Some Teensy-Tinsy Little Airplanes

[bigjackmac]

All,

Several weeks ago I was hanging around over on The Wargames Website, perusing new topics, and one popped up that caught my eye: https://www.thewargameswebsite.com/forums/topic/tiny-air-combat/
There was this crazy cat that goes by "Thomaston" over there posting some super cool pictures.  He had these tiny little aircraft (I'd guesstimate them to be about 1/1250, roughly).  I couldn't stop staring, and just had to get me some.  I reached out to Thomaston, turns out he designs them himself and gets them professionally 3D printed.  I begged and whined a lot and, lo and behold, he was kind enough to make some available for me via Shapeways (whose customer service has been absolutely fantastic, by the way).  And when I say he was kind enough to make some available, I mean he's been amazing.  I thought up some crazy projects I wanted to do, asked him if he could support, and he went out and designed them and hung them on Shapeways, exactly what I wanted, customized for what I was looking for.  I did a test order, got'em, and loved the look, so I quickly did two more orders.  I primed some but couldn't figure out a basing scheme.  I figured out a basing scheme and painted some up, now I need some more (bases and planes)!  Mine do not look anywhere near as pretty as his do, but I figured I'd share what I'd finished so far.


So here is what I've got ready so far; not a lot, but enough to play some WWII games, and a few testers for modern aircraft.  Here's what you're looking at: six US Navy/Marine Corps F4F Wildcats, four A6M Zeroes, six G4M Bettys, one F-4 Phantom, one B-57 Canberra, one MiG-21 Fishbed, and one Su-22 Fitter.


A closeup of three Bettys.  Plain green, some yellow leading edges, red on white national insignia on each wing and the fuselage (easy, just a dab of white from a toothpick, then a dab of red from a toothpick), and bright blue glass on the cockpits and dorsal turrets.


And here's a photo to give you a sense of size: along the bottom are Thomaston's models, the F-4 Phantom and the G4M Betty.  At top left is a 1/600 Oddzial Ozmy F-4 Phantom, at top right a 1/600 G4M Betty, also from OO.

To see more photos, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2018/10/another-new-wwii-and-modern-aerial.html

So I'm waiting on more bases from Litko, I need to order more aircraft from Thomaston (if he's still willing to put up with me, which I say facetiously as he's been nothing but gracious, I just hope I'm not imposing), and then I need to get them all painted and based.  However, I have what I need to play my first fights, so keep your eyes peeled, action imminent!  Along those lines, I also played two more 10mm fights with Squad Hammer this weekend, continuing my campaign in the fictional African of "South Leon" for my "Cuba Libre" blog (https://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/), I'm working on the batreps, and these WWII Pacific aircraft will soon be in action over on my WWII Pacific blog (https://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/).

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

So cool Jack

[Techno]

 

Cheers - Phil

[fsn]

Blimey!  1:1250!

I have enough trouble with my Tumbling Dice. 

And also with tiny aeroplanes of 1:600 scale.

Very nice work though. Even if I think Phantom vs Betty is a bit mean.

[sunjester]

They look super, but I'm not sure I'd cope with such little aircraft myself.

[Steve J]

Wonderful

[pierre the shy]

Blimey!  1:1250!
I have enough trouble with my Tumbling Dice.  
And also with tiny aeroplanes of 1:600 scale.
Very nice work though. Even if I think Phantom vs Betty is a bit mean.

lovely work at that scale Jack.

fsn - how about F-14's vs  A6M2 Zeroes - is that a bit more even?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3XNEWtJF0o





hmm...maybe not  

[Ithoriel]

Those look great Jack! Very impressed with both the sculpting and painting.

Somewhere in my "unpainted" boxes I have some 1/3000 Navwar aircraft. You remind me I need to slap some paint on them, some day.

[Maenoferren]

Pretty cool

[bigjackmac]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate it!

FSN - Hey, when I play, I play to win! And I shall bathe in the tears of my nine year-old son as his Bettys go down in a hail of Sidewinders and Sparrows!

Pierre - Always loved The Final Countdown; a little silly I suppose, but I love the moral dilemmas it imposed, and nothing beat the Lieutenant Commander that jumped off the helo meeting the ship when it ported, in his limousine!

Ithoriel - 1/3000!!!???  Great googly-moogly!

V/R,
Jack

[Womble67]

They look great

Take care

Andy

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Look good, but 1/600th is small enough for me.

[bigjackmac]

Thanks guys, and they are small, but the detail is great and so easy to paint, just don't try to put too much on them.

V/R,
Jack