Rapid Fire! Contemporary Russian Wars in 1/72nd scale - Russian airforce

Altaya SU-25

Having used most of the plastic model kits of USSR/Russian warplanes for the Iraqi airforce I'm using Die-cast models for the modern Russian Airforce. Most will be Altaya both from Aircraft or Helicopter current collection.

These models are just great. You just need to glue a few parts and they are ready to fly. Of course you may not get the right camouflage for a determined conflict but the Russian army I'm building also covers a wide period of time of some 20 years (1996-2016, and when next January comes a new year starts).

Altaya MIG-29

Altaya SU-27

Altaya MIG-31

Some of these aircraft are really big as you can see from the standing 1/72nd scale pilot.

The only major addition to all models are sitting pilots which Die-cast generally don't have. 

Easy Model and Altaya KA-50

The two lighter colored Hokum are Easy Model while the one in the center is Altaya. The Altaya model doesn't bring any rocket pods so I had to use the spare box. 

The Hokum was first used in Chechnya in 1999 and it looks to have performed pretty well. 

The Altaya model is heavier with metal parts while the Easy Models are entirely plastic and more detailed. I bought the Model Easy a few years ago for 15 euros, so they may be nowadays a little bit more expensive while the current Altaya helicopters are 14 euros in Portugal which just one hour ago defeated Poland and its in the half-finals of the Euro 2016 using 10 players formed in the MİGHTY SPOOORTİNG !!!! Sİİİİİİİİİİ......

Will MacNally's rules - Brandywine 1777 revisited for the last time (?)

My wargames table is about to leave the rolling hills of Pennsylvania to give way to the Bekaa valley or the Georgian landscape or even the necessary space to build my two Pacific WWII aircraft carriers in 1/72nd scale. But before that happens I took some photos to show the many units and terrain features I built since the table was last pictured.

The Birmingham meeting house is placed at last and the Gettysburg buildings that replaced it can go back to the shelves.  Top right you can see the Hessian Jägers crossing Street Road. 

The Benjamin Ring House is already set...

 ... as well as Chad's house.

The Hessians wait patiently to cross the Brandywine maneuvering back and forth in the Knyphausen sector to create the illusion of numbers.

In front of them the Americans aren't less nervous.  

Here it is the awkward outmaneuver of De Borre which placed the entire American line out of balance.

At the same time close to Benjamin Ring's House, G. Washington looks at this maneuver thinking:"What kind of sawdust De Borre's head is made of ?..."

West part of the battlefield. 

Queen's Rangers preparing to ford...

Already in battle position, all units of Cornwallys flanking maneuver can be seen (if badly...).

Dilworth before the storm of fleeing Continentals.

And a general view. There are some units to be made mostly Continentals, the cavalry and some artillery but for the moment I'm having great fun with moderns so more Brandywine only in a few months.

Lebanon 1982 - QRF 1/100th scale models for the Syrian Airforce

The SU-20/22 was the mainstay bomber of the Syrian Airforce in the Lebanon campaign of 1982. Apparently they attacked with success a number of Israeli AFV columns. This QRF model is made of resin and metal but it's showing its age as it needs some filler here and there.

The Mig-21is a much better model and I presume more recent. The Israelis destroyed many of them after blinding the SAF with the destruction of the Syrian missile and warning ground system in operation Mole Cricket.

Now I'm eagerly trying to get both the Mig-23/27 and the Mig-25 in 1/100th scale. Does any one have some surplus or know were to find them?

The most successful aircraft of the SAF was the Aerospatialle Gazelle equipped with Hot missiles. As usual Syrians and Israelis give different numbers for the casualties inflicted and suffered by these small machines. The QRF model comes quite bare with no Hot missiles nor the dark gray box for target acquisition over the pilots compartment so they had to be scratch built.

Next: more Contemporary Russian Wars in 1/72nd scale  for you to stop biting your nails.

Rapid Fire! Russian Contemporary Wars in 1/72nd scale - S-300 missile system

Modern wars like Lebanon, Iran-Irak and Falklands in the 80ies are part of my imagination during boyhood and to make things worse, there is an incredible amount of models, both kit or die-cast, to portray any of those conflicts and any other up to today. And not only western material as it happened in the 80ies but also Russian, Chinese and others mainly in our beloved 1/72nd scale.  

