Author: Felix

RAF Green Goddess Fire Engine

RAF Green Goddess Fire Engine

The Green Goddess is a colloquial name for the RLHZ Self Propelled Pump manufactured by Bedford Vehicles. It was originally used by the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS), and latterly held in reserve by the Home Office until 2004. The Green Goddess was called into service on two occasions, in 1977 and 2002, to provide fire cover during fire-fighters’ strikes.

The Green Goddess is a large, green-painted vehicle that is based on a Bedford RL series British military truck. It is powered by a 6-cylinder petrol engine that produces 150 horsepower. The Green Goddess has a top speed of 50 mph and a range of 200 miles.

The Green Goddess is equipped with a powerful water pump that can deliver up to 1,000 gallons of water per minute. It also has a variety of other fire-fighting equipment, including hoses, ladders, and axes.

The Green Goddess was used by the RAF during both of the fire-fighters’ strikes. In 1977, the RAF deployed 1,000 Green Goddesses to provide fire cover for the UK. The Green Goddesses were also used during the 2002 fire-fighters’ strike, when the RAF deployed 800 vehicles.

The Green Goddess is a versatile fire engine that can be used in a variety of situations. It is well-suited for providing fire cover during large-scale emergencies, such as fire-fighters’ strikes or natural disasters. The Green Goddess is also a valuable asset for the RAF, as it can be used to provide fire cover at military bases and other strategic locations.

Ork Krooz Missilz

Decided that I would reboot a conversion idea I had for a 40K Ork Trukk with Krooz Missilz. Many years ago I made a simple conversion to create an Epic Ork Trukk with Krooz Missulz (aka an Orkish version of the Imperial Deathstrike Missile Launcher. The model was built using a Flakwagon base, a firing platform from a Pulsa Rokitt and the Krooz Missulz (using a 40k scale Fighta-Bommer Missile).

I had planned to make a 40K version of this rocket many years ago. However like many projects it got shelved and I never made much progress with it. Having found some of the parts I decided to restart the project. I am going to be using one of my unfinished Ork Trukk models as the platform for the rocket. The base for the missile part of the  model will be the fuel tank from a 1/300th Academy Space Shuttle model kit.

I wanted to Orkify the missile, so started to add details using spare parts from various kits and some plasticard and plastic struts.

I used some spare parts from the plastic Ork fighter bomma kit.

I used some slices of plastic rod to make rivets and bolts.

Here is the missile alongside an Imperial Army Guardsman to give you an idea of scale.

The next stage will be a white undercoat.

See the workbench feature on the Ork Trukk with Krooz Missilz.

Legion Kharybdis Assault Claw

This Legion Kharybdis Assault Claw was on display at Warhammer World.

Legion Kharybdis Assault Claw
Legion Kharybdis Assault Claw

The Kharybdis assault claw is a monstrous drop pod used by many Legions as their primary ship-to-ship assault craft. It can carry large assault forces through the void and blast a path through defending small craft with its significant firepower.

The Kharybdis can also serve as an orbit-to-surface transport. In this role, it can use its storm launchers and melta cutters to scour clean its chosen landing zone before disembarking its deadly cargo. Some aggressive commanders even use the Kharybdis as an effective tank hunter, ramming enemy armor in daring low-altitude attack runs.

M3A1 Stuart

This M3A1 Stuart was on display at The Tank Museum at Bovington.

The M3A1 Stuart was a light tank that was used by the United States and its allies during World War II. The British Army was one of the largest users of the Stuart, and it used the tank in a variety of roles, including reconnaissance, scouting, and infantry support. It was designed as a reconnaissance and scouting vehicle, and was not intended to engage in direct combat with enemy tanks. However, the Stuart was often used in this role, and it sometimes proved to be successful.

The M3A1 Stuart was armed with a 37mm main gun and three .30 caliber machine guns. The main gun was capable of penetrating the armour of most German and Japanese tanks at close range, but it was not effective against the heavier tanks that were fielded later in the war. The machine guns were used for self-defence and for suppressing enemy infantry.

The Stuart was powered by a Continental W670-9A gasoline engine, which gave it a top speed of 36 miles per hour. It had a crew of four: a commander, a gunner, a driver, and an assistant driver. The tank was relatively small and lightweight, which made it easy to transport and manoeuvre.

The Stuart was first used by the British Army in North Africa in 1942. It proved to be effective in this theatre, where the terrain was often open and the enemy tanks were not as heavily armored as those in Europe. However, the Stuart began to struggle against the German Panzer IV tanks that were introduced in 1943.

The Stuart was also used in the European theatre, where it was less successful. The German tanks were generally more heavily armoured and better armed than the Stuart, and the Stuart often had difficulty penetrating their armour. However, the Stuart was still used in a variety of roles, and it sometimes proved to be effective in supporting Allied infantry.

The M3A1 Stuart was produced in large numbers, with over 20,000 tanks being built. It was the most widely produced American tank of World War II. The Stuart was also used by several other countries, including Britain, France, and China.

The M3A1 Stuart was not a perfect tank, but it was a valuable asset to the Allied forces during World War II. It was fast, manoeuvrable, and relatively easy to produce. It was also relatively inexpensive, which made it possible to equip large numbers of Allied units with it.

The Stuart’s light armour and relatively weak main gun made it vulnerable to enemy tanks, but it was still a capable vehicle in the right hands. It was used successfully in a variety of theatres of war, and it played an important role in the Allied victory.

Dwarf High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer

This lovely painted Dwarf High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer was on display at Warhammer World.

