Roger_Wilco said:

Holy Toledo! You've got squadrons upon squadrons of WWI fighters!

I just snagged a third TBF Avenger off EBay this past week from someone here stateside, which is kinda unusual, all the good stuff is in, or comes from somewhere in Asia!.

They were available at MegaHobby all last summer, and I kinda forgot about only having two of them, and got lazy about ordering a third. I figured they'd be there when I wanted to buy, but suprise...suprise, guess again! When I tried to order, they were all out, and I couldn't find them anywhere. So I feel pretty lucky in being able to grab one off EBay.

Rodger_Wilco, question for you: I did the first two Avengers I was able to get in the early war markings, mainly because I had no other 1/144 scale decales on hand, and just decided to use what was in the box. Now I have been able to build up a small stash of extra decales from the left over spares from kits with multiple choices. Now that I'm going back and adding a third Avenger, I am not sure that I want to make a third "match" to the other two in early war markings. I was thinking about doing this one up in mid war markings, with the two tone shades of upper surface blue (intermediate & navy), and the white underside. That and the blue circle & white star insignia without the red center dot.

What do you think? Stick with making three of a kind, or mix em' up a bit?

At first, I thought I wanted to keep all of the bombers looking the same, but a very nice person in Thialand was able to get me 3 Vals & 3 Kates, I think they were F-Toys. Anyways, I would have been thrilled to get 3 each of these in any paint schemes, but this person was kind enough to go to the trouble of getting one of each of the three paint schemes they made them in. I don't speak Thia, and his english was good enough for us to be able to communicate, but I couldn't express to him that he needn't go to the trouble of searching for each of the three paint schemes. Any three would have been fine, even if they were all the same. In fact, having them all the same was what I thought I wanted, but I just couldn't get it across to him. Anyway, he sends the three different paint schemes, and I thought to myself, that's actually pretty cool!

So now I'm kinda up in the air as to if I should try to make the bombers all the same, or make them different. I guess in the long run it doesn't really matter. What do you think R_W ?

Roger_Wilco said:

LOL My wife just peeked over my shoulder at this!

She just shook her head and mumbled to herself as she walked away... "Oh Lordy, you guys are all the same."

To answer your question without actually answering it, the two Avengers I bought are of a recent re-release, the packageing is smaller although the box art is the same as the last issue. I'd say these guys will be around in plentifull numbers again so you'd be able to get your hands on as many as you want. My personal preference is midwar as I'm not a fan of the pre/early war insignia, yet having said that I am making mine up as early war to mach my Wildcats, P40's and Japanese aircraft collected so far, that also runs well with the "Dawn of War" theme of the game. I'll make up some mid war later on. Would just love to get my hands on some "Devastators".

Roger_Wilco said:

OK then, I'm with you on this. Sounds like good logic to me, early war to match the other two it is. Thanks for the input!

As far as the Devastator goes, these are the only ones I've been able to find in 1/144 scale:

www.truenorthminis.com/store/index.php

They are the metal, probably one piece casting kind. I prefer the regular, good ole' kits with a clear canopy myself. But I'm a really big fan of the P-40 for some odd reason (probably because it was all they had at the time, and they had to make due when it was in front line service), and i had to go with the people who make Flames of War to find a P-40E in 1/144 scale. Those little buggers were right around $42 USD for three in a package, and I was dismayed to open it up and find that they were one piece, resin molds with the canopy as a part of the mold. No seperate, clear canopies! Well, I went ahead and painted them up, and used black to fill in the canopy area, and they came out pretty good, IMHO.

So I think I may try some of these all metal kits. My only concern is the amount of detail in the mold. I was looking at Soviet Air Force planes like the La-5s, & 7s and the Pe-2 in particular. R_W, have you any experience with the all metal planes?

Hey, while I'm thinking about it, what do you think about these Me-110Cs? They were a ton of extra work to build them, but they didn't come out too terribly bad, I didn't think. For a grand total of $20 USD including shipping for the pair, I was pretty happy with how they turned out.

