Anyone planning on attending Crisis 2012 in Antwerp?
I am currently costing a trip which will probably entail flying from Edinburgh to Amsterdam and then a train down to Antwerp.
I'm not sure what hotel to go for and I'm waiting to see if any of my friends or club chums are making the trip. I may well go on my own if need be.
Saturday, 29 September 2012
Monday, 17 September 2012
Leuchars Airshow 2012 - part three
Here are some of my photographs from the day. They are not a complete record of all that could have been seen and photographed but represent the better ones from a day which was difficult for photography due to the wind, bright sunshine in your face and the damned planes kept moving about!
B-52H Stratofortress. This plane is almost as old as myself and comes from 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.
BAe Systems Hawk T1, standard fast jet trainer for the RAF although this colour scheme is very much non-standard. The Hawk has been in RAF service for almost 40 years.
BAe Systems Hawk T2 in its normal day job colour scheme of 100 Squadron as indicated by the skull and crossbones on the tail.
English Electric Lightning F3, supersonic fighter from the Cold War Era.
An Olympic connection on this Tornado.
Phantom FG1 in The Black Arrows colour scheme, famous predecessors of the Red Arrows who once performed a formation loop with 22 aircraft circa 1958.
Royal Aircraft Factory SE 5a, a formidable fighter from World War One.
The Supermarine Spitfire needs no introduction!
I think this is a Ferret but I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong! 51st Highland division markings. (It is a Daimler Dingo, thanks Peter)
LRDG Jeep
Some ground pounders in blue!
Some more in red!!
All in all it was a good day although very long and a bit wearying. The big downside to the airshow at Leuchars is geographical. The crowd area is to the north of the flight line which means that the displaying aircraft are down sun most of the time and subsequently difficult to photograph with a normal camera.
B-52H Stratofortress. This plane is almost as old as myself and comes from 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.
BAe Systems Hawk T1, standard fast jet trainer for the RAF although this colour scheme is very much non-standard. The Hawk has been in RAF service for almost 40 years.
BAe Systems Hawk T2 in its normal day job colour scheme of 100 Squadron as indicated by the skull and crossbones on the tail.
English Electric Lightning F3, supersonic fighter from the Cold War Era.
An Olympic connection on this Tornado.
Phantom FG1 in The Black Arrows colour scheme, famous predecessors of the Red Arrows who once performed a formation loop with 22 aircraft circa 1958.
Royal Aircraft Factory SE 5a, a formidable fighter from World War One.
The Supermarine Spitfire needs no introduction!
I think this is a Ferret but I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong! 51st Highland division markings. (It is a Daimler Dingo, thanks Peter)
LRDG Jeep
Some ground pounders in blue!
Some more in red!!
All in all it was a good day although very long and a bit wearying. The big downside to the airshow at Leuchars is geographical. The crowd area is to the north of the flight line which means that the displaying aircraft are down sun most of the time and subsequently difficult to photograph with a normal camera.
Saturday, 15 September 2012
Leuchars Airshow 2012 - part two
Just back from Leuchars, burnt to a crisp. Who says Scotland doesn't see the sun!
Will put some pictures up tomorrow although I don't have many good ones.
Score for the day was:
Red Arrows - 7 (only 7 displayed after 9 had arrived and only 8 left later on)
SE5a - 2 (it was overtaken in the strong breeze by a passing crow)
B52 - 1 (flew (lumbered) over the airfield and left after a single pass)
Meteor - 9 (zoomed all over the sky like a fighter, sorry it IS a fighter!!)
Vulcan - 10 (zoomed all over the sky like a fighter)
Everything else was probably a 3 except maybe the Chinook which did things that helicopters can't do and so scored a creditable 9!!
Will put some pictures up tomorrow although I don't have many good ones.
Score for the day was:
Red Arrows - 7 (only 7 displayed after 9 had arrived and only 8 left later on)
SE5a - 2 (it was overtaken in the strong breeze by a passing crow)
B52 - 1 (flew (lumbered) over the airfield and left after a single pass)
Meteor - 9 (zoomed all over the sky like a fighter, sorry it IS a fighter!!)
