The big boys rockets - the diminutive Soyuz in comparison to one of the 'smaller' American rockets, the Saturn 1B (see below, a stretch goal for the game is to get the Saturn V, currently hiding in the loft, assembled and painted too):
The ongoing adventures of a boy who never grew out of making and playing with plastic model kits (and even some metal ones too). Also a wargamer in search of the perfect set of wargaming rules for WWII Land and 20th Century Naval campaigns.
Showing posts with label Space. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Space. Show all posts
Monday, 8 June 2026
Cold War Space Race: CCCP goes Lunar with Soyuz and US NASA Saturn 1B - CoW Game Prep 2026 (WD)
This is a blast from the past and down Airfix memory lane I go. The lunar lander (The Eagle) which was part of the Saturn 1B (IIRC) was hidden in an unassembled, primed and "brown washed" state for such a long time. All it took was for possible inclusion in my Conference of Wargamers (CoW) game 2026, "The Earth Prepared" to jolt it towards the painting tray (see below, not sure about the hole in the roof, but I think that is where it attached to the orbiter Columbia - I quite like how it has come out):
Labels:
Airfix,
CCCP,
Cold War,
Conference of Wargamers,
CoW,
CoW 2026,
Nasa,
Rockets,
Saturn 1B,
Soyuz,
Space,
Space Race,
USSR,
Wargames Developments,
WD
Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Traveller Star Ship Resources
All this talk about Traveller Star Ships has been making me wonder where I could find some ship statistics (see below, look no further and "Thank You" to "Yet Another Traveller Blog"!):
Star ship plans can be found on this page, check out the "popular posts" or click "deck plan" on teh label listing.
Labels:
Classic Traveller,
sci-fi,
science fiction,
Space,
space ships,
Traveller
Tuesday, 23 July 2024
Sunday, 21 January 2024
Random Sci-Fi Stuff: From the Photo Archive Bucket .. Dust Bucket World
The usefulness of some of the Revell Star Wars spin-off range 15mm(ish) miniatures is shown with this beautiful "Combat Shuttle". A pretty much snip and click piece. It is the focal point of a 'planet drop' scenario and an ideal centre piece for a skirmish around a local spaceport or emergency wilderness dust-off . Ramp down, the "Away Team" is covered by heavy cannons as they disembark (see below, sitting on a nice little diorama made from the local wargames club terrain and friends bric-a-brac science fiction extras):
This reminds me of the 2000AD Cursed Earth style shanty town with "Muties" hiding in the shadows(see below, careful searching is required, kicking doors in and covering your arcs - notice, there is a platoon of Ground Zero Games [GZG] Star Grunt forces approaching in the background):
Good stuff, I liked the feel of Star Grunt and the "Western in Space" feel to barren desert planets!
This reminds me of the 2000AD Cursed Earth style shanty town with "Muties" hiding in the shadows(see below, careful searching is required, kicking doors in and covering your arcs - notice, there is a platoon of Ground Zero Games [GZG] Star Grunt forces approaching in the background):
Good stuff, I liked the feel of Star Grunt and the "Western in Space" feel to barren desert planets!
Labels:
15mm,
15mm Science Fiction,
GZG,
Revell,
sci-fi,
sci-fi rules,
Space,
Star Gruntz,
Star Wars
Friday, 29 September 2023
Note to self: MIT AI Reference: David A Mindell
A person whom I had not encountered before in AI (see below, on the relationships between humans and machines):
Labels:
academia,
AI,
Apollo,
Artificial Intelligence,
Book,
Cybernetics,
David Mindell,
MIT,
Space
Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Plastic Soldier Company (PSC) Red Alert - Spaceship Bundle Pack
Plastic Soldier Company (PSC) made me another offer I could not refuse. 168 hard plastic space ships (admittedly of two types - "cruisers" [72] or "freighters" [96]) for a tenner (and six fifty for P&P because it is so heavy) .. so I bought two packs (same P&P), thinking this is the Red Alert (as this is the game the components originate from) "space ship offer" to end all "space ship offers"! What is not to like. Wow, I think it was the heaviest "toy" arrival to my door though, seeing the poor DPS delivery man struggle up my path to my door with a solid pack of plastic (see below, toys and toys galore - now to find a use for them!):
Watch skies and watch this space for more updates ...