With the Gulf War in 1990-91 and then with the 2003 US invasion of Iraq I used many models from late 20th century. 

But then what to do with the T-80/90's, Kamov KA-50, BMP-3 plenty of them very nice die-cast or from new plastic brands like ModelCollect and such?

Little by little I managed to build a sizable force of modern Russians. And so it came out the new series 'Contemporary Russian wars in 1/72nd scale' that will start in Chechnya 1996, throughout Georgia 2008 up to nowadays Russian intervention in Syria. So if you want to know more about Yeltsin, Medvedev and Putin's armies, please follow me.

The first models I'll show you are some very nice and easy to build '4D Puzzle Model' ordered directly from China. It took some 20 days or so for the parcel to arrive but both cost, post free, only 8€ each while I've seen some shops asking the double amount in Europe! So I hope a long life to the emperor of China, simultaneously leader of the local party (called Aliexpress, by the way).

The S-300 AA system is the Patriot's rival and some say its superior in many aspects. If you buy the two available you get the missile launching device, the 5P85S, and the radar and communications system, the 30N6E2,  The models are very easy to build and in fact if you are lazy enough you don't even need glue, as pegs can hold all parts in a very good engineering maneuver. I used glue just to strengthen the models. I read in some reviews some nonsense like these models not being able to accept plastic glue and being copies of PST models. Untrue. Normal plastic glue goes just fine and PST model is far more complex to build and 5 times more expensive!

Camouflage of the S-300 systems varied a lot even between batteries, the ones I'm showing you are just some of the most common. The camouflage seen on the radar vehicle is not standard in shape so you can paint the yellow and black as you like. The grey color can be seen in the machines placed by the Russian in Syria after the SU-24 shooting down incident by the Turks.

The only extra parts added were the crew member (this one came from Fujimi), antennae and the mirrors. I never saw the Russian flag in the S-300 system but I think it gives a nice touch.

The basing is for Rapid Fire! and its online modern version.

Next: back to Lebanon 82, but hey, I'll be back to this new issue soon.

Lebanon 1982 - IAI Kfir and helicopters

The two IAI Kfir were transformed from the Fabbri Mirage 1/100th scale (top) and the one at the bottom right is based on the Tamiya model of the Mirage III. Some changes are the extended nose, the two side fins, and the extended central rudder. The Fabbri 'Kfir' is not correct as it is based on the Mirage 2000 and I should have used their two Mirage III that came in the collection. Unfortunately I painted those two simply like Mirage III used in reserve by 1982.

Fabbri Cobra and Huey repainted for the Israelis.

Huey from Roco Minitanks in 1/87th scale. 

Lebanon 1982 - Latest 1/100th scale T-72's and Phantom's

A few more Syrian T-72's for the 82nd bgde of the 3rd AD.

The command T-72 had their telescopic mast made out of a metal sewing needle as I run out of that size of Evergreen tube. The spider web structure are plastic broom threads. Exceptuating the Zvezda T-72 close to you  all others are Battlefront.

The Phantom to the left is a repainted Fabbri model with an elongated nose made of GreenStuff. The one to the right is a straight-from-the-box Tamiya kit.

The 3 colour scheme is made of Vallejo Iraqi sand, GW Mournfang Brown and Warboss green.

All markings are, as usual, hand painted (Uauuu...) so it's good to keep some distance not to see the flaws :)

Lebanon 1982 - 1/100th scale Syrian Mig-21 and new aircraft stands

 

Tamiya 1/100th scale Mig-21 from Tamiya. Quite old moulds but recently re-released and proving Tamiya is a hell of  a brand. But I think many of us will never forgive Tamiya for never having made small scale tanks while making dozens of them in 1/35th scale! Bahhh, what a waste of fine plastic and talent, it remembers me GW...

 

 

Now for some aircaft stands. These champagne flutes can be found nowadays in supermarkets. They are plastic and cheap. Glued to balsa or other wood  bases  that you only need to texture and paint they make aircraft stands with a nice balance and capable of holding metal models. While glueing the flute to the textured base don't use super glue as it will release some white dust from the cyanoacrilate to the inside of the flute ruining the work. Use instead wood glue or hot glue.