Vulcan - 10 (zoomed all over the sky like a fighter)
Everything else was probably a 3 except maybe the Chinook which did things that helicopters can't do and so scored a creditable 9!!
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
Spencer Smith Frontages
Following on from some discussion on the Old School Wargaming forum I present the following information on frontages suitable for Spencer Smith figures.
The question discussed 'is 0.5" OK for a figure frontage' in respect to Charge.
As you can see a 20mm frontage gives this ACW unit a slightly spaced out look. In my mind this is fine for ACW.
As you can see the figures could be closed up a little bit!
The base depth of 20mm is also fine for these figures although you have to make sure the forward thrusting bayonet is at an angle to avoid the figure in fronts backpack.
You can see that an 0.5" frontage is a little bit tight for these figures.
Some judicious filing of the bases could make them fit. The figures look pretty well shoulder to shoulder.
0.5" as a base depth is a non-starter for these figures. No amount of filing will help here.
As far as I know the Spencer Smith Classic range are produced in the same fashion as the ACW figures above. I would expect their frontages to be much the same.
The question discussed 'is 0.5" OK for a figure frontage' in respect to Charge.
As you can see a 20mm frontage gives this ACW unit a slightly spaced out look. In my mind this is fine for ACW.
As you can see the figures could be closed up a little bit!
The base depth of 20mm is also fine for these figures although you have to make sure the forward thrusting bayonet is at an angle to avoid the figure in fronts backpack.
You can see that an 0.5" frontage is a little bit tight for these figures.
Some judicious filing of the bases could make them fit. The figures look pretty well shoulder to shoulder.
0.5" as a base depth is a non-starter for these figures. No amount of filing will help here.
As far as I know the Spencer Smith Classic range are produced in the same fashion as the ACW figures above. I would expect their frontages to be much the same.
Sunday, 2 September 2012
Battle - Expanded Edition
My friends and I made a short and pleasant trip south of the border this weekend to a neighbourly wargame show in Gateshead, just across the river from Newcastle. Just over two hours in the car saw us arrive at the shows new location, a good change from the previous Metro Arena.
I took no pictures at the show but the local clubs own website carries a report.
http://blog.belisarius.org.uk/2012/09/border-reiver-2012-show-report.html
I hadn't planned any particular purchases (unlike me) but my eye did get caught by the following publication which I snapped up (thanks to my chum who spotted it for me).
I had been looking, in the interests of my playing group, for a World War Two set of rules in the Old School style even if it meant writing my own. I have both Featherstones and Grants offerings stashed away somewhere but the shiny new, expanded edition on offer was too good too resist. Caliver Books had it on their stand for £29.50
I am in the process now of reading (actually re-reading) the book to determine if I should use (potentially rebase) my existing 1/72 collection which is set up for Rapid Fire or make a new collection perhaps even change scale or size. 15mm, 20mm, 25mm and 28mm all spring to mind. I also have my friends collections to keep in mind although I expect I would collect British, Commonwealth, American, German and Russian forces regardless.
Comments and advice would be appreciated by my readers, go on I dare you!
I took no pictures at the show but the local clubs own website carries a report.
http://blog.belisarius.org.uk/2012/09/border-reiver-2012-show-report.html
I hadn't planned any particular purchases (unlike me) but my eye did get caught by the following publication which I snapped up (thanks to my chum who spotted it for me).
I had been looking, in the interests of my playing group, for a World War Two set of rules in the Old School style even if it meant writing my own. I have both Featherstones and Grants offerings stashed away somewhere but the shiny new, expanded edition on offer was too good too resist. Caliver Books had it on their stand for £29.50
I am in the process now of reading (actually re-reading) the book to determine if I should use (potentially rebase) my existing 1/72 collection which is set up for Rapid Fire or make a new collection perhaps even change scale or size. 15mm, 20mm, 25mm and 28mm all spring to mind. I also have my friends collections to keep in mind although I expect I would collect British, Commonwealth, American, German and Russian forces regardless.
Comments and advice would be appreciated by my readers, go on I dare you!