Rapid Fire! 1/72nd scale American Airforce Gulf War 1991

 

At the same time of the building of the Iraqi Airforce I also built the American Airforce for the 1990-91 Gulf War. So most of these models are over 20 years old and are all plastic kits. The era of Die-cast 1/72nd  was still a bit far and model kits still ruled our options. Later I'll show you my newer Altaya US aircraft with the addition of home made pilots.

 

 

This F-14 (Airfix) sports the old fashioned stars of the USN still used by a few squadrons in the Gulf and that were being replaced by the low visibility ones.

 

 

The F-15 was the Coalition deadlier aircraft in air-to-air combat with 36 kills according to US sources. On the left you have a F-15E Strike Eagle and on the right a F-15C. Both are Airfix.

 

 

Here is a F-4G Phantom Wild Weasel. The model started as a F-4E (Airfix) and I scratchbuilt the extra equipment of this SAM destroyer.

 

 

On the left a Grumman EA-6B Prowler (Italeri) and on the right an A-6 Intruder (Hasegawa) that made its last important missions in this war and was being slowly phased out.

 

 

This big F-111F Aardvark is an ESCI model. You have to place the variable geometry wings like in the picture because its the only way  for the bombs to go on the correct position. The Gulf war made the model companies to produce hundreds of new models and some with big design mistakes.

 

 

The F-16C on the left is Airfix and the one on the right is Hasegawa. They were used mostly on air-to-ground attacks.

 

 

Two F-18 Hornets of the USN (Hasegawa). The one on  the right has Canadian markings.

 

 

The AV-8B Harrier (Airfix) from the Marine Corps.

 

 

This OV-10 Bronco (Hasegawa) saw the end of its carrier in the Gulf War.

 

 

Hard to explain why you need this thing for wargames. The F-117 (ESCI) is nonetheless a must have model for this war.

 

 

Two A-10 Thunderbolt (Academy). They were credited with the destruction of 4000 tanks, AFV and artillery pieces during the Gulf War.

 

 

Two AH-64 Apache (also Academy).

 

 

Boeing 107 Sea Knights (Airfix).

 

 

Finally a sole AH-1W Super Cobra (Hasegawa). With the addition of the Altaya die-casts this American Airforce will grow with some 10 more models.

 

Next I'll show you the British aircraft of the Gulf as they are built and painted for a long time.

 

 

Models to Swap (2) - 1941 Russian 1/87th scale tank force (ALREADY EXCHANGED)

Here is the deal: my idea is to get rid of all my built, crewed, stowaged and painted 1/87th Premo scale 1941 Soviet models as I built my German oponents in 20mm.

What I propose to any of you is to exchange this collection for a reasonable number ( not necessarily the 19 1/87th scale models shown here ) of 1/72nd- 1/76th scale models of any brand, material (plastic, resin or metal), painted, unpainted, built or boxed, tanks, artillery or Infantry.

 The models I'm after are:

- Modern Russian, US, German Vehicles

- Chieftains

- Early WW2, Polish, Russian, German, and (specially) French (WW1 also)

- Old Airfix ACW

- Chinook and Huey helicopters

- 30YW Revell

Leave a message here and then we can talk by mail, Messenger, FB or whatever.

If we reach an agreement then we can post our stuff to each other free of charge for any of us.

If you have other 20mm stuff to swap, let me now because they may be of interest to me.

  

Don't be shy. This is an ecological way of getting rid of unwanted stuff and save the oceans!!

T-35 

T-28 

BT-7

 T-26

Diecast Salvat (1/87th scale) KV-1 and early T-34. 

Models to Swap (1) - 1/87th scale Desert Storm US armored force (ALREADY EXCHANGED)

Here is the deal: my idea is to get rid of all my built, crewed, stowaged and painted 1/87th Roco scale models from the Gulf War as I built my Iraqi oponents in 20mm.

What I propose to any of you is to exchange this collection for a reasonable number ( not necessarily the 38 1/87th scale models shown here ) of 1/72nd- 1/76th scale models of any brand, material (plastic, resin or metal), painted, unpainted, built or boxed, tanks, artillery or Infantry.

 The models I'm after are:

- Modern Russian, US, German Vehicles

- Chieftains

- Early WW2, Polish, Russian, German, and (specially) French (WW1 also)

- Old Airfix ACW

- Chinook and Huey helicopters

- 30YW Revell

Leave a message here and then we can talk by mail, Messenger, FB or whatever.

If we reach an agreement then we can post our stuff to each other free of charge for any of us.

 If you have other 20mm stuff to swap, let me now because they may be of interest to me.

Don't be shy. This is an ecological way of getting rid of unwanted stuff and save the oceans!!

 Roco LAV 25 and variants.

Roco Humvees.

