Felix, Author at Felix's Gaming Pages

Gloster Meteor

This Gloster Meteor was on display at the Musée royal de l’armée et de l’histoire militaire or Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels.

After the Second World War, European air forces faced the challenge of modernising their fleets. For the Belgian Air Force, this meant transitioning from piston-engine fighters like the Spitfire to the new era of jet propulsion. The answer came in the form of the Gloster Meteor, a twin-engine fighter that had already made history as the only Allied jet to see combat in WWII.

Belgium became a major operator of the Meteor, eventually acquiring a total of 355 aircraft, more than any other overseas customer. The first to arrive were the Meteor F.4s in 1949, which equipped the Beauvechain-based 1st Wing. These were soon followed by the more advanced Meteor F.8s, a variant with a stretched fuselage, a redesigned tail, and a more powerful engine. The F.8s were so vital to Belgium’s air defense that many were built under license in the Netherlands and by the Belgian company Avions Fairey.

The Belgian Air Force also operated the two-seat Meteor T.7 trainer and the all-weather night fighter variant, the Meteor NF.11. The introduction of these aircraft allowed the Belgian Air Force to establish dedicated night fighter squadrons and modernize its pilot training programs. The Meteor era saw the formation of the “Acrobobs,” an aerobatic team from the 1st Fighter Wing at Beauvechain, which was a precursor to the famous “Red Devils” display team.

The Gloster Meteor was a workhorse for the Belgian Air Force throughout the 1950s, serving as the backbone of its fighter and night fighter squadrons. It wasn’t until the arrival of more advanced aircraft like the Hawker Hunter and Avro CF-100 Canuck that the Meteor began to be phased out. The last Belgian Meteor, a target-towing version, was retired in 1963, marking the end of a significant chapter in Belgian aviation history. Today, a few examples are preserved in museums, a testament to the jet that helped launch the Belgian Air Force into the modern age of military aviation.

Construction of the T-55

I have the Operation Unthinkable boxed set containing the American and Soviet tanks. The GF9 Operation Unthinkable boxed set, the American versus Soviet, contains 21 tanks. Six of these are the T-54-1.

What I didn’t realise was that the T-54-1 model can also be made up as a T-44 or a T-55 as the different turrets are included. This gives even more flexibility over just using them as T54-1 tanks. I decided to make two of the models as the T-44 and the other four as T-55 models.

The T-55 is a series of Soviet-era medium tanks that were introduced shortly after World War II. It is one of the most widely produced tanks in history, with over 100,000 units built in the Soviet Union and under license in Poland and Czechoslovakia. The T-55, along with its predecessor the T-54, became the backbone of armoured forces for the Warsaw Pact and many other nations. The tank featured a low-slung, compact design with a cast, dome-shaped turret and was armed with a 100mm rifled gun. While it was considered advanced for its time, its design was later outmatched by more modern tanks. However, its simple, rugged, and reliable nature has allowed it to remain in service with various armed forces worldwide, often with significant upgrades.

The construction is very simple starting off with the hull of the tank.

The tracks are then added.

The next step is dependent on if you are making the T-55 or one of the other variants. The Operational Unthinkable has instructions for the T-44 and the T-54. The Battlefront website has instructions for the T-55AM but not for the T-55. I did find the T-55 instructions using a bit of Google and Archive.org.

There are different turret components and turrets for all the different versions.

The turret was then completed.

All four completed T-55 tanks.

The next stage was a white undercoat.

In order to add shade I sprayed the underneath of the model with a black spray.

The next stage will be a dark green base coat.

Great Scott…

I like going to wargaming shows and browsing the various stands. Yes you can look at things online, but not everyone has a decent online presence, and sometimes it can be difficult to ascertain the size and quality of things online. Are the figures closer to 25mm or 32mm, when what you want for 28mm figures.

At the weekend I went to Colours 2025 at the Newbury Racecourse. Its been a fair few years since I have been to Colours, I have a feeling it might be as long ago when Colours was at the Hexagon in Reading after they changed the name of the show from Armageddon.

Anyhow the show was great and there were a fair few traders there. I passed the Great Escape Games stand and a boxed set stood out for me, The Professor and Time Machine.

Great Scott…

Yes this wasn’t any old professor (and any old time machine). Though with those names you might expect to see the Doctor and the TARDIS. However this was the old west, so this professor and old time machine was a facsimile of Doc Brown and a covered DeLorean.

In the box you get a metal Doc Brown figure and a resin casting of the DeLorean covered with a tarpaulin. You also get a card and two scenarios for Dead Man’s Hand.

The metal casting is clean and the figure does look like Doc Brown from the third movie.

The covered DeLorean is a resin casting. It is a crisp and clean casting. I think it captures the shape of the DeLorean.

