Back to the work bench
After all the prep and cooldown of the big naval game in my last post (convoy attack mission),
Its been back to the workbench to make a dint in some of the rapidly accumulating projects i've set myself.
The paint and decal queue has been getting a bit hefty and made worse with a distraction from my other major game system (Infinity) having a spate of new releases too.
To that end, I thought I'd showcase some of the stuff thats out there that folk might not have been aware of.
Merit 1:200 range
Whilst I was researching the fleet stuff for the big convoy game, I happened across a small pre-painted range of 1:200 planes from the pacific theatre. They're made by merit and they're really designed as accessories for a 1:200 scale aircraft carrier. Being a bit brave, I ordered some SBD dive bombers and F4Fs on the off-chance they'd be usable. Thankfully, they are.
Obviously as accessories, they're not designed as gaming pieces and come with both props attached and gear down (they're supposed to be parked on deck) but for me, I like them.
If you were to rehouse them, you'd need to greenstuff the gaps and probably end up having to repaint them.
Both squadrons are in packs of 4 and come pre-apinted in a really light blue with some of the decal-type markings already on them and also include a separate decal sheet with aircraft numbers and tail markings.
The paint appears to have a bit of a varnishy finish and doesn't take a flat wash well at all, even diluted. The colour is a bit flat, so for a gaming piece you'll probably want to pin-wash the panel lines to make them pop at a distance but the prepaint will look fine enough if you are in a rush.
The biggest project you'll have will be to get them onto a suitable mounting for an advantage base.
For me, I was fortunate in that I also own a ton of Dropfleet commander models and have a stack of spare "widgets"
These just happen to be the perfect size for mounting onto a BRS advantage base and work a treat.
Thankfully the merit models have a good solid plastic depth and I broke out the old power drill and inserted my 3.5mm drill bit and set the torque limit very low and kept the speed very low, taking care with my grip so as not to break the prop or gear whilst bracing against the rotational force of the drilling action.
Next came the decals and pinwashing the panel lines (dull job lol) and this how they come out!
As well as SBD and F4Fs, Merit also produce B25 mitchells and TBF devastator torpedo bombers.
They're stocked by Hannants in the UK and I would assume they're available in the US and elsewhere through local model shops and online retailers.
Armaments in miniature
These guys have a great range of resin planes from multiple factions including pre-war and post war and into Korean war period too (1:200 range here). I purchased myself a wing of Gloster Gladiators because I have a bit of a thing for biplanes (phwoar!) and was pleasantly surprised by them.
As with the Merit planes, they're not designed for a BRS base and come with a small magnetic screw casted into the bottom for attaching into a magnetic basing system. Thankfully, this comes out cleanly with the supporting resin with slight steadying pressure and a small cross-headed screwdriver.
This leaves a small "crater" where the screw was which perfectly guides a 3.5mm drill bit into the fuselage. You can be a bit rougher with your drill here as the resin is solid unlike the hollow Merit planes.
The detail level is excellent, far in excess of the "official" models we've seen so far (though the next wave are rumoured to be a higher-detail Hard plastic similar to the bolt action vehicles).
If you've never worked with resin before, it is usually coated in some kind of mold release agent to enable it to come out of the mold easily. This anti-grip agent is great for that purpose, but has the unfortunate side effect of stopping glue and paint adhering to the resin, which for us as assemblers and painters is a bit of a problem lol! thankfully, the solution is a cheap and easy one:
A moderate soak in tepid (not hot as it makes the resin bendy!!) water with fairy liquid or other mild dish detergent (I leave mine for 20mins or so) is usually enough to get it off though larger or more recessed areas might need a little agitation with an old toothbrush whilst submerged to get it to shift.
Recessed areas tend to harbour the stuff so if you see a shiny or discoloured area with a different surface feel to the rest of the model, thats the stuff you need to shift.
If when you prime/glue the model, the paint lifts/flakes/peels you didnt get it all off. If the glue wont set, same thing. Go back and give it a good scrub!
I didn't need to do any of that with my batch of gladiators, just a simple soak was enough. A quick glue and prime later and they were ready for widget glueing and sticking onto a BRS base.
As you can see from the above, they're really charming little planes!!
David who runs the site is a lovely chap, but don't be baffled, there's no e-store on the site. If you want to order, you need to email him and pay via paypal once shipping/totals are agreed. He also has a stack of suitable decals for the planes you order and miscmini/mehusla (eBay) are also alternative decal suppliers with a wide range if you have a specific squadron in mind.
Future projects
I've also got a batch of 1:700 merchantmen and auxiliary ships to assemble for the next naval combat game where we'll implement the changes from our first convoy attack mission.