The decales were lacking, but again, at the time I didn't have any other spares to use. I had to putty the nose into a more propper shape, the tail wheel was horrible and needed help, and the canopy on each one required about an hour and a half to trim it into shape, and the main landing gear needed work.

kaufschtick said:

" o/~ I like Big Jugs and I cannot lie/

The Luftwaffe can't deny.... o/~ "

OK, that's enough of *that*....

Roger_Wilco said:

I was lucky enough to pick up a pair of F-Toys Jacks, Wing Club Vol.1 from the same fellow I got the Vals & Kates from. I wanna say that I run across them now and again on EBay at reasonable prices.

Roger_Wilco said:

I'd love to see your WWI planes! I see that they now have a preview on the main page of their game mats, what do you think about it? I think I'll be picking them up myself.

I've noticed that the local hobby shops here in town have begun maintaining a fairly large on hand inventory of the WWI WoW miniatures on a regular basis. There for a while last year, they'd get an initial shipment in, and it would be gone fairly quick, and they'd be out for a good while. About 6 months ago, I began to notice that not only were they always in stock, but that they were carrying many multiples of the same planes, where as previously, when they were in stock, it was always just one of each.

Also, usually they would just carry the most recent set, and they are now carrying all of the sets. The last time I was at my favorite shop, there must have been close to 100 miniatures on hand from the whole series! It sure is good to see, and a sure sign that the game has sprouted some roots here with the local wargamers. It's been quite a while since I've seen a wargame being represented so much in the local hobby shops.

It's kinda funny, but when they release the game mats; and now that there is a bit of variety available with the three sets of planes, I think this game is just begining to be noticed by the wargame crowd. The miniatures are definately the key to this games major appeal, and I think it took the release of more than just a few items before people began to give it a serious look. Once they get the game mat & the barage balloon released, I think this game is going to really enjoy some widespread success.

Same thing with the WWII version, I suspect. The first set is just not going to be enough to draw in the wargame crowd on a whole, but once they get 2, 3 and more sets of the WWII planes out, it will really pick up some steam. One set is like a "teaser", especially with all of the aircraft involved in WWII. I'm hoping that one of the reasons they went with 1/200 scale for the WWII stuff is so that they will be better able to release the bigger bombers at more reasonable prices. We'll see, I just hope I'm not in a nursing home by then!

I'll get some photos organised when I get the camera working properly again. All its images come out real dark, I suspect the battery needs replacing.

I went back to the store to pick up the other two planes, sorry they were Minicraft "Jake" recon float planes not "Jacks", I bought one and lucky too, the quality is the same as theTrumpeter Spitfire Vb and Bf110 kits I picked up last year, terrible! Definitely worth avoiding at all costs, its weird as the Avenger models look very nice, the two kits are just so totally different in quality, I don't get it, considering how much it costs to tool up a production run of any particular model you would wonder why they enen bothered.

I recently bought a Fine Scale Modeller magazine today and it had a Model Expo catalouge in it and I saw this:

http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=LB70816 (and I also just found this)

http://www.lindberg-models.com/air_model70821.html (added this one as an edit)

I'll have to find out who the Australian distributor is. Its scale is 1/245 and its 38 1/2 " long. Could be a good modelling start point for a fictious Zepplin

I also saw that Revell has released a Fletcher Class destroyer in 1/144 scale it is 797mm long so it would take up a bit of table

They make a couple of 1/144 U-boat kits in 1/144 alas though these are also a little large at just over 500mm long but cut down to waterline they would be a little shorter.

These models could all make for some interesting large game table scenarios. RAF Catalina doing some ASW work on a dozy U Boat crew. A Fletcher class destroyer defending against a Japanese Bombing/Torpedo attack........or even a late war Kamekazi attack by Zeros. Of course a quick reality check brings us back to earth and says thats a lot of work and money putting together a model ship of that size for one or two scenarios but what the hey! Dreamings cheap! In the real estate businessI think its called "gross over capitalisation".