I stuck Doc Brown to a two pence coin. Though the model comes with a plastic base, I have based all my old west figure on coins.I then added Citadel Sand to the base using PVA white glue.

With the resin casting, I washed it in hot soapy water to remove any remaining release agent from the model.

I then gave both models a white undercoat.

Idoneth Deepkin

The Idoneth Deepkin are a tragic and sinister faction in Warhammer Age of Sigmar, a race of aquatic Aelves who dwell in the deepest, darkest trenches of the Mortal Realms’ oceans. They are a fractured people, the descendants of those Aelves who escaped the clutches of Slaanesh, but at a terrible price. Their souls are incomplete, fragmented and fading, and they must harvest the souls of land-dwelling creatures to sustain themselves. This need for “tithes” drives their existence, leading them to launch terrifying, amphibious raids on coastal communities and unsuspecting settlements.

These are photographs are from the Idoneth Deepkin models and displays at Warhammer World.

To achieve their goals, the Idoneth Deepkin use a combination of powerful sorcery and marine beasts. They can conjure “ethersea” onto land, a magical tide that allows them and their aquatic mounts to fight as if they were still in their natural element. Their armies are a bizarre and beautiful spectacle of marine predators and elegant, eel-riding cavalry known as Akhelians. Led by the enigmatic and often ruthless Soulrenders and Isharann, the Idoneth are a testament to the dark consequences of survival at all costs, a once-proud race now bound to a parasitic and soul-stealing existence.

Constructing the two Tigers

Operation Unthinkable was the name given to two related possible future war plans developed by the British Chiefs of Staff Committee against the Soviet Union during 1945.

In the box, as well as the rules, counters, and dice, are seventeen tanks, two of which are Tiger tanks.

Tiger I is the common name of a German heavy tank used in World War II, developed in 1942. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. E, often shortened to Tiger. It was an answer to the unexpectedly formidable Soviet armour encountered in the initial months of Operation Barbarossa, particularly the T-34 and the KV-1. The Tiger I design gave the Wehrmacht its first tank mounting the 88 mm gun, which had previously demonstrated its effectiveness against both air and ground targets. During the course of the war, the Tiger I saw combat on all German battlefronts. It was usually deployed in independent tank battalions, which proved to be quite formidable.

This is the GF9 finished model.

These are the sprues.

The first stage was constructing the hull and tracks, and the turret.

Then the main weaponry was added and the side armour.

With one of the tanks I am going to model it with the hatch in an open position.

With one of the Tiger tanks I added a command figure and some spare track as additional armour.

Next stage was a white undercoat for the two tanks.

North American F-86F Sabre

This North American F-86F Sabre was on display at the Musée royal de l’armée et de l’histoire militaire or Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels.

North American F-86F Sabre

The North American F-86F Sabre was a key U.S. Air Force jet fighter that rose to prominence during the Korean War. As America’s first swept-wing fighter, its design was influenced by captured German aerodynamic research, which helped it overcome the drag that had limited earlier straight-wing jets. The F-86F variant, in particular, featured a more powerful General Electric J47 engine and an improved wing design that enhanced its high-speed performance and maneuverability. In the skies over “MiG Alley,” the F-86F went head-to-head with the Soviet-built MiG-15. While the MiG had a higher ceiling and faster climb rate, the F-86’s superior pilot training, handling at high speeds, and advanced gunsight gave it a decisive advantage, leading to a highly favorable kill ratio and cementing its legacy as one of the most important aircraft of the early jet age.

Constructing the T29 Heavy Tank

I decided I would add to the game by ordering the other Operation Unthinkable set, which contains American and Soviet tanks. Three of these are the T29 or T30 Heavy Tank.

The T29 Heavy Tank was an American heavy tank project that was started in March 1944 to counter the German Tiger II heavy tank. Although it was not completed in time for use in World War II, the T29 served as a valuable testbed for post-war engineers to apply new concepts to artillery and automotive components. The tank featured a powerful 105 mm T5E1 gun and a massive, heavily armored turret. With a weight of approximately 64 tons, a crew of six, and an upgraded V12 engine, the T29 was a formidable and innovative design for its time.

The instructions allow you to construct either the T30 or T29 Heavy Tank. I had already constructed a T30 tank, so with the other two kits I went with the T29.

This is the GF9 finished model.

This is the sprue.

The kit was relatively easy to construct.

The finished models.

Here are the two models.

Here are the two T29 tanks with the T30 tank.

The next step was a white undercoat.

High Elf Realms

These High Elves were on display at Warhammer World.