Monday, 28 August 2023
Charity Shop (II) Sci-Fi - 15mm Shuttle
Along side the 50p 10mm house there was a second bargain to be had (£8 .. well I am calling it a win). For fans of 15mm Sci-Fi Traveller, Star Grunt, Dirt Side I and II players .. your ever useful Universal Carrier of the stars - shuttle or scuttle bug (see below, this one looks very workmanlike and suitable more for your engineer and low class Traveller types - VIPs would complain of the cramp conditions and lack of facilities):
Tuesday, 8 February 2022
Deep Space Games: Preparation for Billion Suns
A purchase, but not recent purchases. In the dark recesses of a warehouse in the UK there lurked packets of sinister grey science fiction "space ships" wanting an interstellar owner [PSC bargain transporter packs of thirty two for "eight quid" plus P&P] note, nominally transports, they look military to me]. One quick internet press later and two packets were acquired by a Ferengi style "agent" in the north (see below, a dubious looking sinister image picked up on local reconnaissance radar systems):
I am thinking that they are classic battleship looking things to me for "some form of" science fiction space fleets battles rules - including use in Billion Suns which I have previously acquired (see below, although this is more of a corporate warring escalation game. rather than a "Jutland in space"):
Labels:
Billion Suns,
sci-fi,
science fiction,
Space,
Space Rules,
space ships
Friday, 31 December 2021
"Don't Look Up" - Netflix Film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbIxYm3mKzI
This seems to have caused rather a Marmite type of separation in opinion .. some love it but then people some hate it.
I love it ;)
Labels:
Don't Look Up,
Film,
Fun,
Jennifer Lawrence,
Leonardo DiCaprio,
Meryl Streep,
Netflix,
Space
Saturday, 17 July 2021
Saturday, 15 May 2021
Sunday, 3 January 2021
Vintage Airfix and Christmas
I found that I could not really say no (see below, some of the ones I missed when I was a kid):
The doubling up on the Fiesler Storch was a case of one for Rommel and one for the European theater of operations (including rescuing Mussolini).
Labels:
1/72,
1/76,
20mm,
Airfix,
Airfix Vintage,
American,
Fiesler Storch,
German,
HO/OO,
Space,
WW2,
WWII,
Xmas Present
Tuesday, 29 September 2020
The Blackstone Fortress Unboxing
It came (see below, a birthday present to myself which I will play with the kids, but make no mistake I will be the biggest kid):
Behold the land of sprue all of which looks totally compatible with standard 40K stuff, so Warhammer Quest is my excuse for me to make use of GW 40K miniatures I buy "for no apparent reason other that I have to have them" - so I may indeed by their target audience (see below, the adventurer sprue was most beguiling, though some of the baddies were "yuppy" too - spindle drones coming immediately to mind and a nice Chaos Lord):
Lots of deck cards and fancy dice too (see below, nice, I am resisting the temptation
Ah, reading material (see below, be sure to read this soon, before unsealing the cards and popping teh playing boards but after the miniature assembly):
Ah, multiple books .. my eye fixates on the "assembly instructions" (see below, I shall try not to be drawn into the depths of the background - I just noted that there seemed to be many "Black Fortresses" floating around, a bit like Space Hulks from Space Crusade perhaps):
First impression on unboxing .. looks very good! Winter is coming and this may just keep me entertained during the dark nights ,, the Imperial Robot has already "caught my eye" as a painting project!
Monday, 30 December 2019
UK Space and Science News
UK Space Port
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
RAF Launches Space Satellite
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49907686
Satellite Tracking Greenhouse Effect
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Labels:
Satellites,
Scotland,
Space,
Space Port
Saturday, 28 September 2019
Aeronautica Imperialis - Orcs in Space?
OK so know it is not really anywhere near historical, I mean Orcs in Space, really .. but the game pays homage to the best WWI Aerial Combat Systems, GDW Blue Max and Canvas Eagles, I've played, so it hit me in a soft spot right between the eyes (and it was classed as a birthday present from my brother so I had an excuse). The models are also very, very cool in a Steam-Punk sort of way(see below - an un-boxing to follow methinks):
The models remind me of Warlord Games latest Mig Alley Korean War selection (see Renko's superb rendition of Soviet silver camouflage) and immediately after writing that I can see myself falling towards Blood Red Skies (BRS) and the Jet-Age expansion (see below - Note: I could do that because I am not committed to any "jet age scale", whereas BRS WWII has the 1/144 to 1/300 scale "Why am I doing this again in a different scale?" question bobbing around in my head!):
It is also a "game in a box so you don't have to expand out and besides it's "Fantasy-Science-Fiction" so anything goes you can bring your own stuff in. If you get a game from it then what's the problem, otherwise I will be forever the collector and never the player. Maybe I should do some 1/300 aircraft as after all I have always played with the kit Renko has "coerced" (like I needed much pushing) into getting!