Roger_Wilco said:

Ah yes, I recently saw on E-Bay several of the Minicraft line of 1/144 scale planes at rediculously low prices...too good to be true prices! I suspected there must be a catch there. The Me-110Cs I bought were MiniHobby, which I suspect was a knock off copy of the Minicraft kits. They were pretty crude. On the flip side though, I have a 1/144 scale Mavis by Trumpeter that that looks to be of a quality on par with the Sweet & Platz kits, go figure!?

Roger_Wilco said:

My Dad has a German U-Boat in 1/72 scale, and is currently working on a Gato Class US sub in 1/72 scale, rather large! I was toying with the idea of building some of the 1/700 scale waterline ships I used to build as a kid, and use them as targets, as you mention, for Wings of War. My thinking being that hopefully the smaller size would simulate the difference in height the planes would be at, and the ships wouldn't look too wonky. That plus I could build more 1/700 scale ships than anything of a larger scale. If I get enough of the 1/700 scale ships, who knows, I wonder if I still have those General Quarters rules around anywhere...

Wow General Quarters!

"Quick Sherman, into the Way Back machine........"

Funny thing is I was packing some boxes in the shed yesterday (we are considering moving house) and I flicked through those rules just before I packed them wondering if I would come across my old CinC WW1 ship models, which then got me thinking about Rod Langtons miniatures and remembering that he made small WW1 coastal craft and flying boats in 1/200 scale and hoy they might look OK against 1/144 for some different kinds of scenarios. This then got me thinking about 10mm WW2 I have seen about and how those miniatures will compliment the new DOW aircraft miniatures then I thought "Hmmm probably time for some lunch". All this in a blink of the eye.

Roger_Wilco said:

LOL!!!!

Just in from work, and 2 more Yak-9s arrived from Japan!!! 3 total now. Time to go back and get a pair of winter Me-109Gs!

( My wife just saw this, and says she's changing the Pay Pal password! Then she said, "What's the way back machine?" )

I guess that's what I get for marrying a young whipper snapper, six years my junior!

( She just slapped me on the back of the head for that one! )

I've got my eyes on some F-Toys Typhoons and Meteors myself. Its interesting how there are a lot less sellers of these models around now, a year ago there was a real flood but nowadays there are only a few sellers of them, thats the Eco Crisis for you and I try so hard to stimulate growth too .

Roger_Wilco said:

I just saw a pair of Typhoons (1 Desert & 1 European) on the bidding side, starting at 9 cents each!

I don't really like the auction side though. I was watching the prices of the Typhoons a while back, when I snagged a pair, and the prices were slowing creeping up past $12, and the listings were getting fewer, when I saw a pair at $9 apiece. I kinda wanted the desert for some reason, but they were usually a little higher in price. I wound up getting the European version.

Next day, the desert ones were listed on the buy it now side for $6.99 each.

I believe I've even seen them listed at $5.99 since then as well.

On the brighter side, I just found out that some group calling itself the International Plastic Modellers Society (I don't know how "international" they really are) is having it's annual convention here in my home town of Columbus, Ohio. The word on this event is that there is a considerable vendor area with HLJ (Hobby Link Japan) mentioned as one of many vendors who will have booths present.

I've got to head on out to work now, but I'll get back with more info and a link. The fellow who gave me the heads up said that there were terrific deals to be had on models, the last day of the event especially. It's going to be in mid August.

Rodger_Wilco, maybe I can find something there for you? That'd be cool if I were to run across some Devastators, wouldn't it!

Gotta run now, be back soon...

IPMS is huge! They have alarge following here in Australia and organise the top modelling competitions. Standards are generally very high. they also have swap meets and trade stands. Always worth taking a look at their shows.

Roger_Wilco said:

Uh-oh! I guess this is the real deal then!

www.ipmsusa2009.org/

Here's the link I got...guess I better start saving my money then!

