Friday, April 25, 2014

28mm Aerial Steam Launch from Ironclad Miniatures

Pictured is a 28mm aerial steam launch from Ironclad Miniatures - picked up by yr humble correspondent back in 2008 (have I mentioned lately that I work slowly?). This model holds a special nostalgia for me, as back when we played the Space:1889 RPG, our British Army player-characters operated from one of these, along with our new allies, the Royal Navy.



The reader may be amused when I write that I primed this model about a year ago, and that it has gone away with me on vacation with every intent to paint it at least twice, but I could not decide upon the colour scheme.

The problem I had was that the Royal Navy (of which Britain's fledgling Aerial Service is part) have peacetime and wartime livery for Her Majesty's Ships. Peacetime vessels are painted with black hulls and buff upper works, while wartime paint is a mid-to-light grey.

Ironclad Aerial Launch - pictured are two RAFM Historicals for scale.

In the end, I went with a very dark grey hull with light grey upperworks, adhering as it were to the wartime colours in the peacetime scheme. I don't know why, but it works for me. I also found some vertical pipe-stands used in some of our old 25mm Sky Galleons of Mars games from the 1990's, one of which made for a handy flying stand.

This is a resin-cast model that is a joy to assemble. There were almost no bubbles in the resin, and they were confined to the underside of the deck. Nicely detailed with just the right amount of rivets. It does weight a respectable amount, and I'm probably going to add a larger base to the pipe-stand supporting it.


Armament consists of a single 25mm Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon miniature by Richard Houston - now available again from The Virtual Armchair General. This is labelled as "37mm" which translates to the 1-lbr HRC in Soldier's Companion.  The weapon is swappable with other miniatures, such as a Nordenfelt or Gardner gun or even a rocket tube, which would make for quite a nasty surpise for a wooden, Martian ship.

Let that be a lesson to the three-toed, yellow pongos...

- finis -



Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Painted: French Marine Artillerists from Askari Miniatures

My 28mm French Marine Artillerists (aka les Bigors) from Askari Miniatures have been waiting patiently for several weeks, as they were finished earlier this month - it's just taken me some time to take the photies.


Askari miniatures do paint up nicely.  I decided to opt for the 1889 uniform colours for the first batch of figures, I will follow up with either white tropical dress or, more likely, khaki for the next set. I have used Armory (and now Citadel) white prime since forever as it gives the miniature a happy glow.

"Tirer sur la vache..."

 Since the readers seem to like these battery-in-action tableaux, I'm including two for your delectation. The gun is from the Old Glory Spanish American line.


Nous sommes ouverts pour le commerce. Nur kasse.

The business-end of a piece de 90mm emplacement. Cash only.

Next to pick up some of Askari Al's Schutzetruppen, and the inter-colonial fun begins.

- finis -