ME 163

 

 ME 163 Komet 

Another kit completed from my MAYDAY build, it has been finished for three weeks or so, but I mislaid the canopy, which I found yesterday…… a simple build, the paint job is part airbrush part hand painted as I had masking tape tear so a sand back then brush job to complete, added decals from the kit, pilot is a supplied one. Not much use for wargaming but I knew I had to have one. When I worked at the Australian war memorial as a guide I often would take my guided group past the one in the memorial reminding people that this little jet was really a glider that was often a one way ticket. 

Cheers

Matt

P38J droop snoop

 370th Fighter Group P38 part 2

Finally got some time to complete this model, the P-38J from the 401st reconnaissance squadron of the  370th fighter group USAAF.  I have always wanted to build one of these for my European theatre ground air support as this unit was the close support for Pattons 3rd Armys breakout through Pays de Loire in August 1944. The droop snoot nosed aircraft was used coordination for targeting and low level rockets and bombing by the rest of the group, targeting the German support elememts and retreating convoys to the north and east into the Falaise pocket. 

As Wargamers we like to think that air support was easily available, with ground to air contact regularly. Pattons 3rd army was the first time that units at the front had direct radio liaison between the ground and the target liaison aircraft during the breakout. US aircraft were available every 8 mins to be targeted on the Germans units directed by these aircraft in constant contact with the lead elements of Pattons Armoured units. The P38s were flying out of Cardonville in Normandy so were over targets in the Mayenne region in around 5 mins as they chased the German 7th army east towards Paris then the border. The unit was also the first to drop Napalm incendiary bombs in Normandy on the 17th of July on a German fuel depot at Coutances west of St Lo. 

My kit is the superb Dragon model, only complaint no pilot….. so a Revell one was used, markings are for the 401st squadron of the 370th Fighter Group, fuselage code 7F. 

Cheers

Matt

A-10 Thunderbolt

 

 A-10 Thunderbolt Hog 

A academy A-10 Thunderbolt kit I have had laying around for more than ten years built but not painted pile of shame. This month I have been airbrushing madly to complete a lot of built kits, this chap made it to the front of the line last week. 

Reasonably happy with the results, marked up for Europe. I have another kit unbuilt, I will build that for Iraq in the future. 

Cheers

Matt

 

Israeli Dassault Super Mystère

A very old Airfix Dassault Super Mystere B2 kit, a very clean build but the decals were not in great shape so aftermarket were added. It will serve in my Arab Isreali games nicely. Really happy with this one as part of my May Day aircraft builds. 

Cheers

Matt

Vichy Armee de l’Air Bloch 152 “Potent Pedro”

 

 Vichy Bloch 152

As a palette cleanser this week I completed a Bloch 152 for the Vichy airforce, I already have two Bloch 152 in the collection so I thought I needed to do something different, and here it is. 

Cheers

Matt

Luftwaffe F4 Phantom

 

 Luftwaffe F 4 phantom 

This aircraft has been almost complete pile for 10 years at least, the interior and base coat was painted, but no detailing done, panel lines, weathering  decals or pilot.

 Last month I unpacked boxes of kits from storage to complete some for the 30 day kit build. In these boxes were a number of aircraft in various stages of completion, mostly built but no paint, or pilots. So my goal this month is to finish off as many as I can before moving onto armour! 

Now I also have 3d files for pilots, so I have started printing loads of ww2, helicopter and jet pilots and looking for or purchasing decals to complete a number of builds that had stalled along with matching canopies (which is ok for some but difficult for others….). So expect a lot of aircraft over the coming month as I paint pilots, airbrush built kits and add decals. 

Really happy with my results although I think I would like to build it again and be more careful within my fit and finish. Overall really good to have it completed. 

Cheers

Matt

  Red Tail Down 

An old 1/72 Frog P51 mustang has been sacrificed to have a crashed aircraft. Quite happy with it, perfect for a jumping off marker or objective or just table decoration. 