CeltIberian aka Lotus told me you had planes but sweet Jay-lo man do you nice pics of them as well.

hornet69 said:

Hornet69 !?! Holy Cow!! Nice to see a post from you here! Looks like you have quite an FFG game collection though! I'm only in for WoW & ToI here myself, so I'm kinda a "rookie" here on these boards. I hope all is well with you!

I'm definately into the planes big time. My Dad has a 1/72 scale collection of around 800 planes from the Wright Flyer on up to the B-2, helicopters and all. If it flies, he has it. Growing up around that pretty much sealed the deal as far as getting me "hooked". I've been away from the modeling table for a few weeks, I hope to get back to work tomorrow though. How's Lotus? I saw a post over there recently that he was recovering from a lay off?! If you get the chance, I'd appreciate it if you could mention that Curt, Tim and I all say "Hi" and hope he and his family are doing well, despite any potential temporary hardships.

I'm trying to get all my planes on hand done as soon as possible for the release of the next DoW boxed set, Fire From Above (or something like that). I've got just over 200 total planes, with about 150 built and ready to game with. They also have a game mat coming out here real soon for the WWI version (I have all of those as well, the WWI planes...which is what got me going on this game to start with) that may work out for use with the WWII planes. We'll see. It's funny about the WWI Wings of War planes. In the height of my AAM days, I went down one day to my FLAGS to see about this new game called ToI that C2K had told me about, and while there I spotted these little WWI planes...I left with a couple to take a look at, and was blown away by the quality. Those little buggers are collectable level quality. I knew I wanted to like this game right then and there, so I started checking it out. Turns out to be a gem of a game and I get to model in 1/144 scale now.

After I get the majority of my 1/144 scale planes done, I'm going to start on, probably 1/700 scale waterline ships to use with the WWII WoW game. I'm thinking that the scale difference may be offset by the fact that the planes would appear larger due to being higher up, or conversly that the ships being smaller would be due to them being far beneath the planes...did that make any sense there at all?

Hell, 1/700 is a pretty good size for wargaming, and I don't think going any larger (1/350) would accomodate a table top game, but who knows? I'm going to tinker around with some scale of ships to use with the game. I'll wind up getting the WWII a/c minis that are coming out just because the 1/200 scale will go better with 1/700 scale waterline ships. But they release the minis sooo slooowly. I'm afraid I'll be in an old folks home before they get a decent assortment of WWII planes released!! That's why I took the leap into 1/144 scale.

Hi Kaufschtick

Picked up a couple of F-toy Bettys the other day, They are OK but I think the earlier Cafe Reo ones might be better models. Also I noticed that the next F-Toy multi engined bomber release includes 2 different japanese Bombers (sorry my japanese aircraft recognition sucks) B25's and JU 88's. They are supposed to be released in May but my automatic E-Bay search set up hasn't spotted them for sale yet.

I dropped around my modelling friends place last week and he has made up a silicon mold for a 1/144 Wilcat, the original model used as the master is the Sweet one. I was cleaning up a stack of the resin copies for him and they look nice and come in three parts, the prop, the engine cowl and the rest of the plane as the third piece. The only critisisms are that there are some faint deressions on the wings caused by some bubbles in the rubber mould and that there are no decals so they will have to be scrounged through some other source. The aircraft is modelled wheels up, the cockpit has a pilot and the glazing is very thin vacform. If you supply me your address again I'll send you some and a dozen of the gimble joints that I made up.

He also has a Corsair in the pipeline, and I did see that a Hellcat engine cowl has also been cast but he wouldn't commit himself to a timeline for availability.

Sorry no photos, my camera battery is completely dead and won't hold a charge.

Roger_Wilco said:

Man o man do I ever wish I had waited until I had the E-Bay thing down pat before I bought three minicraft Betty's. The kits look to be just fine, but I've been eyeing the camo'd Betty's by Cafe Rio on E-Bay for only $3.99 apiece! No canopy painting! Oh well, you tried and tried to tell me...

