The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948

Ahhh, Indian Tempests fighting Pakistani Tempests post World War II! Mix in a dash of Spitfire and one has some interesting possibilities, using World War II designed aircraft but in their most advanced development. 

Let's start with some cool aircraft profiles. I am not completely clear on what scheme the Indians used during the war as there are many IAF Tempest and Spitfire profiles during this period that seem to be at odds with a consistent paint scheme. I am waiting a couple of titles to try and confirm what the IAF used in 1947-48, however, I might just go with a silver aluminum Tempest and a camouflaged Spitfire.

Indian Tempest Mk. II - I am not certain of the use of the Chakra during the actual war

Indian Spitfire Mk. XVIII - I am liking this scheme as a contrast to the Pakistani Tempest below

Pakistani Tempest Mk. II - Nice desert scheme going on here

Planes

Tempest Mark II - Raiden website

Raiden covers the Tempest Mk. II (code GBR011) but the Spitfire is a bit of a puzzle. I've seen profiles of Indian Spitfire Mk. XIVs and Mk. XVIIIs, with the latter artwork including both clipped and unclipped wings (the image above is an unclipped version, but HERE is a Mk. XVIII showing clipped wings and the Mk. XIVe the Indians used would also have had clipped wings). I will have to see what the source material indicates. When I did my 1948 Arab-Israeli project I went with the Spitfires I was able to buy cheaply from Dom's Decals, but not certain if I used the correct model. I like to be historically accurate when possible, but might have to do a little fudging when it comes to the Indian Spitfires. Raiden does make a Mk. XIVc, but with full wing. They also manufacture a Mk. XII that has the clipped wing configuration which to my eye looks pretty close. 

Books

These are two I have been able to find that cover each side and now that I have on order.

• Bharat Kumar - An Incredible War: IAF in Kashmir War 1947-1948. K. W. Publishers, 2013.
• Yawar Mazhar and Usman Shabbir - Eagles of Destiny: Volume 1: Birth and Growth of the Royal Pakistan Air Force 1947-1956. Helion and Company, 2022. 

If I can not glean any scenarios from the source materials, then I am going to go with a mix of four Indian Tempests and two Indian Spitfires, and the Pakistanis will garner six Tempests.

More to come on this little project once the books have been received and delved into.

The I.A.R.80/81 in Check Your 6!

Appearing three times in the Battles Above 2 scenario book, the Romanian (or Rumanian if you prefer) Industria Aeronautică Română 80/81 series of aircraft were steady performers on the Eastern Front, and continued to serve even after being outclassed by later fighter designs. While modifications were made during the life of the I.A.R.80/81, those changes were not significant enough to greatly improve its performance. Decently agile, moderate in the amount of damage it could sustain, but light in armament, the I.A.R.80/81 soldiered on into the 1950s. The I.A.R.80/81 faced off against a variety of aircraft during its service life, ranging from I-16s to P-38s. It was used as a fighter and dive bomber on the Eastern Front, as well as a home defense fighter at Ploesti. Four hundred and fifty I.A.R.80/81s were built during the war.

CY6! gamers have made some attempts to rate this aircraft to varying degrees. One overly optimistic gamer rated the plane an A4 + 3, making it far more agile and maneuverable than the aircraft was historically. The ratings in the Battles Above book seem about right, B4 + 2 with no penalty to agility at maximum speed. This allows the I.A.R. series to dogfight with most enemy fighters and hold its own from a performance perspective. However, the Rumanian pilots, while brave, did not have as much experience or training as their German allies, and should be throughout the war rated with the same proportion of crew quality as their Soviet counterparts.

What follows is a fairly comprehensive yet still in progress listing of the I.A.R.80/81 variants in game terms. The information was gleaned from The I.A.R.80 & I.A.R.81: Airframe, Systems, & Equipment written by Radu Brinzan. Published in 2011 by SAM Limited, it is an extremely detailed look at the indigenous Romanian fighter, and is replete with color profiles.

My preferred scale for air combat games is 1/285th, and hence my preferred manufacturer is Raiden, owned by I-94 Enterprises. Alas, there is not a Raiden I.A.R.80/81 being offered at this time. However, there are two other options, MSD Games (1/300 scale) and Shapeways (wwwitalik). I like the MSD line fine enough, but the scale difference does make itself apparent when comparing the MSD castings to the Raiden range (I have a few Heinkel He.112s that confirm this). The Shapeways version has the landing gear in the extended position, so one would have to carefully cut away the gear.

Scotia Grendel (Collectair) also make a 1/300 scale I.A.R.80/81, for a very reasonable price. 

The I.A.R.80/81 is an oft overlooked option for gamers but one to consider for use on the Eastern Front.

Getting Planes on the Table

One of my other interests is Great War air combat. I've been hooked ever since I started playing Richthofen's War by Avalon Hill. Today I game the Great War with miniatures, the 1/144 Wings of Glory range, using the rules of the same name. The rules are okay (to be honest I would prefer using Check Your 6!), but it is what the gaming group uses. We meet every second Saturday in Dayton at noon, break for a meal around 3:00 or 4:00, then some will hang around and do a boardgame. In an effort to actually get my Check Your 6! planes on the table, I have decided to start bringing a scenario for those who might be interested in gaming CY6. First up will be Strange Encounter from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War using my wonderfully painted planes by Kevin Hammond at Miscellaneous Miniatures. I've hosted this one a couple of times before, so hoping I can guide players through the rules as it has been some time since I've done any CY6 gaming. First go is this coming Saturday!

100 Hours War Scenario

Having picked up a Helion title on this conflict, I have come up with my own Check Your 6! scenario, entitled "Soto Gets Three." It has not been playtested, but I believe I have captured the historical details to give the proper setting. Enjoy!

Here is the aircraft data:

I have also added the file as a pdf (click the link under Downloads).