Cheers

Matt

Knights of the Air

 

 Knights of the air 

 I like to build ww1 aircraft for my Bloody April WW1 games every year. Both aircraft are hand painted one 1/72 Revell and one Roden kit, both with airfix pilots. 

First Aircraft completed for  Jasta 11 Lothar Richthofen, brother of the famous Baron! 

First aircraft for Jasta 36 Harold von Bülow-Bothkamp, a very colorful Fokker DR1, an ace fighter pilot of both world wars.

Cheers

Matt

French Gendarmerie Alouette III

 Completed a little side project this weekend. A very old Heller kit. I plan to use this in an upcoming scenario. The kit is a little vague on assembly instructions  however with a few google searches you will find suitable images to help. I have added two Elhiem pilots but I did need to cut the seat height down by a few mm. I have given it a single coat of clear Matt varnish, I think it may need another.  Overall quite happy with the build, now to build a carry case! 

Cheers 

Matt

Swedish C303 PLTGB 903

Finally completed this during the week during my down time between guests I have been airbrushing and catching up on my kit builds during the year. I do need to add crew from elhiem when I find them in the pile of opportunity. 

The Volvo c303 pansarvarnspjasterrangbil was armed with a Pvpj 1110 90 mm recoil-less antitank gun. I picked up the Gecko models 1/72 model last year and finally assembled it this week for Mad March build, so has been a while between build and painted but until I complete the renovations on my workshop upstairs I will need to be patient until I get my airbrush studio space completed. 

This chap will join my Swedes in the anti armour platoon of my infantry regiment for my Cold War game later in the year. 

Cheers

Matt

Swedish C303 car

  Additions for my Swedish army is a passenger truck, the Volvo C303 TGB11 these small vehicles were commonly referred to as the Puppy in Swedish service and were used in a variety of uses. 

The C303 was designed and built by Volvo and was designated the Laplander L3314. It came in hard top, soft top and the specialized anti tank version. I picked up the Gecko heavy industries model, which to be frank is not that good for its price, with lots of air bubbles and a clear cabin in very hard resin. See my previous kit review Here 

I am quite happy with the result though and was a simple dark green airbrush job then hand painted windscreens, tactical signs and lights etc. 

Cheers

Matt

Bundesgrenzschutz VW181

  One of my Bundesgrenzschutz units is a 1/72nd scale VW181 to complete my command platoon. 

The Germania Figuren vehicle is made from resin and is a very nicely cast model. Hardly and flash and no bubbles. It comes with two options roof on or folded back, plus driver (which is a bonus) with four head variants. Assembly was quite simple and the cabin went together well, although take care with the windscreen removal, and fitting the back parcel shelf and seat which I fitted incorrectly! 

It was a little pricey at €16.50 plus shipping but a great little kit never the less. A solid 9 out of ten, only mi us was the instructions and broken windscreen 

A simple Tamiya nato green paint job, with  highlight, then black lining. The driver was painted in bundesgrenschutz camo smock. Really happy with the result. 

Cheers

Matt 

Wip Wednesday - Crashed P-51D

 Last week I picked up as a bonus from a shop purchase the simple airfix P-51D model, the kit is so bad I decided to make it a wrecked aircraft. So I went looking for crashed P-51D locally, however they predominantly were P-51B/C so I finally settled on one that crashed in the Netherlands so I could use it in my Arnhem games. 

I have settled on a P-51d that was crash landed by Maj Shelton W (Shell) Monroe who went on to become the highest ace in the Korean War before losing his life to AA in Korea. 

The aircraft was from the 334th sqaudron and was marked QP-Q serial number 44-13411QP-Q

Markings are per the aircraft below. 

With under and over markings as per this one of the same unit

My version has had a wing snapped off and the fuel tanks damaged ready for paint this weekend.

Cheers

Matt

Mad March

  More Mad March modelling madness completed, this time a soviet radio truck from ICM, I had a devil of a time fitting the wheel arches, but it is together! 

Cheers

Matt