Roger_Wilco said:

I saw that preview around somewhere, I wanna say the Japanese bomber in that set was the Ki-21 Sally (?), but I'm not sure. Plus I thought that set actually had a fourth plane in it? Maybe I shouldn't drink so much beer when I'm on here... The B-25 and the Ju-88s are going to be the stars of that set. I'm set on Ju-88s myself, but the B-25 they showed was the B/C model. That was the model version from the Doolittle Raid. No waist guns, top turret is aft and no 50 cal gun packs on the sides under the pilots canopy. I saw those just after I had finished painting my B-25 H/J versions in Doolilttle colors, and just before decaling them. Ah hell, I thought, there's the B/C version , and in Doolittle colors as well. They did show 2 paint schemes, the other being in North African desert. I'll grab 3 of those if and when they get around to releasing them. I haven't seen anything on E-Bay yet either.

Roger_Wilco said:

I built a pair of those Sweet Wildcats, and they are super little kits! There is an IPMS show or convention coming to my hometown here in August, they are supoosed to have a dealers area with potentially great deals on kits like the Sweet kind, and so on. I'm setting back some loot in the event this proves to be the case. Address sent, email on the way! Is your address still the same, you never know what kind of things I may run across at this IPMS con in August!

Roger_Wilco said:

Picturs, pictures...we need PICTURES!! Everyones getting bored stiff with my same ole' - same ole', pics!!!

We need fresh pics!!!

New pics - new pics - new pics - new pics!

kaufschtick said:

Well my FFG collection that i own is WoW the others i just play when the guys in are group come down and game on Saturdays. And i have been into WoW for only 3 months . Always was into WW1 ,got into it by listening my Grandfather told me stories of his time at the front-And i was just in awestruck by his stories. My mother was not thrilled when i dug a trench in the back yard though when i was 8 and my older cousin helped me make smoke bombs to simulate a gas attack.

I have a small moddest collection of planes my self and i will try and get some picks up bthis week.

Roger_Wilco said:

If you can point me in the direction of a website with pics of the unit in question, I can probably ID it for you (he says, looking at the bookshelves filled to collapse with WW-aircraft books... ).

Here's the link to the product page

http://www.f-toys.net/index.php?m=fproduct&t=detaile&product_id=64

RW

Well, it's hard to say for certain what two Japanese Air Force planes these are, but I have a guess. The bomber they show looks to like it is a Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (Dragon Swallower) according to my Combat Aircraft of the World by John W. R. Taylor. It looks to be a match to me from the photos. If it is, it was the Japanese replacement for the Ki-21 Sally. I though that was what it may have been originally, but this looks now more like the late war replacement for the Sally.

The second one I think I have pegged too. It looks like a Kawanishi P1Y2-S Kyokko (Aurora). The Aurora part made me take extra notice, I think we're supposed to have a spy plane by that name, the supposed replacement for the SR-71 Blackbird. Anyway, The book has a captured picture of one in US markings, and it was supoosed to be a night fighter, but was converted to homeland defense as a fighter, and it says only 96 reached actual squadrons.

Those are my guesses on these two anyway. The Doolittle Mitchells ought to go like hotcakes, as should the Ju-88s as well. Those are two planes that the wargaming crowd most likely will ****** up left and right. I might go for three of the desert Mitchells, having already jumped the gun on the Doolittle Mitchells.

Roger_Wilco said:

#1 is a Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (Storm Dragon), reporting name "Helen". The left one is supposed to be from 74th Sentai (Group); the right, 61st.

#3 is a Yokosuka P1Y Ginga (Milky Way), reporting name "Frances". The one on the right is supposed to be from 762 Kokutai (Naval Air Corps).

Well, there's no need to speculate, I just jumped over from E-Bay, and they're available there. Looks like the going price is around $11.00 USD.

Here they are, I saw The some of the camo'd Helens for $5.99. Good price.