warhammer, wh40k, flames of war, bolt action, aeronautica imperialis, star wars, models, news, views and stuff
The Bristol Type 171 Sycamore was an early helicopter developed and built by the helicopter division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It has the distinction of being the first British helicopter to receive a certificate of airworthiness, as well as being the first British-designed helicopter to be introduced by and to serve with the Royal Air Force (RAF).
This Bristol Sycamore was on display at RAF London.
There was also a RAF Bristol Sycamore was on display at RAF Cosford.
I picked up a copy of Warhammer Imperium Issue 37 which comes with some Thermic Plasma Conduits.
This kit is no longer available from Games Workshop and you get one sprue which allows you to build a series of conduits.
The kit goes together quite easily. I made mine into three large conduits. The models were then given a white undercoat.
I gave the models a basecoat of Leadbelcher.
The next step will be adding a shade.
The VC10 was designed as a long range airliner able to operate from short runways at airfields in hot and high conditions as found in Africa and the Far East.
The rear engine configuration meant that the cabin was very quiet. The aircraft had a high cruising mach number and had very good short field performance. However, this was achieved at the cost of very high fuel burn in the cruise which may explain why the aircraft attracted few overseas customers.
In the later part of its service the aircraft was modified for the tanking role but kept its passenger and freight carrying ability.
A gallery of photos can be viewed of VC10 XR808’s journey to RAF Cosford here.
There was a civilian VC10 at Duxford.
I pre-ordered the Horus Heresy Deimos Pattern Rhino and having picked it from my local FLGS I did think, would I leave it on the shelf for a few months (or years) before I started on it. Well I even surprised myself and actually started it a day or so after picking it up.
The model has many more parts and is a more detailed kit than the original plastic Rhino kit that came out in the 1980s.
It does go together quite easily, though I found some parts challenging.
I did think the rear door ramp was hard to attach. Also ensuring there are no gaps with the top superstructure was a bit of a challenge.
I decided not to paint the interior, though I am tempted to get another kit and do the interior on that one.
I added the final parts to the model.
I went with a simplistic version, single bolters.
I have left the tracks off and will be painting those separately.
The next stage will be a white undercoat.
The Westland Wessex was a British-built turbine-powered development of the Sikorsky H-34. It was developed and produced under licence by Westland Helicopters. One of the main changes from Sikorsky’s H-34 was the replacement of the piston-engine powerplant with a turboshaft engine. Early models were powered by a single Napier Gazelle engine, while later builds used a pair of de Havilland Gnome engines.
The initial production version was for the Royal Navy but in the early 1960s the RAF required a powerful general-purpose helicopter capable of troop-carrying, air ambulance and ground attack roles. Westland responded with the Wessex HC2 which first entered RAF service with No.18 Squadron, based at RAF Odiham, Hampshire, in January 1964.
Four years later Westland Helicopters received an order for two Wessex aircraft to equip The Queen’s Flight. These were designated HCC4. The aircraft were built to HC2 standard but with the main cabin having a VIP interior finish, furnishings and sound proofing plus an external folding step below the cabin door.
Additional Decca navigation equipment was installed on the flight deck. The first flight took place on 17 March 1969. The first official flight was on 1 July 1969 in support of the Investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle, Wales. The helicopters in their distinctive red/dark blue paint scheme operated for many years from RAF Benson.
From 31 March 1995 they moved to RAF Northolt and became part of No.32 (The Royal) Squadron.
The Wessex HCC4 was retired in 1998 and No.32 (The Royal) Squadron gave up the task of providing helicopters for the Royal Family. The Royal Household awarded a ten year contract to Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and Hanson Helicopters to provide the Queen with an S76 and civilian crew.
I picked up a copy of Warhammer Imperium Issue 37 which comes with some Thermic Plasma Conduits.
This kit is no longer available from Games Workshop and you get one sprue which allows you to build a series of conduits.
The kit goes together quite easily. I made mine into three large conduits.
The models were then given a white undercoat.
Next step will be the basecoat.
The Sikorsky Hoverfly was the world’s first operational helicopter, first flown in January 1942. It was widely used during the last 16 months of the Second World War in Burma and the Pacific serving with the US Army Air Force, US Navy and US Coastquard on liaison and rescue tasks.
The Hoverfly Mk I was also the first RAF helicopter – operated by The King’s Flight, Helicopter Training Flight at Andover and No. 529 (Radar Calibration) Squadron.
The Hoverfly Mk 1 was not capable of carrying heavy loads and was mainly used by the RAF to prove that rotary wing aircraft could support military operations. During its RAF career the Hoverfly was nicknamed ‘The Flying Eggbeater’.
Having converted and constructed the Ruined Factorum into two different ruins, the next stage was giving them a white undercoat. Then it was onto painting them and giving them a wash.
I had got a couple of Ruined Factorum sprues that came with Warhammer 40000 Imperium 34. The ruins are from the The Battlezone: Manufactorum – Sub-cloister and Storage Fane kit. You get two more corner ruins, all coming on a single sprue. I did manage to pick up a second magazine and decided that I would convert them. It was a relatively simple conversion swapping over the corners.
I then drybrushed them using Citadel Dry paints. I first used some Dawnstone Dry Paint and then a lighter drybrush of Terminatus Stone.
The Westland Whirlwind helicopter was a British licence-built version of the U.S. Sikorsky S-55/H-19 Chickasaw. It primarily served with the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm in anti-submarine and search and rescue roles.
This RAF Rescue Westland Whirlwind was on display at RAF London.
The Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Force used Whirlwinds painted in overall yellow for rescuing people in distress around the coast of the United Kingdom.
I really like the models for the X-Wing Miniatures Game. This is an Imperial TIE Bomber.
The TIE bomber, was a bombing variant of the TIE line used by the Galactic Empire, and was their main source of anti-emplacement air-support.