From SylvainR: 6mm RAF and Luftwaffe airplanes (64 points)

 

Bonjour,

It has been a while since my last Challenge, in 2017. I am back and my goal is to clean up a few of my boxes of unpainted miniatures. About 10 years ago, a friend of mine sold me part of his huge collection of WW2 miniatures in 6mm scale. If many models are painted, and quite well, the majority are not and I also decided to re-base everything. Anyway, the first project of this new enterprise is to paint the British and German airplanes from the lot and use them to play aerial combat. I tried “Watch Your 6" with my group, but the rules did not feel very intuitive nor fluid. I am looking for a fun set of rules for WW2 aerial combat and suggestions are welcome.

I already painted (or refreshed) 30 airplanes before the Challenge, so what I am presenting today are models I painted since December 21st, 2021.

Here are 10 airplanes from the RAF collection.

First, there are 4 Spitfires. The planes are from different manufacturers (and most of them are quite old models) and I can’t identify the origin of most of them with certainty. Except for CinC because assembling all those minuscule parts on those tiny flimsy models always make me swear a lot. The Spitfires in the background are painted in the livery of No. 144 Wing, which was made up of Canadian pilots.

Now 3 Typhoons. Please note the “D-Day” pattern on the under part of the fuselage, to help Allied AA gunners avoid friendly fire. Since the models are so tiny at this scale, I decided not to add numbering on the wings or fuselage. I just used decals for the roundels, that I got from GHQ. The Typhoons are from CinC and just a nightmare to assemble.

The larger plane in the back is a Fairey Battle, a single engine bomber that was soon relegated to training duties. The other plane is a Hurricane with markings for the Belgian air force. Only 18 such planes were ready when Germany invaded France in 1940. 

This is an Avro Lancaster in night bombing colors and the model is a very, very  old, with sparse details. I had to “suggest” the various canopies and turrets with light blue paint. This model is also made of pure lead. I hesitated for a while about throwing it away, but finally decided to keep it and paint it. It’s not like I’m going to lick it or ingest bits of it. Hey, a model is a model and it looks good in the game. Now in regards to points, I would like to suggest that a single engine plane is worth 2 points, a twin engine plane be worth 3 points and a tri- or quad- engine plane be worth 4 points. So the 10 RAF planes would be worth 22 points.

Sorry about this photo, I did not realize when I took it that it was so blurry. I just wanted to show the planes of the Luftwaffe collection together.

 

 First are six Focke-Wolfe 190, including four “Dora-9", also known as “Long Nose”. I decided to paint my planes in pairs of the same color. Note the tank in the background, mounted on a now obsolete Canadian penny, for scale reference.

Next we have four Messerschmitt 262. Note how the too large decals on the darker planes, in the background, make them look like toys. Oh well, lesson learned. I should have kept the larger decals for larger planes.

Two Messerschmitt 410 and one Junker 88 P-4, with a ventral 50mm gun. I decided to use Citadel colors for camouflage on the Junker, but immediately regretted my decision. It turned out way too bright. Almost all the colors I used are from Tamiya, because their color palette, although very dark, is well adjusted for military models.

Two Messerschmitt 110. I really like how the camouflage turned out on these ones.

Two DFS 230 gliders. With these, I now have 12 German gliders completed, and I will have to design a scenario involving paratroopers on a voyage gone bad.

Two Ju-52, also tenderly known as “Aunt Ju”. Big models made of lead, again. I chose for these guys the camouflage used for the assault on Crete. Now for the count, there are 12 single (or no-) engine planes worth 2 points each ( I will count the Me 262s as single engine planes, because of their small size), 5 two engine (3 points each) and 2 tri-engine (4 points each), for a total of 47 for the Luftwaffe, and 69 points for this whole project.

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading!

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Hello Sylvain, and welcome back to The Challenge! I still fondly recall your "Viet Cron" from back in the day...

Anyone undertaking 6mm aircraft is either very committed, or maybe should just be committed? Very tricky stuff that - very tricky. And there are some favourites here as well, from the crackers-looking JU-52s to (my favourites) the Typhoons - such a fine ground attack craft! Points-wise, there is a slight adjustment, as most all of these will score as 6mm vehicles - however, for the super big ones I count each as two vehicles, giving a total of 64 points. 

Looking forward to more!

Greg

From Chris K: Allied and Axis Fighting Vehicles and Transports (140pts)

Hello All,

I must say, I'm still enjoying the fire that Curt has lit under my painting desk with this challenge, and thoroughly impressed by your work, too! 

