More Cold War 6mm Vehicles from Scotia-Grendel

I'm kind of in a holding pattern hobby-wise, as I've aggravated tendons in my hand again.  So, what better time to share pictures of my latest order of Cold War  models from Scotia.

First a couple of West German models (all are listed as 6mm):

GM-0005  HS-30 APC (Also known as the Spz 12-3)

Decently detailed, but feels a little small.

GM-00009 Twin 20mm AA gun.

A very nice model, this appears to be the Rheinmetal Zwillingsflak

20mm towed AA gun that went into service in 1976.  It also served

with the Argentine Air Force during the Falklands War.

And now for the French:

FM0014  VAB w/81mm Mortar

Decently detailed and instantly recognizable models.

FM0018 VAB HOT ATGM, looks like the correct hull, but the model appears to be supplied with a 20mm turret, instead of the HOT ATGM launch unit. 

FM0029  VLRA Light Truck

A very nice model (I love these things),

this version has the open cab and no canopy on back.

FM0037 AMX 13 DCA Self propelled anti-aircraft gun. 

This is a very nicely detailed model.

FM0039   AMX 30 Bridge-layer

This is another very nice model, the bridge is beautifully detailed.

And again with the bridge "launched".


AMX30 Roland
The missiles are out of alignment, which unfortunately takes away from 
the appearance of this model a bit.

 This order cleared up a few questions that I had regarding models for my French and German forces.    Now I can set about filling the ranks of my late 1950s Cold war armies.  I'm now awaiting a bunch of 1950s West German vehicles from Shapeways, and hope to share pics in 2-3 weeks.

A Few Scotia-Grendal Cold War Models

I thought I'd share some pics of a few Scotia-Grendal 6mm models for the Cold War. It is just a few vehicles, but I figure the pix can't hurt.  Please note that the models as depicted in the photos are notably  larger than actual size.

Scotia US M75 APC

Scotia US M59 APC

Both of these early Cold War era US APCs by Scotia are nicely detailed models, the proportions and geometry are good, with parallel surfaces, meeting at sharp  angles.  The Sculpting in not "soft".  The detail is not as exaggerated as GHQ, nor quite as fine as C in C, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by these, and will be adding at least a company of each to my forces.

Soviet BTR40 

The BTR40 is  probably the roughest casting of the bunch, and while detailing is actually good, the models have some irregularities along the top edges of the hull that detract from their appearance.  I'm guessing that it is caused by mold wear.

Soviet TMM bridge

I really need to build up my bridging equipment, especially for the Soviets.  The TMM bridge-layer is the start of this effort.  The truck is really nicely detailed, another nice surprise, while the bridge itself is more basic.

Service from Scotia-Grendal to the US was quite good, with no problems, and the package arriving in about two and a half weeks.  With any luck, I'll be sharing photos of some more vehicles in about three weeks.

New Arrivals from Scotia-Grendel and Shapeways

I've received a number of orders in recent weeks for 6mm miniatures for my third world imagi-nation campaign, the Uwanda-Mugabia War.  The first order came in  early August from Shapeways, and the next was my first order with Scotia Grendel.

The shapeways order was for three 1/285 scale G91R aircraft in the frosted plastic.  The ordering process went smoothly; the models took 8 days to arrive, were well packed, and are of very nice quality.  An odd characteristic (to me) is that they are hollow, such that if you look into the jet intake, you can see out of the engine nozzle.  As a result, they are exceedingly light weight.

I think that most gamers would be happy with the quality and detail, and I am thankful to have them, so that my G91 ground attack aircraft can be represented by something that is close to the actual aircraft in my game.  They do have a light texture from the printing process, and the fuselage is faceted, being made of a series of small flat surfaces, as opposed to "being" round.

The other order, received from Scotia Grendel was for some 6mm Jet Provosts.  This was my first order with Scotia Grendel, and it went very smoothly, with items arriving to me in the US in about 11 days.  The Jet Provost is the aircraft from which the Strikemaster was developed, and is very similar in appearance.  It also is the closest thing in scale to the Strikemasters used by Uwanda in my game.  Upon receipt, I was quite happy with the quality, though slightly surprised at the size.  But after comparing the 1/100 scale Tamiya models, discovered that the 6mm model is appropriately sized.

The photos below illustrate the comparative size of the 6mm models and the 1/100 scale plastic models for relative size comparison.

Shapeways G91 and Scotia Jet Provost

Next up is a follow-up order to Scotia, again with perfect service.  This order included a small number of aircraft, infantry and vehicles.

For no good reason, I have always had a bit of a thing for the SU-15 interceptor, so when I saw that Scotia offered one, I had to order it.  Again, I was very happy with the quality, and it is a beast.

Scotia SU15

In addition to the SU-15, I picked up a pair of Mig 27s.  These are a little rougher than the other aircraft that I received from them, but sill not bad by any means, and well worth it, given the price.

Scotia Mig 27, near model still has sprues attached to wings.

Scotia Mig 27 underside

I'm in the US and "grew up" with CnC and GHQ micro-armor, and for years I've heard criticism of the 6mm models from the British manufacturers, so I ordered the Land Rovers with recoilless rifles to represent Uwandas Wombat systems with some reservation, given that I bought them sight unseen.  My reservations were ill-placed, as the models came with seated crew, and featured fine and well proportioned detail.  I am quite happy with the models, and future vehicle purchases will not be made with such reservation.

