Luftwaffe Reinforcements

I managed to get some modelling done and I've added a Stuka to my Luftwaffe forces. This was an Airfix kit and frankly it was a joy. Good hard plastic, very simple assembly, just spot on. I'm not sure if this kit is currently available - the box is not in the red livery of the current generation of models, but as a wargaming piece it's top notch. More of that please.  

I shall have to look up my colour references for the early Luftwaffe.   I'm hoping that this plane will see service in Poland, France, Britain and finish up at Kursk. 

RAF Control Tower

Just realised that I've left the top off - that RAF fella isn't just sitting on top of a building

With all these aerial shenanigans - it seemed to be time to make sure that my birds had somewhere to roost.  While emptying some boxes I came across this venerable kit - I have no idea when I picked it up or when though I know it's been around for ages. That said despite the multiple house moves and so forth - it doesn't seem to be too bashed. 

A certain amount of brute force and ignorance was required

Some of the railings are missing, but I've started replacing them with brass wire. I will need to add a rail to it once I've replaced the broken ones. The instructions for this kit are long gone - so I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions? I've seen cotton being used, but I would superglue stick it properly or should I use more wire? 

Swordfish

The plane spotters amongst us will almost certainly recognise this as a Fairey Swordfish, a biplane torpedo bomber used by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.  Antiquated even when it first entered service, it did good service, as it's low speed and rugged construction provided a stable platform for launching torpedoes. Most famous for its service at the Battle of Taranto where they inflicted heavy losses on the Italian navy.  There was a double page spread in a Warlord annual about it - so I mainly remember the Swordfish (also known as the stringbag) in four colour comic form. 

Swordfish also took part in the Channel Dash, the only time since the Anglo-Dutch wars that an enemy fleet has successfully traversed the Channel. This was a battle that took place in 1942, when a group of German vessels sailed from Brest to bases in Germany, during which they were attacked by a flight of six Swordfish.  The attacking planes were wiped out by superior numbers of more advanced German fighters, but their determination and grit was saluted by no less a personage Admiral Ciliax, the German officer commanding, who said "....the mothball attack of a handful of ancient plance, piloted by men whose bravery surpasses any other action by either side that day."

This specimen was something I picked up as a passing fancy. I have a weakness for biplanes and I managed to pick this one on eBay, fully assembled and painted for about the price of a pint. I don't have any plans for naval games, so I think this will be doing service against the Anglican League or the Soviet Socialist Republic of Liverpool in Very British Civil War games. 

As the Swordfish comes, like the Gladiator, with its landing gear deployed, it can also be used on the ground either as an objective or a piece of scenary.  I've been playing a number of Very British Civil War games via webcam with a nameless mysterious figure in Roscommon known only by the codename Steve. The British Union of Fascists air power has been making life somewhat difficult for me, so it might be time to play an attack on an airfield scenario. 

This will give me an excuse to put a shape on my newly discovered RAF control tower and will give the Swordfish and the Gloster Gladiator a bit of an outing. 

Although it may mean that I may now have to build some sort of 1/72 scale wind sock. 

Gladiator Update

I

I managed to get some work done on my gladiator. After considering my options - I decided against adding wires. This is a Wargaming model after all and there would be considerable possibilities of buggering up the work I'd done so far. 

I painted it pretty much as instructed out of the box. I did consider the possibilities of the Malta camouflage scheme - but given that I will be using it almost exclusively for VBCW I thought the silver and red getup was far more appropriate. There's something rather Wellsian - in his later more totalitarian days - about it. 

I wouldn't say that this kit has cured me of my phobia of assembling aircraft - but it has advanced things somewhat. All that remains now is to add decals and give it a wallop of varnish. The decal sheet is a chaotic mess of roundels, numbers and things - I suspect I'll just follow the sheet. 

                     Headed west. 

This may be a worrying first symptom of something, but I may see if I've anything that would pass for a ground crew or tender or something. 

Anyway I better get weaving if I'm going to make it to service.