With heartfelt thanks for the encouragement and comments my first offerings receives, here's the second tranche of completed models from my WW2 vehicle park - I present the following, all  in 1/56 scale(-ish), for 20 points each:

• Challenger A30 tank (11th Armoured Division; 3D print),
• Crusader AA tank (11th Armoured Division; Rubicon Models),
• Marmon-Herrington armoured car (RAF Regiment; 3D print),
• Otter armoured car (RAF Regiment; 3D print),
• Lorry (RAF Regiment; Lledo die-cast 'Days Gone' repaint), and
• 2x Lorries (German Heer; Lledo die-cast 'Days Gone' repaint).

I'm not in the general habit of using 3D printed models, as I prefer to support mini manufacturers where I can, buuuuuuut I've yet to find anyone who makes a 1/56 Challenger A30 to support my armoured recce Cromwells, so I consider that fair enough. The model was printed by a very generous friend and is a little blocky but I was able to smooth-out some of the striations so it looks indistinguishable from a tabletop distance:

The Crusader AA (for the HQ of 3RTR) is a gorgeous model (being Rubicon), and the guns elevate for their AA role, even with the broken star decal on the mechanism... or at least they did right up to the point where I put the final wash on the tank and left it overnight to dry. Rats. Because it's such a thin layer, I'm hoping that I'll eventually be able to wiggle it loose again, but I dread the damage I could cause in the attempt:

The Marmon-Herrington and Otter armoured cars are the first non-transport vehicles I've completed for my small RAF Regiment force and both are 3D print from the same friend. These are similarly a little blocky, but look fine with a lick of paint:

[Marmon-Herrington above; Otter below]

On all of these RAF vehicles, the roundels are hand-painted, as is much of the lettering. Not perfect, maybe, but I'm getting there. 

I use old Lledo die-cast lorry toys as transports for all of my British WW2 forces - partially because I hadn't any spare hobby cash when I started, and partially because I love going 'vrooom!' as they trundle along on the tabletop with their working wheels! This is the seond lorry I've repainted for my RAF Regiment, and (although it's not clear in these pics - drat!) I make sure to paint flecks of RAF blue into the weathering/'chipping' etc. and on high-traffic ridges so that the keen viewer on inspection might just buy the idea that these were - in a previous incarnation - sitting comfortably in an MT shed at RAF West Malling or somesuch. It's the little things, right?

Lastly, two [- ahem: 'captured' -] lorries for my Heer. Again, these are used from a habit going back quite a few years now, and in this case, they've both been repurposed for the German war machine with Dunkelgelb, and then at some point once has received locally two additional colours for camouflage. I don't have an airbrush, so it's just sponged on, but even if it's not quite perfect, it complements some other vehicles in my already-assembled forces. And it brings me joy! I've tried a vague approximation of Heer markings, but I'd be lying if I claimed any sort of comprehensive understanding of the German systems, and besides: it all just gets muddied-up on my models anyway...

Thanks for your time, Friends - all the best with your ongoing challenges!

- Chris

From LeeH - One of the few (7 points)

Just a small entry from me this week. I have several projects on the go at the same time, including the last two bonus round entries. This means I'm very busy but have nothing to show for it at the moment! I'm not too worried though as I have made significant inroads in my Challenge target. In fact, the stuff on my desk right now should bring me right up to my aim point, leaving me a few weeks spare...I'd better get my thinking cap on because at the moment I don't have anything else in the pipeline. 

Anyway, this weeks entry is a bit of a departure for me because it is 1/48th scale (a little over 40mm). I bought it to accompany a 1/48th Spitfire from Revell that I received at Christmas. I may yet paint that for the Challenge, but it has been years since I attempted a kit model as complicated as this and so far I have chickened out of starting it! So you get the Pilot first, with the possibility of the aircraft at a later date. 

Ironically this iconic British Airman is made by a Czech manufacturer and I bought it through a German supplier! A bit expensive but very nice and I may take a longer look at their catalogue in future. The quality was excellent with just a little bit of resin flash that was easily removed with the edge of a blade. Other than that and a wash to clean the surface before priming no other prep was needed. 

Hopefully, I'll have more to present next week. I'm halfway through some 6mm Natal Native Horse and a heavy parcel filled with tanks has just arrived from Peter Pig! My second wind has arrived!!


TamsinP:

Well, view halloo and tally ho! Excellent work on the flyboy Lee. But he really does need a kite, so buckle down and bite the bullet - we want to see that 1/48 Spit!
Hopefully some of the other projects you are currently working on will be finished very soon (Focus! Focus!).

From BenF: Bagging the Hun 1/300 Aircraft and 1/1200 Ships (108 Points)

Well, it's been an eventful few weeks for me, with a trip to the Snowy Mountains taking up a decent chunk of my painting time before heading back to work this Monday just gone. The trip was great, getting to spend some time with friends and climbing to the top of the tallest mountain in Australia felt like an achievement, even if it's no monster by international standards. While the 14km round trip was rather challenging, the fact that it is largely paved should tell you that i'm no Sir Edmund Hilary! :)

As far as painting goes, i've managed to get a bit completed, though i've not managed a blog update until now. As Bag the Hun 2 is continuing to go great guns at the club, this submission is firmly centred on this project.