Dwarf High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer

Thorgrim is the descendant of the most ancient and noble of all Dwarf lords. The very blood of Grugni flows in his veins and the wisdow of Valaya sits upon his beetling brow.

Dwarf High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer

Thorgrim Grudgebearer is the current High King of the Dwarfs and the ruler of Karaz-a-Karak. He is a throwback to the High Kings of old — eager for new conquests, mighty in battle, and a merciless enemy. Yet upon his worn brow, there also sits a pearl of great wisdom, and he is able to uphold the ancient traditions as well as to accept, if not embrace these needed changes, such as alliances and new technology. Thorgrim is forever brooding upon how to return his people to their former glory. As the ultimate ruler of the Dwarfs, the Dammaz Kron or the Great Book of Grudges is entrusted into his honourable keeping.

This model was painted years ago (years and years ago). I saw it on display at Warhammer World in 2005.

Hunter T.7A XL568

Hunter T.7A XL568

The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engine and the swept wing, and was the first jet-powered aircraft produced by Hawker to be procured by the RAF.

XL568 was first flown, as a T.7, in 1958. She was delivered to 74 Squadron and later converted to a T.7A. Continuing to serve with 74, she also passed through the hands of 237 OCU before ending her active duty days with 208 and later 12 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth, where she was painted in Black Arrows colours in her final years of flying.

She was retired to ground instructional duties at RAF Cranwell and in early February 2002 was acquired by the RAF Museum for display at Cosford. Losing her black scheme and being repainted in early training colours, she is now on display in a dramatic pose inside the Cold War Exhibition.

More photographs of the Hunter T.7A.

Photographs of the Hawker Hunter F.6A at Duxford.

Photographs of the Hawker Hunter FGA9 at RAF London.

It’s the end of Aeronautica Imperialis as we know it…

Legion Imperialis Logo

An FAQ about the new Legion Imperialis has been published. 

As you might expect there is a lot of commentary about Legion Imperialis, including some interesting stuff about the scale of the new game.

Has the scale changed since Epic 40,000?

Sort of. Your classic Epic games of yesteryear had a fairly inconsistent scale: tanks, infantry and Titans were only roughly proportionally in line with each other. Legions Imperialis, on the other hand, is far more consistent. Infantry is the same size in relation to vehicles as their larger Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness equivalent miniatures would be. Generally speaking, the new models are much more detailed, and a little bigger.

It will be interesting to do some comparisons when the new models become available. It’s true that over the years models did change in size, but were pretty consistent across a single game, with models only really changing when there was a new release.

I think the sad news is the announcement of the retirement of Warhammer 40000 era Aeronautica Imperialis.

Support for Adeptus Titanicus and Aeronautica Imperialis (in the Horus Heresy setting only) will continue, so you can continue to play these games alongside this exciting new epic scale game.

So there will continue to be support the Horus Heresy era for Aeronautica Imperialis, but we will lose support for xenos and  Astra Militarum aircraft.

This being a Horus Heresy-era game, xenos craft from the Aeronautica Imperialis range will be sitting this one out. Additionally, as the Astra Militarum of the 41st Millennium wasn’t an entity during the Horus Heresy, Vulture Gunships, Valkyrie Assault Carriers, and Vendetta Assault Carriers will not be part of the game. These will be leaving the range soon, so if you want a fleet of tiny Xenos and Astra Militarum aircraft to call your own, pick them up now.

Yes you don’t need support to play the game, we get that.

You will still be able to enjoy the game with your existing collections, but support for models specific to the Warhammer 40,000 setting will be ceasing soon, and the relevant miniatures will be coming off sale.

However without new releases to inspire and engage, less and less people will play the game.

So no more Aeronautica Imperialis, well no more Aeronautica Imperialis for the Warhammer 40000 setting.

I am also, as I blogged previously, a little disappointed that there won’t be any xenos races, or even 40k era Imperial forces.

Legions Imperialis is a new game which is set firmly in the era of the Horus Heresy, letting you recreate the biggest and bloodiest battles fought in the civil war that set the galaxy aflame. There are no plans to expand this game into Warhammer 40,000 at the moment.

I guess at the moment doesn’t mean never, but if it was going to happen, it’s years away.

Cruiser Tank, Mk I (A9)

The A9 Cruiser Tank was a British cruiser tank of the interwar period. It was the first cruiser tank, a fast tank designed to bypass the main enemy lines and engage the enemy’s lines of communication, as well as enemy tanks. It was developed by Vickers-Armstrongs and was first produced in 1937.

This Cruiser Tank, Mk I (A9) was on display at the Tank Museum at Bovington.

Cruiser Tank, Mk I (A9)

The A9 was armed with a 2-pounder (40 mm) main gun and three .303-inch (7.7 mm) machine guns. It had a top speed of 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) on road and 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) off. Its armor was relatively thin, at only 14 mm (0.55 in) thick on the front and 10 mm (0.39 in) thick on the sides.

Cruiser Tank, Mk I (A9)

The A9 was used by the British Army in the early years of World War II. It saw action in the Battle of France in 1940 and in the North African Campaign in 1941. It was soon replaced by more modern tanks, such as the Cruiser Mk IV.

The A9 was a relatively successful tank for its time. It was fast and maneuverable, and its main gun was effective against early German tanks. However, its thin armor made it vulnerable to enemy fire, and it was soon replaced by more heavily armored tanks.

Though entering service in 1938, development had started earlier with the pilot model of the medium tank design being finished in 1936. This makes it an ideal tank for use during the Very British Civil War background.