Scotia Landrover with Recoilless Rifle

Lastly, I am looking for figures to represent Uwanda's infantry, which are generally equipped with British weapons.  I ended up purchasing Scotia's South African infantry, which is offered in two packs, Infantry with Command, and Heavy Weapons.  To be honest, I can't tell the packs apart, other than they seem to have a slightly different number of figs.  I received three packs of figs, two infantry, and one heavy weapons.  The first (first photo below) was marked as heavy weapons, and the other two were not marked (one pack depicted in the second photo below).  For my application, this isn't a problem, as the Uwandan infantry only carry Minimis and Law rockets in addition to their FN FAL rifles, and I expected that most heavy weapons figs would simply go unused.  So I have all of the figs that I need.

Scotia South African Heavy Weapons pack (mis-marked?)

Scotia South African Infantry with Command

The figs are pretty cleanly cast, no real flash, and clearly depict rifleman, prone machine gunners, and a leader figure standing and pointing.  They stand from their bases closer to 7mm, than 6mm, add not quite another millimeter with the base included.

All things considered, I am impressed with the service, and quite happy with the quality of the miniatures, and will be ordering again soon.

More Tinkering with 6mm Air Combat Rules

I've continued moving along with my idea for modern air combat rules.  Both before and during the time that I've been working on this, several sets of rules have been suggested to me. Unfortunately, they have either been out of print, or were not as detailed as what I am hoping for.  I am keeping a couple as back-ups in case my effort proves to be futile.

So, I've been re-learning a bit of physics, and doing a fair bit of research, when I can find time.  I have roughed out most of the stats for the aircraft involved in my African imagi-nation campaign. 

Basic characteristics of the game are (any of this could change):
Scale:1/2288
Turn: Represents 5 (probably going to change to 6) seconds, and consists of three impulses.  Movement, shooting, and damage is resolved each impulse.  Sighting and speed changes are made at the start of each turn.
Movement Point: Equals 1/2 inch, with the speeds ranging  2-21 movement points per turn so far, with the Mig21F being the fastest jet currently included.

Thus far, the characteristics for each aircraft include the following:

Speed:
Minimum - Under which, you fall out of the sky
Cruise
Maximum -level flight
Terminal - Max dive

Roll Rate- applied per movement point
Turn Rate- applied once per impulse
Acceleration/Deceleration-
Dive and Climb speed gain/loss-
Gun Table- Number of guns x appropriate gun type, number of hits are a function of pounds per second of ammo thrown at the target.
Max Hits- Each aircraft will take a number of hits (ranges from about 30-75) with critical hits being scored on every eighth hit and on each hit beyond maximum (criticals range from losing range, speed, or controls, to pilot dead or plane exploding).
Bursts-
Sighting table-
Ceiling-
Range-
Radar-
Missiles-

Radars will have to detect targets, missiles will have to lock on, successfully fire and then track or be guided to the target.  There will be a period of time required for lock-on, which for some early missiles can span more than a turn.

I'm trying to find mechanics and compromises that minimize calculations for energy loss or gain during the turns.  I  think that I've found a way minimize the number of turn gauges needed for aircraft relative to speed, but will have to experiment with it in 3-D maneuvers.

 I've also roughed out a couple of prototype flight stands for working out the mechanics.

The stand is two feet tall, with a weighted two inch square base

 

The clip uses a miniature clothespin with brass wire inserted into a jet nozzle. 

The clip allows roll and pitch to be depicted.

In early July, I ordered a number of 1/285 and 1/300 airplane models from I-94 Enterprises and Scotia.  Both offered great service, and I am quite happy with the models.  Haven't had a chance to do anything with them, so here they are straight out of the box.

From I-94 Enterprises, I picked up the following from the Raiden line:

They are Mig 21, Mig 17, Magister, and F5A.

Dave Winfree was fantastic to deal with in getting these, with exceedingly fast service, and great communications.

Scotia provided the following, and despite being across the Atlantic, got the models to me inside of two weeks, with notification of each step in the ordering and shipping process.

Vautour and buccaneer.

Initially, I was extremely surprised and happy to find that everything jet needed for my games was available, but then found that Skyraider was out of business  They had a G91, and I was going to use an MB339 as a proxy for the Strikemaster.  But now it looks like I will may be getting into the 1/285 model aircraft industry, as I will be scratch building these. 

Some years ago (like maybe 12), I tried making some models for the Arab-Israeli wars, as there wasn't much available then, and ended up with these unfinished masters:

They are Magister (with damaged tail), Super Mystere and Ouragon

Though I never completely detailed them (my adversary for the mid-east wars moved away), the process went very quickly, so I expect that mastering these two won't be a big delay.

The goal is to allow three dimensional dogfighting with jets and short range missiles on a tabletop, where individual aircraft maneuver to take advantage of performance advantages.  Additionally, I hope to also manage beyond visual range engagements if needed (they will be rare in my games). 

Hoping to try the first run-through in the next few days. Sorry some of the pix are so crappy, working with yet another camera.