It's always better by the dozen!

 

Turned upside down the flute has a recessed base which is ideal for ammunition and reserve tanks to enter and better support the model.

 

 

Lebanon 1982 - 1/100th scale Israeli F-16 and A-4 Skyhawk aircraft

 

 

Repainted Fabbri 1/100th scale aircraft again. The camouflage of the Israeli aircraft in Lebanon is one of the attractions for wargaming and modelling this campaign and the Syrian, as you will see, also have striking colours.

 

No decals, all markings are hand painted. The decals in wargaming  for me are always tricky specially when applied on planes. If you want to use several models of the same aircraft what generally happens in 1/100th scale is that numbers specially tend to be hard to find. Besides that if you paint your markings there isn't that problem with shining decals then a product to eliminate that, and then gloss varnish, and then matt, and then... something else in an apparently endless chain of tasks.

 

Next, some Syrian Mig-21 from Tamiya. See how organized this blog is becoming? It even warns the spectators about the next program like in TV!

And now let's everybody shout: 

SPOOOOOOORTING!!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

Lebanon 1982 - Latest aircraft for Syrian and Israeli.

Recently I bought in OLX in 2nd hand the full collection (52 models) of the Fabbri/Italeri 1/100th scale aircraft, at 1 Euro each,  that roamed the skies a few years ago. On those days I was already probably around other collectables and another collection would have been too much as this kind of buying doesn't stay cheap and besides you buy what you want and what you don't want.

Eleven of them suits the Lebanon 82 campaign both for the Israelis (pretty much) and (only a few) for the  Syrian.

As they come already painted and the seller had already built them I didn't have much work only a few new camouflages and markings.

Only the Hind on the top is new, the one to the left is a Revell model. The full squadron is ready in spite of the Syrian Mil-Mi-24 Hind didn't participate that much in the campaign as their crews were not familiar with their new machines leaving the main task of attacking the Israeli ground forces to the Gazelle fleet.

This Mig 29 was not in fact in Lebanon in 1982 but it will be useful in a 'what if' scenario.

The Mirage III was kept in reserve, with their task being left to their younger brothers the IAI Kfir.

The F-15 bore the brunt of the fighting in the skies with the usual zero losses against many as said by the Israelis and a few losses according to Syrian and even American sources. The 'Turkey shoot' that the Israelis annouced on those days over Bekaa valley may not have happened in fact. The Syrians admited their losses in the air - over 80 - but the Israelis may have lost 21 of their aircraft.

Plenty more to fly in the next few weeks, while the fever lasts. Stay tuned.

Lebanon 1982 - 1/87th scale Syrian and Israeli latest MBT's

My AWI armies are having a break and I'm also having a break from them. After a while something bangs your head and you're back to something you left behind.

Lately I've been around Lebanon 82 again, something I never forgot as I was 14 years old when it happened and I still remember the TV news with tanks and air battles on the Bekaa Valley and Beirut.

The left Magach was born as a Salvat (Andrea Miniatures) M48 and the  one to the right had an even more difficult and unknown childhood starting its life in a Chinese toy shop. I already looked for more but nothing...

Plenty of pieces were added specially styrene for the Blazer armour.

 Here you can see them painted with the Vallejo Surface Primer IDF Sand. In 1982 the grey sand was still in use in the IDF as recently they seem to have changed to a greener and darker tone. 

 

 

The T-72K to the left is a Salvat so nothing special just say its a very nice replica of the real thing. The one to the right was more troublesome as it started its career in the armed forces as a Salvat T-80. A lot of Evergreen plasticard, cutting, sanding and moved parts were necessary to turn it into a T-72.

 

The final result is quite pleasing. I did the same to a number of Revell T-80's in 1/72nd scale that were turned into Iraqi T-72's. But that is for a series of articles on my Iraqi 3rd Saladin Armoured Division for the Gulf 1991.

 

 

 

The final result after painting and basing.

 

 

And another T-62 and T-55. No please, they are not drying their pants, no. The grossly exaggerated flags are made to represent command vehicles on K versions of the tanks which externaly only differ from the normal MBT in their 4 meter antennae. This lot of 4 Russian tanks was bought in a toy fair, nowadays one of the few places to get the nice Salvat model tanks in 1/87th scale.