Taking to the Skies

 

A 2 1/2D interwar style biplane as featured in the montage of photographs marking the release of Mark Copplestone’s Little Soldiers 30mm range. The model was made of 1.5mm basswood.

I have mentioned recently of my fondness for aerial games and that my timely acquisition of a rather nicely hexed blue cloth has kind of spurred me to look more closely at the idea. Another ‘prompt’ - as if I needed one - was occasioned by the acquisition of a copy of the Two Fat Lardies WW1 aerial rules - Algernon pulls it off (Bag the Hun are the WW2 version). An interesting exchange of emails with that all round good guy and painter of a bewildering array of aircraft and ships - I reckon he must have Tumbling Dice on speed dial - none other than Jim Jackaman, kind of nudged me along into one of my more bonkers brainstorms - MDF aircraft modelled similarly to the one you see above.

Oh yes indeedy! Shades of the Blue Max and Aces High with a dash of Dawn Patrol

I am thinking that perhaps 1:144th or thereabouts would be quite a good scale to see about ‘MDFing’ in some way - this would also have the virtue of being relatively compact in terms of table space but large enough for some decent paint jobs (with the added bonus of being completely flat surfaces - essential for a mediocre painter like me!). 

Obviously WW2 types would be simpler to construct - I am thinking along the lines of something akin to those cheap expanded foam gliders often given as old school stocking fillers at Christmas, you know the ones where you slot the wings through the fuselage - although at this stage the idea of something with a gull wing configuration (Stukas or Corsairs for example) is proving to be something of a mental challenge. WW1 types are doable for sure but would need some careful planning in respect of what goes where - fixed undercarriage and struts will be fiddly for sure.

Whilst I do not plan to conduct 1,000 bomber raids or such like I reckon there is some potential for games of around half a dozen or so aircraft a side - my hexed cloth would not take many more models than that methinks - which would be a lot of fun. I am also thinking that any such aircraft should be relatively inexpensive.

I need to sit down and think about this in more detail and bounce the idea off Martin at Warbases in respect of feasibility. Is this an unexpected rabbit hole I seem to be sleepwalking into? Possibly, but if it works then it will scratch a certain itch for sure. 

Tally ho and all that!