Revell kit I believe - was in pretty good shape.  I have previously bodged one from a Fokker E1 but it's nice to have a 'real' one. I firmed up the attachment of some extremities.  The decals were flaky but looked largely salvageable and several coats of varnish gave a respectable finish.

Tora Tora Tora! or Jap bomber trio

 

Yes I know these are all Army 'planes but who could resist the title?  Here are the completed bombers.  From the front - Ki-30 and two Ki-32.  I think they look rather smart.

Kawasaki Ki-32

Having need of at least one Japanese Army light bomber I naturally ended up with three!  As well as the Ki-30 mentioned earlier I picked up a pair of these Ki-32.  Unusual among Japanese aircraft in having an inline (rather then radial) engine, the -32 looks to me very 'late thirties.'  The fixed undercarriage was used as it was felt that the simplicity and strength outweighed the drag issues.  In fact the Ki-32 was faster than it's contemporary, the Fairey Battle.

Like the Ki-30 kit, these needed a lot of taping and holding parts in place.  The panel gaps would be issues for proper modellers but you know by now that my standards are reassuringly low!

Unusually for a 1/72 kit, the wheels have separate rubber tyres.

Paint.  I'm doing one in overall pale grey and the other in this early pattern three-colour camo scheme.

Mitsubishi Ki-30 part 2

More progress with the Ki-30 now. Having left the glue to dry on the wings and tail a base coat of pale sand was applied. There are plenty of paint options but I’m sticking with an early version. 

Mitsubishi Ki-30 - part 1

A relatively unknown aircraft as it was very much yesterday’s news by 1941, the Ki-30 was in widespread use by the Japanese Army in the late thirties. 

This AZmodel kit looked pretty good on the sprues and the parts moulding was crisp. 

Fit was OK but wings, elevators and undercarriage legs had no locating slots or pins. So everything needed holding in place while the glue dried. Sadly I didn’t do too well at this as the wings are a bit squint.  Ah well, them being ‘gull’ wings helps to hide this! 

Nakajima Ki-27 - part 2

 I posted part 1, covering the build back in May 2019 but forgot to post photos of the finished models. 

The enormous decal sheet offered lots of options. These are from 1st (left) and 27th Flight Regiments. 

They’re neat little things, and like the P-26 Peashooters I recently completed, very much of their era. Expect to see them (and the P-26s) in a game later this year. 

Boeing P-26 Peashooter’ - part 3

Of course, with a plane as small as a P-26 you can’t have just one!  For the second I opted for an overall green (Vallejo US Green, if it’s of interest) which in combination with the Chinese markings I think is rather striking. 
 

Boeing P-26 Peashooter’ - part 2

 Here is the finished P-26, resplendent in Chinese markings. I bought some suitable decals recently and the rather wobbly rudder stripes were hand painted.

Boeing P-26 ‘Peashooter’ - part 1

I bought this kit recently as I have a game in mind. You’ll notice I haven’t claimed to ‘need’ this but I do at least have a vague justification for its acquisition.  

I remember this being launched as a Matchbox kit but mine came in Revell boxing. 

It was a pretty straightforward build with a pleasingly modest number of parts. 

I’ve also seen it in this style of Revell box. The US colour schemes are pretty wild but mine is destined for a different employer. 

Betrieb rostiger Zenturio - part 2

 We rejoin the action as the DDR columns stream westwards.  Did I mention we had a LOT of toys?

The umpire endeavours to explain something to the equally confused players.

Russell's chaps making  frontal assault.

DDR recce probes along the main road...and finds the enemy!

But their rejoicing was short lived as the Brit infantry platoon scored a lucky hit.

British recce scouting

Some ominously large aircraft heading west...

Surely this West German police detachment was just that?

Martin didn't think so and fire was soon exchanged.

The transport aircraft had landed paras, complete with tiny ASU-57 SP guns.  They were no match for the Centurions!

The only correct quantity of T-55s is 'a lot'.

Hull down Centurions sniping at the DDR armour.

So what happened?  DDR forces penetrated the Brit first line but then became rather bogged down with river crossing.  That said, there were enough of them to put the Brits under real pressure.  The scattered para drop caused consternation and delayed the Brit reserve battalion but was eventually contained.  When the Sovs got wind of what was going on it was passed off as a rogue faction in the DDR military.  Lucky that sort of thing doesn't happen now, eh?

Great to get so many toy s out - especially as they weren't all mine. Well done to all the players for making it such a great day's gaming.