Afterthought:
Besides it is another one of games that the father can be shot down by his son (or daughter, or wife) with no loss of prestige (that noted I still don't forgive that dodgy rule call in X-Wing called by my [so-called] friends that lined up my TIE Fighter in front of that Rookie Rebel, being the exception to the rule - Unforgiven)!
The models remind me of Warlord Games latest Mig Alley Korean War selection (see Renko's superb rendition of Soviet silver camouflage) and immediately after writing that I can see myself falling towards Blood Red Skies (BRS) and the Jet-Age expansion (see below - Note: I could do that because I am not committed to any "jet age scale", whereas BRS WWII has the 1/144 to 1/300 scale "Why am I doing this again in a different scale?" question bobbing around in my head!):
Afterthought:
Besides it is another one of games that the father can be shot down by his son (or daughter, or wife) with no loss of prestige (that noted I still don't forgive that dodgy rule call in X-Wing called by my [so-called] friends that lined up my TIE Fighter in front of that Rookie Rebel, being the exception to the rule - Unforgiven)!
Sunday, 15 September 2019
Terraforming Mars - a board game of a different kind!
Now this looks a (different) and interesting game:
https://boardgamegeek.com/image/3543630/terraforming-mars
I am tempted .. has anybody played it?
BoardGameGeek 8.4 seems a very good rating.
PS: I would have thought Elon Musk might have a copy!
https://boardgamegeek.com/image/3543630/terraforming-mars
I am tempted .. has anybody played it?
BoardGameGeek 8.4 seems a very good rating.
PS: I would have thought Elon Musk might have a copy!
Labels:
Elon Musk,
Mars,
Science,
science fiction,
Space
Friday, 2 August 2019
Bits of Space, Science and Technology Related News
Lots of interesting posts I emailed myself:
BBC News:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ world-europe-49026227
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ science-environment-48966645
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ extra/nkzysaP3pB/to-the-moon- and-beyond
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ science-environment-48696023
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ science-environment-47879538
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ technology-47786248
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ technology-47732139
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ science-environment-47607696
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-47553876
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-47555588
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-46778879
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48289550
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-47983756
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44654098
https://www.bbc.com/ideas/videos/whats-the-point-of-humiliation/p06c6xxb
https://www.bbc.com/ideas/ videos/five-compelling- reasons-why-we-all-need-to- sleep-m/p06fshzv
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/ get-inspired/43501261
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49240745
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49182184
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-49265125
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ health-49270325
https://www.bbc.com/ideas/videos/can-you-really-multitask-finally-an-answer/p07jstyl
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ science-environment-49253951
Psychology: Stamford Prison Experiment (VSAUCE)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6nSFpj9HTCZ5t-N3Rm3-HA
Sky News:
https://news.sky.com/story/eu-satellite-navigation-system-galileo-suffers-major-outage-11763506
Air and Space Website:
https://airandspace.si.edu/ stories/editorial/what-can- you-really-see-space
Nuclear Weapons Accident - Spain:
https://fsu.digital.flvc.org/ islandora/object/fsu:180784/ datastream/PDF/view
Real Size of Countries
https://www.visualcapitalist. com/mercator-map-true-size-of- countries/
YouTube Ground Tracking:
https://youtu.be/g2lKb1SnpsQ
Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_warfare
Curious Droid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=VVvaVvRViYQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch? time_continue=428&v= vluzeaVvpU0
Python Tutorial:
https://docs.python.org/3.6/ tutorial/index.html
Space Web-Site:
https://www.heavens-above.com/SolarEscape.aspx?lat=0&lng=0&loc=Unspecified&alt=0&tz=UCT
Real-Time Satellite Tracker:
http://www.gano.name/shawn/JSatTrak/
http://apps.agi.com/SatelliteViewer/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydbbd-4oEds&feature=youtu.be
https://www.wmo-sat.info/oscar/satellites
https://celestrak.com/satcat/search.php
https://celestrak.com/ software/satellite/sat-trak. php
Just tell me this is not true please:
https://mb.ntd.tv/in spiring/life/ancient -texas-hammer-found- embedded-in-rock-sai d-to-be-500-million- years-old.html
BBC News:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-47553876
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-47555588
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-46778879
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48289550
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-47983756
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44654098
https://www.bbc.com/ideas/videos/whats-the-point-of-humiliation/p06c6xxb
https://www.bbc.com/ideas/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49240745
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49182184
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-49265125
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.com/ideas/videos/can-you-really-multitask-finally-an-answer/p07jstyl
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Psychology: Stamford Prison Experiment (VSAUCE)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6nSFpj9HTCZ5t-N3Rm3-HA
Sky News:
https://news.sky.com/story/eu-satellite-navigation-system-galileo-suffers-major-outage-11763506
Air and Space Website:
https://airandspace.si.edu/
Nuclear Weapons Accident - Spain:
https://fsu.digital.flvc.org/
Real Size of Countries
https://www.visualcapitalist.
