1/200 Russian SB-2 Zvezda Plane

While walking through a model shop one day I came across a small lonely (but beguiling) Russian light/fast bomber (see below):

"Gawd Bless Zvezda" for catching my eye, stirring my curiosity and needless to say opening my purse! I am sure I will find a use for it (eventually).

1/144 and 1/200 Aircraft Additions

Recent acquisitions (all from Zvezda) in no particuilar order, The ill-fated RAF (or rather AASFS) Fairey Battle in 1/144 (see below, but seems rather a large bird to my eyes):

The RAF Bristol Blenheim in 1/200 scale (see below, a very nice kit to make, although in scale it looks silly next to the Fairy Battle):

Closer up you can see there is quite a lot of detail in there despite it being 1/200 (see below):

Same manufacturer (Zvezda) but different scales 1/144 to 1/200 but the Fairey Battle (which was in effect an elongated Hurricane with a crew of three) still looks too big IHMO (see below):

Onto the Russian Front. I just had to get this (tiny and beautiful [in a quirky way]) Russian Polikarpoc I-16 "Rata" in 1/144 (see below, optimistically the cover art has it shooting down a Me-109):

Now assembled but who knows when they will be painted and god knows when I will ever use them, All-in-all I have never been disappointed with the Zvezda aircraft and

1/144 Zvezda Lagg-3 (Assembled)

The Zvezda Lagg-3 is certainly a quick assemble having but eight pieces (excluding the two that go together for the stand) and is a nicely modelled kit (see below):

I don't like the look of the peel on decals but a nice Eastern Front Soviet air asset nevertheless. It will go with the bucket of 1/144 aircraft up in the loft for a rainy day. I am still on the lookout for the cheap 1/144 Pacific war kits that seem to have dried up in the local "foot-fall" model shops. Ho hum. It's not what you have but what you want to have because you don't have it.

If only I were more sensibly project based ;)

Ranger's Lead The Way

I picked up this interesting "hit the beach" packet of Pegasus Miniatures WWII US Rangers (D-Day) aka "Saving Private Ryan". Almost as exotic as the Soviet Naval Infantry from Pegasus  I already have, I hear them calling me from the loft (see the Rangers below):

The other item of passing interest is a Russian  1/144 WWII fighter from Zevezda (see above and below):

Need to find some quiet time in the Greenhouse with these methinks ;)

Easter Holiday Haul

While I was away on the Easter round-robin road-trip to visit family and friends I picked up a random haul of goodies. These came from a collection of second hand books shops found in National Trust sites we visited and a "The Works" discount book shop in Straford. The latter had the unexpected bonus of a half-price 1/144 scale Tu-95 Bear found in the "book shop"! (see below):

Books:

• Bosworth Field (Wars of the Roses)
• D-Day (1944)
• St Nazaire Raid (1942)

A wide range and diverse of reading methinks ;)

Good as the above are, I do 'pine' for the "ones that got away":

• A 1911 British Officers officers guide book to "Military Map Reading"
• Models of Ann Hathaway's and William Shakespere's houses in something between 15mm and 25mm scale

The former caught me without any money while the latter was veto'ed on style grounds.The wife seeing clean through my feeble attempt at claiming it would be a cool mantelpiece ornament. In her words 'naff idea beyond words'.

Fair cop ;)

The Zvezda surrogate "DC3 Dakota" or "C47 SkyTrain" the Russian license-build LI-2

A grainy photograph (see below) of the Allied equivalent of the Ju-52, the legendary "DC-3 Dakota" or "C-47 SkyTrain" (I'm really not sure of the difference). This is courtesy of Zvezda providing a cheap model to surrogate in. It was a Russian license made version that was still used in the Cold War, called the Li-2 and it does the trick for me. Eagle eyed aviation experts would see many a difference but again I care not.   

It will appear on my tabletop where paratroopers or supplies are needed. The Russians also used it in a light bomber role (or shall we say "pressed" it into service) bit I removed the defensive dorsal turret to pull it firmly into the DC-3/C-47 stable. Having got one (on an evaluation trial), methinks I'll try and pick up another couple.