The whiffs on the comrade's mind

[comrade harps]

I model everything to the same theme ands all in 1/72nd. A what-if universe where a what-if Trotsky beat Stalin, where Hitler was killed in the 20 July coup and the Germans signed a Separate Peace with the Western Allies in August 1944 (known to the reds as The Great Betrayal). Where the war on the Eastern Front continued into 1946 and another coup on the eve of surrender in August 1945 saw the Western Allies invade Honshu in March 1946. Where Western European revolutions and the Red Army banished capitalism from all of Europe in mid-1950 and chased the UN across to Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa finally became Red in about 1979-80 after the UN position became too hard to maintain. Oh, and the UN invasion of North Vietnam in 1972 saw a major reversal of fortunes in Indochina.

I'm filling in the details on an ad-hoc basis, model by model.

Currently on the kitchen table is a Cyber Hobby RAAF Meteor F.3 of the "candy-colored air force", March 1946 for the invasion of Honshu. I thought about making this a USMC machine for a while, but Aussierama has pulled me in this direction. I'm working on a very Australian tale for the back story.

After that, I'll build a Douglas PBD-1 Invader B.1 - an USN/USMC version of the A-26 with glazed nose, wingtip tanks, no turrets, lots of external ordnance, a wing-mounted radar pod and four-bladed props and in either RAF or RAAF service, also for the invasion of Japan. It'll be a night interdiction machine in midnight blue. I've been working on thinking this one through for a couple of years and been gathering all the necessary donor kits, bits and pieces for a while. Research has been looking at night interdiction A-26s from Korea and Indochina and 1944-45 USMC PBJ-1 Mitchell pics.

I'll post here about the options I'm looking at, the ones I'm thinking of keeping and the ones I've discarded.

The PBD-1 will have parts from the A-26C and the A-26K. The left over should be made into another complete A-26 (solid-nose, a couple of turrets - a gunship) and I'm eyeing those Burmese markings in the overflowing decal box. Always thought it might be African, with a mix of night and desert camo, but Burma being involved in Indochina with cross border raids into Laos is an interesting twist.

[Radish]

Exciting times ahead.....I've considered a RAAF A-26C too.....sometime. I think a RAAF I-16 "development" might be due too sometime.....

[comrade harps]

A whiffer's dream. I actually experienced this last night.

It was in Canberra (it didn't look like Canberra, but I knew that it was) and there was some official ceremony between us Aussies and reps from (I think South) Vietnam. The Vietnamese officer was making a warning about the other side when suddenly he spied a Canberra bomber coming in to land, but it was olive drab and had a blue tail and (I think North) Vietnamese markings. Then there was a Hornet with Nth Viet markings and blue painted tails and the Canberra and the Hornet then opened fire. The South Vietnamese officer was telling everyone not to go into the trenches, but a bunch of Aussies flung themselves in and got straffed.

There ended the dream.

I had another whiffy dream a couple of nights ago but I can't remember it.

Hm, a captured olive drab Canberra in North Viet markings (and blue tail)? A possible "dream build"?

[Radish]

Mmmmm....how about the Canberra originally being a S.Vietnamese one...a B-57....where the pilot defected??

Hornet?? F-18 or de Havilland??

[PR19_Kit]

I had another whiffy dream a couple of nights ago but I can't remember it.

Obviously a stealth dream then......... 

[comrade harps]

Mmmmm....how about the Canberra originally being a S.Vietnamese one...a B-57....where the pilot defected??

Hornet?? F-18 or de Havilland??

A possibility. Or like they captured some A-37s, Hueys etc and used them later.

Definitely something with twin fins and jet powered. Sorry, I wasn't being clear.

Obviously a stealth dream then.........

Most dreams are stealthy, aren't they? I hadn't thought of them like that before.

[comrade harps]

Been fiddling with the A-26C and K kits, transferring all the parts needed for the PBD-1 into one box.

Also, I keep seeing the hard nose A-26B slightly upgraded to early 60s standard in Burmese colours. A night attack ship, with multiple ejector racks  under wing carrying the 4x260lb frag bombs each that come with the kits.

Everyday whif musings.

[Radish]

Burmese is nice...

[RussC]

I had another whiffy dream a couple of nights ago but I can't remember it.

Obviously a stealth dream then......... 

Aren't those the dreams where you discover that you're in a crowded mall or other venue, but without pants?   

[comrade harps]

Got started on the Aussierama RAAF Meteor F.3: http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35061.0.html

One of the great things about whiffing is the multitude of good and crazy ideas that we come up with. So many options. It can be infuriating whittling them down for the final build, though.

Ideas going through my head for a hard-nose Douglas A-26 in Indochina include

• a wrap-around UASF style EA-camo - like the Ryan Raider F-105s
• attaching a pylon mounted 20mm Vulcan cannon pod to the bomb bay doors

• or a pair of Vulcan pods under the wings - but I've already got a RNZAF B-57G with those, so that would be repeating myself)
• the previously mentions MER with bombs

Took the family out last night to see the Saints play the Dockers; one thing's for sure - when St.Kilda and Freeo play at Docklands, coach Ross Lyon doesn't loose.

May work on the Meteor a bit more today.

[comrade harps]

From PR_19, a comment on my Meteor F.3 post re image below: http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35061.msg557355.html#new

Blimey, you painted the bits BEFORE you cut them off the sprues! I've never seen that done before......  

After reading PR-19's comment, I thought that maybe I was the only one,  It felt like I'd just admitted some sexual act that I thought was fairly normal, only to find that I was doing something kinkier than Radish would even contemplate. That is, until I just read NARSES 2's blog.

From NARSES 2's blog: http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35064.msg557294.html#msg557294

Airfix Zero - will be real world. Parts pre-painted on sprue.

Relief. I am not alone. Not that I was ashamed of being caught painting on the sprue, because it's always worked for me.

I've painted on the sprue for as long as I can remember painting kits. I use a brush and do a first coat on the sprue, assemble, do a second coat, add the canopy and do any paint touch-ups before decalling.

Anyway, the Metoer F.3's assembled just short of painting and attaching the canopy (always the most fraught part of model making).

Also, wondering about using Minigun pods under the Burmese gunship Invader, but I don't have any. Being inspired by the AP-2H Neptune interdictor.

[comrade harps]

I have finished the Meteor F.3 and am now writing up the back story. I'll take pics tomorrow (maybe) and when all is ready unveil it's bright beauty to the world. Put your sunnies on for this one.

[comrade harps]

Here's the completed Meteor F.3, complete with a very Australian back story: http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35061.msg557623.html#msg557623





I hope that she's bright enough.

I've been trying to write up stories that reflect real Australian people, places and events, tampering with reality and sometimes making slight name changes along the way. While I've pretty much got the story for the PBD-1 Invader down pat, I'm not getting very far with the back story for crew. Research is needed.

[comrade harps]

A quick update.

Started work on the PBD-1 Invader, but already written most of the backstory. As it's an Aussierama, expect plenty of references that people who are not from the land of Oz aren't going to get. Hint: it inolves an Aussie rules football legend and a book I've been reading on Australian hoaxes.

Also decided to build my VL Myrsky kit as a Fokker D.XXI in Australia in 1942 via the Netherlands East Indies. For those who remember the wartime TV soapie The Sullivans, there's something there for you in the backstory for the "Fokker".

[comrade harps]

Started the Aussierama group build thread for the PBD-1 Invader: http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35240.0.html