I am coming under pester power/ peer pressure to engage in SCW gaming.  The terrain, troops types and the wide range of kit is attractive. Not to mention the growing and excellent SCW range from Pendraken (see recent releases).

Whilst browsing the pure eye candy dioramas constructed by Carlos Briz, (see photos ) I noted the SCW scenes with correct period aircraft and believe I have tracked them down to an American company http://www.tin-soldier.com . In addition to classical WW1 models, the SCW range- in 1/144 not 1/150 - includes, HS-123, Fait CR 42, He-51 and Polykarpov 1-15 and 1-16 !

There is also scope for 1938/39 China with Ki-27, Ki-43  and A5M4 plus P-40 and P-38
dedicated SCW decals are also on offer.  In the hands of a master, like Carlos these are sweet models.  Does any forum members have experience of this company and their products ? Biplanes in 1/144 can be  a bit fiddly!

Sunray out
 

The answer is yes. These, and any small scale aircraft tned to be hard work - struts. You also need Hawks, and Dewtines for SCW at least.

IanS

Ian.

Thanks for this. When you say 'yes', do you mean first hand of experience of tin soldier in terms of (a) product and (b) trans Atlantic customer service?
Or were you making a general comment about 1/144 white metal aircraft in general ?

In response to your comments, yes struts can be a problem. I tend to use plastic brush bristle cut to size and secured with superglue. I would also take issue with 'needing' a wide range of aircraft.  We on this site tend to be "ground" war gamers, so as long as an aircraft is (a)correct to the  period/conflict and (b) able to strafe and drop bombs - we can get by with a few 'ground attack types' .

I would argue that you could have a good accurate wargame with a Fiat CR42 and a Pol 1-15, providing air support. I appreciate that airwargamers have different tastes and gaming needs

What we do need in resin is a Ju52 ... how about it Leon?

Sunray out.

My experiance is with the Skytrex stuff the yes was it is fiddley - to say the least. One suggestion - if you can find them - is to use 1/100 sclae aircraft, since they would be closer to the eye line.

ianS

Ian

That is an interesting - if pragmatic suggestion.  I must say, if totally honest, that while I can cope with 1/150, 1/148 and 1/144 on the same table, I do cringe a wee bit when I see a mix of scales.  The wargames photographer, Richard Ellis, used to pose 28mm figures in the foreground and 15mm in the distance, for his images for Miniature Wargames (the venerable Iain Dickie publication)  It did nothing for the hobby.  One factor why I moved to 10mm is to take advantage of the range of 1/148 N gauge and 1/144 aircraft models, and the good friends on this forum who go out of their way to share info and build up a reference of sites from which to acquire the best kit.( I also sense that pendraken figures have nudged up towards 1/148, as figures tend to do when sculptors craft in more detail ?)

Which period do you game? I could be wrong, but I would guess there are more 1/144 WW1 and SCW kits around than in 1/100. Indeed for SCW. the key kits were not 1/100, but true 15mm whitemetal cast by QRF. 

Me - well bloody anything - I am known for WWII and Modern in 1/300th, but have a large collection of 25mm and 15mm Ancients, some 15mm Fanatasy, 10mm Ancients/Fanatasy, 6mm WOTR, Fantasy, Ancients, 15mm WWII, 15mm Napolionioc..........

I'm trying to sell my 20mm tanks - if you is interested.

IanS

Haaa.  Join the club - we who have our lofts and garages full of 20mm, 25mm and  15mm.

The second had figure market is as about depressed as the housing market. Ah, if only we had had 10mm Pendraken years ago !

Back to these 1/144 Tin Soldier aircraft - BEFORE LEON GETS ME FOR HIGHJACKING MY OWN THREAD -  I am minded to import a few samples, paint them up and post the images-  if I can get the Fairmile D gun mounts sculpted and back to Dave before the end of the month.   Who knows,if they are decent kit, we might talk team Pendraken into becoming UK importer ??

Problem is that they dont speak english like what the rest of us do.....


IanS

I just got a 'personal message' from Carlos himself .  Some very useful hints and tips on SCW aircraft.  Carlos you are a gentleman ...as well as one of the worlds best modelers working in 10mm.

If there is interest, I am happy to share links to forum members..but the key message was that Tinsoldier are ggod to trade with.  We just need a good rate on the $!

Keep up the beautiful work Carlos..you show Pendraken at their best.

Oh..and he writes in perfect English.

Sunray out

Hi,

I can recommend Tin Soldier.  The bloke who owns it, John McEwan, is as helpful as you can possibly expect and his service is excellent,  Get him to send/order in small batches as otherwise HMRC is bound to spot it and add VAT on top, which is not so bad as the Royal Mail charge for collecting it. 

But, if you want 1:144 He 51, RS5, Il-15/16, SB2 and CR32 et al, I think this is the only option.  I got my Ju52 from Welsh Models - resin at £18 or therebouts.  For Italian tri-motors the ony option is die-cast I think.

Tin Soldier 1:144 models are good for gaming - I have about 30 for my SCW project.  I suggest ditching the supplied struts and using brass rod or similar.  The supplied struts work ok but are a bit over scale.  Be prepared to need some filler to finish the models too. 

Do not expect to assemble them straight form the pacl without some work and there are some SCW type that are simply not available.  Hope this helps.

John

Many thanks for this. Most useful.  I have opted to using fine nylon brush bristle for struts - the result is most pleasing

Keep the comments coming.  Leon will perhaps give take note of the need for a Ju52 in resin.  Bearing in mind there is NO 1/144 plastic model out there.
Wot about it Leon?


Sunray Out

Quote from: Sunray on 02 December 2010, 04:55:52 PM
John

Many thanks for this. Most useful.  I have opted to using fine nylon brush bristle for struts - the result is most pleasing

Keep the comments coming.  Leon will perhaps give take note of the need for a Ju52 in resin.  Bearing in mind there is NO 1/144 plastic model out there.
Wot about it Leon?

Sunray Out

I've got aircraft down on my lists, but at the moment we're stuffed regarding master modelling, with our sculptor being out of action.  We've got some test pieces coming from a couple of other people, and I've just spoken to another guy about knocking up something, but it's a matter of time now to see how they come out.

Aircraft would be cool, but it would open up the door to a whole new range, which we would then have to add to.

point taken Leon. The priority will always rightly be figures. But  as you can appreciate it would be very pleasing to have a Ju 52 as it opens up Airborne ops in SCW (the ferrying of Franco's Army of Africa) , the Low countries in 1940 and of course Crete.      You would not think about an Arnhem game without at least one DC3. and we can get those in plastic.   

Ah, that's not quite correct. There was a Ju-52 made in 1/144 by the Czech company Eduard, I think they did 3 variants including a floatplane version and they weren't too expensive less than £10 each. They are rare but they can be found in some of the more musty toy shops! I've got some somewhere as I intended to run a FOW Crete game, before 'seeing the light' and going to BKC!

Have a look at "Wings of War" planes,the WW1 planes are 1/144 and the WW2 are 1/200

Big paul182

Brisbane/Qld/Oz