The High Elf Realms army in Warhammer: The Old World stands as a testament to the might and elegance of a race that has held back the tides of chaos and destruction for millennia. Their forces are a perfectly balanced fusion of martial precision, ancient magical power, and a deep-seated pride that allows them to stand their ground against overwhelming odds. Unlike the brute-force tactics of Orcs or the overwhelming numbers of the Tomb Kings, the High Elves win battles through superior skill, strategy, and the devastating application of both arcane and physical force. Every unit, from the humble spearmen to the most legendary dragon, is a master of its craft, creating an army that is both beautiful and lethal.

The core of a High Elf army is built around a disciplined and well-equipped infantry force. Spearmen, with their gleaming, long spears and defensive shields, form the backbone, their discipline allowing them to hold a line against even the most ferocious enemy charges. The Lothern Sea Guard are the pinnacle of this versatility, combining the defensive strength of spearmen with the ranged prowess of archers, making them one of the most flexible and valuable units on the battlefield. For pure offensive power, the Swordmasters of Hoeth are a terrifying sight; their skill with the greatsword is unparalleled, allowing them to carve through armoured foes with deadly precision. And when it comes to holding the line against the most terrifying of foes, the Phoenix Guard, stoic guardians of the Eternal Flame, stand as an unbreakable shield, their halberds and indomitable will turning back even the most fearsome of monsters.

While their ground forces are formidable, the High Elves truly excel in their mobility and the sheer destructive power of their magical constructs and monstrous allies. Ellyrian Reavers provide unparalleled speed for scouting and harassing enemy flanks, while the elite Silver Helms deliver a devastatingly powerful charge that can punch through enemy formations. The legendary Dragon Princes of Caledor ride into battle with the pride and fury of a dragon’s fire, their charge capable of breaking the mightiest of enemy units. The High Elf army is also supported by powerful war machines like the Eagle-Claw Bolt Thrower, which can fire either a single, powerful bolt to fell large beasts or a hail of smaller bolts to scythe down infantry. All of this is commanded by an Archmage or a Mage, wielding the potent Lore of High Magic, bolstering their troops and annihilating their enemies with devastating spells.

Among the most awe-inspiring and powerful creatures to grace a High Elf army are the majestic Phoenixes. These avian demigods are powerful allies and symbols of Ulthuan’s magical might. The Flamespyre Phoenix is a living embodiment of fire, its body wreathed in flames that immolate nearby foes and its piercing shriek melting armour and bone. Its fiery aura makes it a terrifying weapon against enemy infantry, and should it be brought down in battle, it has a chance to rise from its own ashes, a literal symbol of rebirth and resilience. In stark contrast, the Frostheart Phoenix is a creature of pure ice and cold. Its presence on the battlefield chills the air and saps the will of nearby enemies, reducing their combat prowess and turning the momentum of a battle in the High Elves’ favour. Its icy attacks can freeze foes solid, and it offers a powerful counterpoint to the more destructive nature of the Flamespyre. Together, these two great beasts represent the duality of Ulthuan’s magic and serve as potent, almost legendary, battlefield weapons.

Building another ISU-130

One of the Clash of Steel Starter Sets have been on my wants list ever since I found out about them at the beginning of the year. I ordered Operation Unthinkable boxed set containing the British and German tanks. I decided I would add to the game by ordering the other Operation Unthinkable set, which contains American and Soviet tanks.

The ISU-130, is a tank destroyer based on the IS-2 chassis armed with an 130mm S-26 gun.

This is the GF9 finished model.

I had already constructed one ISU-130, so it was quite simple to put another one together.

Here are the two ISU-130 tank destroyers together.

The next step was a white undercoat.

The kit also allows you to build the ISU-122 and ISU-152 variants as well.

Hawker Hunter F.4

This Hawker Hunter F.4 was on display at the Musée royal de l’armée et de l’histoire militaire or Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels.

The Hawker Hunter stands as a testament to the golden age of British aviation, a sleek and formidable jet fighter that served with distinction for decades. More than just a machine, it was a symbol of a nation’s engineering prowess, a supersonic icon that dominated the skies during the tense years of the Cold War. From its first flight in 1951, the Hunter captured the imagination with its graceful lines and powerful performance, earning its place in history as one of the most successful and enduring combat aircraft of its era.

The Hunter’s evolution was a continuous process of refinement, and the F.4 variant stands out as a significant step forward. While the F.1 and F.2 had been impressive, the F.4 addressed some of their limitations and expanded the Hunter’s capabilities. A key improvement was the adoption of an improved Rolls-Royce Avon engine with a higher thrust rating. This gave the F.4 a noticeable boost in performance, improving its rate of climb and top speed.

The Hawker Hunter’s operational life was remarkably long. It remained in frontline service with some air forces well into the 1990s, and its final military retirement came in 2014 when the Lebanese Air Force retired its last Hunter. Its longevity is a testament to the soundness of its design and the quality of its construction.