Roco M1A1 Abrams (last 3 are diecast in 1/87th scale)

Roco  Bradleys (the one with the small confederate flag is a  repainted die-cast in 1/87th scale).

Rapid Fire! War in the Pacific - 20mm USMC Amtracs

 

Up to now I managed to gather 10 LVT2, 3 waterline LVT2 (enough for my RF! Tarawa plus the LCVP's and LCM's I've showed you during the Omaha series), 4 Amtanks and 3 DUKW's for my USMC amphibian units.  These are the only models that I don't base as a Pacific island like Tarawa is too cluttered for based vehicles.

 

 

 

The LVT2's  are Frontline Wargaming. I added the MG's, crew, antennae and some details at the rear. The figures are mostly Atlantic with GreenStuff life jackets.

 

 

All vehicles are painted Vallejo Grey Blue as I do with all USN boats and Landing Craft.

 

 

These waterline LVT2's from Frontline Wargaming are the only ones from the lot to have bases that protects the resin and gives some sense of movement.

 

 

I made two LVT(A)1 Amtanks. They are conversions from the Frontline Wargaming LVT2. I added the structures for the turret, the MG's and crew, antennae, dragging poles and the turret itself came from the Matchbox Honey.

 

 

 This is a 'true' LVT(A)1 from Altaya with added crew only.

 

Another conversion from the Frontline Wargaming LVT2 is this LVT(A)-4. Again some extra stuctures had to be built as well as the turret from the M-8 with the 75mm howitzer that was made from scratch.

 

 

The DUKW's are Altaya slightly weathered and with a diver.  

 

 

Rapid Fire! '2008' Portuguese Army in 20mm (part 5) - Anti-Aircraft battery of the BrigMec

The easiest unit of BrigMec to be built is probably this one. Equipped with four M-48 Chaparral  and Stinger missiles carried on soft skinned cars the Anti-Aircraft battery is represented for RF! (Able Archer in reality) by one model of the Chaparral.

The model is a print from BPM with only two parts: the hull and missile parts. The promised and highly awaited story of '2008'- The Legendary War,  will be kept for a future post.

   

Rapid Fire! Russian Contemporary Wars in 20mm - 2008 Georgian Infantry Battalion

The first Georgian Infantry battalion is ready to enter their BMP's and Land Rovers and invade South Ossetia. The figures are mostly ESCI modern US Infantry and a few Revell modern Germans and US. The use of american figures is suitable because the Georgians used plenty of M-14's assault rifles in the 2008 campaign which are fairly close to the M-16 of the figures. All figures are using the camouflaged uniform and bulletproof of 2008 and a small Georgian flag in the shoulder.

The M-60 MG was cut in the bipod and a small box added close to the trigger in order to look like the Russian PK MG in use in the Georgian army.

The command stand has a Skytrex US figure in the middle (the helmet in this metal figures looks more to the old Georgian/Russian helmet still in use in 2008) and a M-47 Dragon transformed into a PDM-1 of Georgian manufacturing or the several smaller Russian RPG's (18,22 or 26).

The Revell German PanzerGrenadiers have the Panzerfaust 3 which is firly similar in this scale with the RPG-7, only needing the tip of the ammunition to be cut.

The SVD sniper is the ESCI Spetsnaz with US helmet and painted bulletproof vest.

Next: The story the world has been waiting for, the '2008' context and wargaming possibilities.

Rapid Fire! 20mm D-Day, the British Beaches (part 8) - Britannia German trawler

 

The Britannia German (ex-French) trawler is always a possibility to show up close to any beach of D-Day or even close to Pegasus bridge and disturb the allied landings. In reality I don't think it would harm that much in any wargame. The reason for the sucess of the Britannia trawler is that its an absolutely gorgeous piece of modelling for wargames. After all I think most of us start an OB with this kind of interest more than 'I'm sure I'll win with this one!'.

 

 

I started my German Navy with the nice Airfix S-7 Schnellboot that you can see here

 

http://jpwargamingplace.blogspot.pt/2014/04/rapid-fire-20mm-d-day-normandy-44.html

 

but the German trawler can go down into rivers and even catch some fish and improve the strained German supplies.

 

 

 

Who could resist to those new figures and guns? So, defenceless, instead of surrendering I bought it.

 

 

 

 

Rapid Fire! '2008' Portuguese Army in 20mm (part 4) - 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion

 The 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion is at the moment deactivated but there are enough M-113 and other vehicles in storage to put it again in the Order of battle of the BrigMec if necessary.

At the moment I only finished the infantry as the vehicles are on the printing machines of BPM.

The figures are a collection of the ESCI US Modern Infantry; Revell US Modern Infantry and Revell German Modern Panzergrenadier. As usual for the American figures with M-16 I cut the handler of the rifle to look like the German/Portuguese G-3.