On top of that, I've got a set of american and japanese flying boats from armaments in miniature as well as a wing of corsairs to assemble and paint up!
Please comment below if you have any questions regarding these bits, hope this has been helpful!
Its been back to the workbench to make a dint in some of the rapidly accumulating projects i've set myself.
The paint and decal queue has been getting a bit hefty and made worse with a distraction from my other major game system (Infinity) having a spate of new releases too.
To that end, I thought I'd showcase some of the stuff thats out there that folk might not have been aware of.
Merit 1:200 range
 |
| Supplied in packs of four, the planes come prepainted with some basic detailing on wings and fuselage |
Whilst I was researching the fleet stuff for the big convoy game, I happened across a small pre-painted range of 1:200 planes from the pacific theatre. They're made by merit and they're really designed as accessories for a 1:200 scale aircraft carrier. Being a bit brave, I ordered some SBD dive bombers and F4Fs on the off-chance they'd be usable. Thankfully, they are.
Obviously as accessories, they're not designed as gaming pieces and come with both props attached and gear down (they're supposed to be parked on deck) but for me, I like them.
If you were to rehouse them, you'd need to greenstuff the gaps and probably end up having to repaint them.
Both squadrons are in packs of 4 and come pre-apinted in a really light blue with some of the decal-type markings already on them and also include a separate decal sheet with aircraft numbers and tail markings.
The paint appears to have a bit of a varnishy finish and doesn't take a flat wash well at all, even diluted. The colour is a bit flat, so for a gaming piece you'll probably want to pin-wash the panel lines to make them pop at a distance but the prepaint will look fine enough if you are in a rush.
The biggest project you'll have will be to get them onto a suitable mounting for an advantage base.
For me, I was fortunate in that I also own a ton of Dropfleet commander models and have a stack of spare "widgets"
Thankfully the merit models have a good solid plastic depth and I broke out the old power drill and inserted my 3.5mm drill bit and set the torque limit very low and kept the speed very low, taking care with my grip so as not to break the prop or gear whilst bracing against the rotational force of the drilling action.
 |
| Drilled out and widgets with the glue setting |
They're stocked by Hannants in the UK and I would assume they're available in the US and elsewhere through local model shops and online retailers.
Armaments in miniature
These guys have a great range of resin planes from multiple factions including pre-war and post war and into Korean war period too (1:200 range here). I purchased myself a wing of Gloster Gladiators because I have a bit of a thing for biplanes (phwoar!) and was pleasantly surprised by them.
 |
| The raw sprue and base plane with the peg removed |
As with the Merit planes, they're not designed for a BRS base and come with a small magnetic screw casted into the bottom for attaching into a magnetic basing system. Thankfully, this comes out cleanly with the supporting resin with slight steadying pressure and a small cross-headed screwdriver.
This leaves a small "crater" where the screw was which perfectly guides a 3.5mm drill bit into the fuselage. You can be a bit rougher with your drill here as the resin is solid unlike the hollow Merit planes.
The detail level is excellent, far in excess of the "official" models we've seen so far (though the next wave are rumoured to be a higher-detail Hard plastic similar to the bolt action vehicles).
If you've never worked with resin before, it is usually coated in some kind of mold release agent to enable it to come out of the mold easily. This anti-grip agent is great for that purpose, but has the unfortunate side effect of stopping glue and paint adhering to the resin, which for us as assemblers and painters is a bit of a problem lol! thankfully, the solution is a cheap and easy one:
A moderate soak in tepid (not hot as it makes the resin bendy!!) water with fairy liquid or other mild dish detergent (I leave mine for 20mins or so) is usually enough to get it off though larger or more recessed areas might need a little agitation with an old toothbrush whilst submerged to get it to shift.
Recessed areas tend to harbour the stuff so if you see a shiny or discoloured area with a different surface feel to the rest of the model, thats the stuff you need to shift.
If when you prime/glue the model, the paint lifts/flakes/peels you didnt get it all off. If the glue wont set, same thing. Go back and give it a good scrub!
As you can see from the above, they're really charming little planes!!
David who runs the site is a lovely chap, but don't be baffled, there's no e-store on the site. If you want to order, you need to email him and pay via paypal once shipping/totals are agreed. He also has a stack of suitable decals for the planes you order and miscmini/mehusla (eBay) are also alternative decal suppliers with a wide range if you have a specific squadron in mind.
Future projects
I've also got a batch of 1:700 merchantmen and auxiliary ships to assemble for the next naval combat game where we'll implement the changes from our first convoy attack mission.
On top of that, I've got a set of american and japanese flying boats from armaments in miniature as well as a wing of corsairs to assemble and paint up!
Please comment below if you have any questions regarding these bits, hope this has been helpful!
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