YouTube Ground Tracking:
https://youtu.be/g2lKb1SnpsQ
Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_warfare
Curious Droid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Python Tutorial:
https://docs.python.org/3.6/
Space Web-Site:
https://www.heavens-above.com/SolarEscape.aspx?lat=0&lng=0&loc=Unspecified&alt=0&tz=UCT
Real-Time Satellite Tracker:
http://www.gano.name/shawn/JSatTrak/
http://apps.agi.com/SatelliteViewer/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydbbd-4oEds&feature=youtu.be
https://www.wmo-sat.info/oscar/satellites
https://celestrak.com/satcat/search.php
https://celestrak.com/
Just tell me this is not true please:
https://mb.ntd.tv/in
Monday, 27 May 2019
Somethings are just for Fun: Gretchins
I was wandering round my local Boyes store and came across the "model" aisle and saw they had started stocking GW products, with a discount. GW is a fringe interest of mine, more on the Sci-Fi figures of "interest front" as opposed to playing 40K. Space Crusade is the closest I really come. The big stuff has frightening price tags but oddities like "Gretchins" almost accommodate sensible pricing - 11 miniatures for under £9 was 'almost' value. However the animation of the characters finally sold it to me (see below, the big dude in the middle is their Orc master):
However, for the record, I am not a fan of "Orcs in Space". It's all a bit of Space Crusade fun really!
However, for the record, I am not a fan of "Orcs in Space". It's all a bit of Space Crusade fun really!
Labels:
28mm,
28mm Science Fiction,
40K,
40K Orks,
Games Workshop,
Gretchins,
GW,
Modelling,
Space,
Warhammer 40K
Tuesday, 7 May 2019
Remember "When life gets you down" ... There are always bigger things happening in Space .. Black Holes and Gravitational Waves and Expansion
And it's all in the science I don't understand:
Now't much bigger than a Black Hole, or as impressive as a Gravitational Wave and as per Monty Python we are sitting in an ever Expanding Universe ...
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
science-environment-47873592 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-48137011
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-48068242/when-the-biggest-numbers-don-t-add-up
Now't much bigger than a Black Hole, or as impressive as a Gravitational Wave and as per Monty Python we are sitting in an ever Expanding Universe ...
Labels:
BBC News,
Black Holes,
Gravitational Waves,
Space,
Universe Expansion
Monday, 22 April 2019
Did You Know: All Maps Are Wrong?
Informative and quite scary:
https://www.vox.com/platform/a mp/world/2016/12/2/13817712/ma p-projection-mercator-globe
Mercator (the old school book friend):
Gall-Peters (the truth is out there"):
So you see Africa is very big and Greenland looks bigger than it should really be!
Check this out ... "the true size of countries":
https://thetruesize.com/#?borders=1~!MTc0MjYxMzA.MjY2NzY3MA*MzYwMDAwMDA(MA~!CONTIGUOUS_US*MTAwMjQwNzU.MjUwMjM1MTc(MTc1)MA~!IN*NTI2NDA1MQ.Nzg2MzQyMQ)MQ~!CN*OTkyMTY5Nw.NzMxNDcwNQ(MjI1)Mg~!GL*NzgwNjU.MzM2NDQxNDA)Mw~!AU*MTEwOTg0.MTA4NDM2MDA)NA~!RU*MA.MTgwMDAwMDA)NQ
Little did I know that my Geography Teacher was a Colonial Propagandist!
https://www.vox.com/platform/a
Mercator (the old school book friend):
Gall-Peters (the truth is out there"):
So you see Africa is very big and Greenland looks bigger than it should really be!
Check this out ... "the true size of countries":
https://thetruesize.com/#?borders=1~!MTc0MjYxMzA.MjY2NzY3MA*MzYwMDAwMDA(MA~!CONTIGUOUS_US*MTAwMjQwNzU.MjUwMjM1MTc(MTc1)MA~!IN*NTI2NDA1MQ.Nzg2MzQyMQ)MQ~!CN*OTkyMTY5Nw.NzMxNDcwNQ(MjI1)Mg~!GL*NzgwNjU.MzM2NDQxNDA)Mw~!AU*MTEwOTg0.MTA4NDM2MDA)NA~!RU*MA.MTgwMDAwMDA)NQ
Little did I know that my Geography Teacher was a Colonial Propagandist!
Labels:
Geography,
Map Projections,
Mercator,
Space,
World
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