Wingnut Wings 1/32 Scale WWI Aircraft from Weta Workshop

If you like large-scale (1/32nd) World War I military aircraft models, you might want to check out Weta Workshop's lineup under the Wingnut Wings brand (yes, it is owned by Peter Jackson, who is a scale modeler and fan of WWI aircraft, go figure).

I built more than a few WWI fighters when I was young, all in 1/72 scale. They all met glorious pyrotechnic ends, crashing and burning (with gasoline-fueled assistance) and sometimes exploding (thanks to firecrackers) when I deemed them at the end of their shelf life (missing pieces or otherwise broken beyond salvaging).

The Fokker D VII was always a favorite of mine, especially in the crazy lozenge camo scheme:

But I thought the Albatros D.Va was even sexier, with the graceful flowing lines:

So if I was going to drop some bills on a Wingnut Wings kit, it would no doubt be their D.Va:

I currently have way too many unbuilt kits sitting around to justify picking up one of these, but who knows, one day I may cave in to temptation if the price is right.

Air Power & Wee Little Aeroplanes

I recently acquired a nice copy of Air Power (WWII air combat rules) by Tony Adams, published by TSR back in 1976. Why would I do such a thing? Because aviation in general, specifically WWII aviation, has always been on my radar. I still have one of my elementary school reports I did on the Battle of Britain that must be as old as this copy of Air Power - yikes!

As an aside, if you enjoy aviation and have yet to do so, make sure you take in the annual Reno Air Races in September. I've been twice (1988 and 1993), and there's nothing like hearing and feeling some warbirds racing around at high speed down low across the desert scrub. Awesome.

Anyhow, I also picked up some tiny B-25Bs and Bf109Es to go with the Air Power rules. You know, so I can actually play the game? I'm not entirely sure of their scale (possibly 1/432nd?) or their manufacturer (Der Kriegspielers? Pewtercraft? Superior?) but they are nicely made with good detail for such a small scale. The B-25s are marked "1/43" on the underside of the left wing and "B25B" on the bomb bay doors. The 109s are marked "4/43" on the underside of the left wing and "ME109E" on the underside of the right wing. They should be fun to paint up, once I decide what color schemes to go with.


Anyone else dig on WWII wargames?

On the fantasy front, I've been painting some minis for the upcoming D&D session in Cali with Ye Olde Gang. Gotta get those done in the next week or so.

And on the WH40K scene, I've been working on a test subject for my DA army. He's a tactical trooper built up using specific bitz to see if an idea in my head can translate to a completed model. More to come after I get him finished.