First off, the first of my Fleet Air Arm aircraft. I've always found the FAA fascinating. Besides the carriers, the fact that they had to struggle with aircraft and equipment which was not up to the standards of that used by the RAF, let alone the Luftwaffe. While i've got Sea Gladiators, Sea Hurricanes, Martlets, Skuas, Albacores and even a Roc in the painting queue, i've started off my FAA force with a flight of Fairey Fulmars. The Fulmar was designed to fit in with the RNs view that carrier based aircraft must have a pilot and telegraphist/air gunner. While hardly as sleek as the Spitfire, I do like the no-nonsense lines of the Fulmars. These are marked up for the 806th Naval Air Squadron, based on the HMS Illustrious during it's time in the Med protecting the Malta Convoys during 1941. The models are Heroics and Ros, declas are from Dom's Decals. This lot has already served in a game, tangling with a dozen Savoia SM.79 bombers over the Med, so I've included a photo I took from the game of Sub/Lt. H. 'Slippers' Duncan bagging an 'Eyetie'.

Continuing with the naval theme, here are some 1/1200 and 1/1250 scale ships to be defended or attacked in BTH2 games, depending on the scenario. I've based these using artists impasto gel, and find that the scale works perfectly for BTH2. This was my first attempt with Naval figures, and i'm pretty happy with the way they've turned out. The scale difference looks 'right' with fighters and bombers swirling in the air above the ships. Below is a Type IXC U-Boat, the U-805 and a Räumboote, or R-Boat minesweeping motor launch, the R-401. Both are Neptun from eBay which i've repainted.

Below is the HMS Hotspur, an H-Class destroyer. This is a decent size, coming in at just under 10cm. The Hotspur is another Neptun repaint. I've got a couple of Bogue class escort carriers and an HMS Illustrious on the way from eBayland. The Escorts are around 14cm, and the Lusty is over 20, i'm looking forward to painting them up.

Next, a pair of Merchantment. I wanted to keep these relatively generic so that I can use them for Allied or Axis convoys. These are Len Deighton sculpts from eBay which I've repainted. I do plan on getting some larger merchantmen as targets for FW200 Condors and Sunderlands over the North Atlantic and North Sea.

Next up, we're back over dry land with an Avro Anson. The Anson was used as for reconnaissance, light bombing, and as a utility aircraft. This one is marked up from No.326 Squadron in 1940. This model is H&R also. Decals are from Dom's.

Next, we have two schwarms of Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4s. I had two of these painted up previously, and together with these lots that is a complete staffel. They're marked up from Jagdgeschwader 2 'Richtofen', and one of the aircraft is painted up as that of Luftwaffe experten (or top ace) Helmut Wick. The engine cowling has a small blue triangle with an approximation of the yellow sword and 'Horrido' written on the original. The mottled sides of Wick's aircraft was also noteably darker than other aircraft of JG2, so I've tried to give this effect. These aircraft are all from Scotia, declas from Doms.

Next, some British Anti Air bases in the form of two 3.7" AA Guns and a command base with an Austin Tilly and a Bedford MWC tanker. While these will work for BTH2, they can also serve with my Blitzkrieg Commander forces. All equipment is from H&R, decals are i-96 and Dom's.

Finally, here's a picture of me at the top of Mt. Kosciusko, I'm on the left wearing the blue shirt.

Next up, i'm working on some more aircraft, Blenheims, Fairey Battles and Heinkel He-111s along with some FAA odds and sods.

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What a brilliant post, Ben! 

It strikes particularly close to home as Sarah and I holidayed in Malta this autumn. We both had a great time taking in the newly renovated National War Museum at St. Elmo which had an entire wing dedicated to the WWII siege of the island. It was amazing and I heartily recommend it to anyone who loves a good museum.

Anyway, back to your fabulous entry. Your Fulmars, Messerschmitts and Anson are terrific. I especially like the work you spent on the canopies and the decals as they really finish the models off nicely. The 1:1200 ships are real lumps of goodness as well (love the basing). I've not seen a U-Boat in this scale before and it really is impressive. I agree with you on the great use of scale distortion, in having 1:300 scale aircraft over 1:1200 ships - the forced perspective is a brilliant touch.

Finally, that's a great picture of you and your friends atop Mt. Kosciusko - it looks to have been a fine day out.

I'm counting the 1:1200 ships with their nautical basework as 28mm vehicles so this will plunk you in at 108 points. Well done Ben!

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