Indian

WIP – 1/1200 Scale Aircraft – Part 3

Thomo the LostLeave a comment
The three airfleets
The three air fleets

I managed to get some more time at the work table Sunday and decided that as I was progressing well with the 1/1200th aircraft, I should get the first batch based and ready for painting. The photo to the right shows the three air fleets, such as they are, ready for painting. I am planning on painting next weekend, social engagements permitting.

At the rear, the Japanese, the Chinese to the fore and the Indians off to the left.

Close up of the Indian air force ... well, my little portion of it at least :-)
Close up of the Indian air force … well, my little portion of it at least 🙂

The Indians are shown to the left. Two maritime patrol aircraft – an Ilyushin Il-28 and a Tupolev Tu-142 Bear – which I finally got to stand on a base.

Also present are the Ka-28 and Ka-31, and the Sea King helicopters. The Sea Harriers, MiG-29K and Breguet BR1050 Alizes round out that little force.

The Chinese aircraft
The Chinese aircraft

To the right are the Chinese aircraft. Ka-28 and Ka-31 helicopters provide the ‘copters carried by the Chinese naval vessels. A Tu-26 Badger provides maritime patrol. For some aerial punch there are some MiG-21s in the guise of Chengdu J-7s, Sukhoi Su-30s and Shenyang J-15s.

The MiG-21 is small relative to the later aircraft and is modelled with no fuselage under the wing level which is not quite right, however, at 1/1200th scale, I don’t have any rivets to count and for wargaming purposes, it looks like a J-7.

And finally the Japanese
And finally the Japanese

Lastly, the Japanese. As the Chinese have taken Russian designed aircraft and localised them to Chinese requirements, so the Japanese have been building American aircraft under license.

For maritime patrol the Japanese have a Kawasaki P-2J (a licensed version of the Lockheed Neptune). Helicopters are Sikorsky Super Stallions and a local version of a Sikorsky Sea Hawk, the Mitsubishi H-60. For some punch there are a couple of older F-4 Phantoms and some newer Mitsubishi F-2s.

A couple of F-4s bounce a couple of MiG-21s
A couple of F-4s bounce a couple of MiG-21s

Of course, being a wargamer, it is too difficult to pass up the opportunity of having a couple of Phantoms bounce a couple of MiG-21s. However it seems like one of the MiGs has managed to get itself a firing solution whilst the wing man to the Phantom hopes his leader will get a hurry on and get a firing solution on the other MiG.

The last bit of dog fighting before painting
The last bit of dog fighting before painting

Lastly, something a little more modern.

OK, enough playing. Next step with these is to undercoat next weekend when I hope to finally try out my new air brush.

WIP – 1/1200 Scale Aircraft – Part 2

Thomo the LostLeave a comment
The bases prepared, magnetic tape underneath and then labelled
The bases prepared, magnetic tape underneath and then labelled

I mentioned previously my modern fleets (Chinese, Indian and Japanese) built from Navwar vessels. I also mentioned before that I was putting together some Cap Aero 1/1200th scale aircraft from Magister Militum to go along with the vessels. I had set the Japanese aircraft up, but have not got around to painting them yet. I am looking at just doing two of each of the aircraft/helicopter types. I reckon I am not ready for a wing of MiG-29Ks to come sweeping across a fleet yet – two seems enough to handle at the moment.

Brass wire trimmed for height for the different aircraft - 40mm for maritime surveillance, 30mm for attack aircraft and 20mm for helos (and the Alizes)
Brass wire trimmed for height for the different aircraft – 40mm for maritime surveillance, 30mm for attack aircraft and 20mm for helos (and the Alizes)

The next cab off the rank for the aircraft is the Indian Naval Air Arm. This is a mix of MiG-29K, Sea Harriers, Breguet BR1050 Alize aircraft, with Sea King, Kamov Ka-28 and Ka-31 helicopters. Ka-27 helicopters are filling in for the Ka-28 and Ka-31 and to be honest, at this scale, I can’t tell the difference 🙂

Two MiG-29K Fulcrums - the landing gear is modelled on the aircraft and has to be hacked off, preferably without damage to wings dihedral or fingers! The squares are 10mm each side
Two MiG-29K Fulcrums – the landing gear is modelled on the aircraft and has to be hacked off, preferably without damage to wings dihedral or fingers! The squares are 10mm each side

I also have an Ilyushi Il-38 May  painted already for the Indians and my most troublesome model so far, a Tupolev Tu-142 Bear, also for the Indians. I say my most troublesome as this particular aircraft has more holes in it now for mounting than your average block of Swiss cheese. Still, I think I have cracked it finally.

As with the Japanese I have been been using the Philippine 10-centavo and 25-centavo coins as an extra base underneath the metal bases I bought when I purchased the aircraft. The hexagonal base, whilst a good weight, is not quite wide enough for stability and the coins provide enough extra width to stabilise the model aircraft.

The aircraft ready for gluing to the stands - that is the next job. Jou can see the Bear off to the left finally accepting a stand.
The aircraft ready for gluing to the stands – that is the next job. You can see the Bear off to the left finally accepting a stand. The Japanese are in the background

I was also looking at covering the coin on the base with some acrylic gap sealant to extend the sea base a little but that has turned out messier than originally expected so after two test bases, the idea has been dropped, leastwise until I can think of something better.