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A very simple scheme for this East German MiG-15bis |
8.19.2025
1950s Jet Age
8.17.2025
The P-66 Vanguard
Designed in 1938, what would become the P-66 first flew just seven days after the German invasion of Poland. It was a part of a concept of a series of aircraft designed to perform different roles, but keeping the same wing and fuselage structure - fighter, combat role, basic trainer, and advanced trainer. The fighter was the Model 48C, and 144 of the fighter version were ordered by Sweden in early 1940, to be known as the V-48C in Swedish service. This model had a different engine that enhanced high altitude performance along with an armament layout of four .30 caliber machineguns in the wings and a pair of .50 caliber machineguns firing through the propeller arc. However, Sweden did not receive any of the V-48C due to exporting bans put in place by the United States.
Great Britain took possession of one hundred Vanguards to use as advanced trainers. However, after trialing the Vanguard, it was decided to send these aircraft to the Republic of China. They were to be used to form a third American Volunteer Group, but after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the forming of additional groups was scratched.
The Vanguards sent to China were assembled in India in late 1942. Twelve of the P-66s were assigned to the 74th Fighter Squadron (part of the 23rd Fighter Group), but were not involved in any significant actions while equipped with the P-66. However, two Chinese squadrons utilized the Vanguard, starting in August, 1943. These Chinese Vanguards were initially received in the standard United States Army Air Corps scheme of olive drab upper surfaces and neutral gray undersurfaces, but the olive drab was soon covered by Chinese olive green and given Chinese insignia.
The Chinese P-66 was involved in at least two combats. The first, taking place on August 23, 1943, saw twenty-nine Chinese fighters (ten P-40s, eight P-43s, and eleven P-66s) scrambling to intercept a Japanese attack Chungking. The Japanese forces consisted of thirty-one Oscars and twenty-one Sallys. The bombers ranged in at 23,000 feet, but some the Chinese fighters (mostly the P-43 Lancers), having sufficient warning, had climbed above the Japanese formation and was able to attack the bombers with a height advantage. One Sally was shot down and several others were damaged, however the Chinese lost a pair of P-66s, one P-40, and one P-43, due to the Oscars' intervention.
On November 21, Enshi airfield was attacked, and three P-40s, one P-43, and four P-66s rose to defend the airfield. While one Japanese fighter was shot down and three others were listed as probables, three P-66 pilots were lost in this action.
I have cobbled together some speculative Check Your 6! ratings for the P-66:
8.10.2025
Rupees Ten - AAR
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The initial setup |
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Down two Sabres |
8.03.2025
Upgrading My Game - 1965 India-Pakistan War
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While the Hunter looks grand, the others do not |
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Image from Flight Deck Decals |
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Mystère |
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Sabre |
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The pesky Gnat and the powerful Hunter |
I will spray the planes with a coat of gray primer, then the Sabres, Mystères, and Gnats will be given a coat or two of Vallejo Air Aluminium - I prefer using their Air line as the metallic paints brush on very smoothly, even if a second coat is sometimes needed. The Hunter will be given a green/gray camouflaged upper with aluminum lower surfaces.
7.31.2025
Paul F. Baer - Ace of Aces
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Paul F. Baer |
Delving Into 1/200 - First Order
In reviewing the several scenarios I have for The Great War (from both Colorful Skies and Billy's Boys) and after having an excellent chat one evening with Mike at Table Top Flights, I have placed my first order for 1/200 scale planes that are printed with a 1/144 scale post in order to use with the Wings of Glory peg system. I also ordered several of Mike's clear propeller blades to use on these planes.
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Nieuport 28 |
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SPAD XIII |
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Fokker D.VII |
7.13.2025
Romanian Barbarossa After Action
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The initial Soviet deployment |
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A pair of beautiful Heinkels |
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The beginning of the end of the skilled Heinkel |
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The I.A.R.80s on their run towards the airfield, intercepted along the way |
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The second Heinkel broke free and placed an airframe hit on an I-16, while the other I-16 had done the same to an I.A.R.80 |
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The airfield destroyed, the remaining Romanians scramble towards home. |
7.06.2025
Delving Into 1/200 - Bases and Gaming Surface
Now that the planes are fairly sorted, I can also plan a bit with the bases and gaming mat I will need for gaming Check Your 6! Great War. The bases are custom 3D prints designed and printed by my gaming buddy Bob. He has been tinkering around with getting a Check Your 6! style base configured to use with the Wings of Glory planes. To that end, he is using (I think) a 1.75" hex base with a 2" hex gaming mat. Works well with 1/144 I must say, but I like smaller scales, and while planes can be had in 1/285, sourcing those are more of a hassle, plus adding a post at the bottom of the plane that will synch with a Wings of Glory sized peg is not practical.
The compromise is a 1.75" hex, Wings of Glory sized pegs, and having the planes printed in 1/200 scale with a post that will align with the pegs. The hex size works well - it is in between the official Check Your 6! 1.5" hex, which yields a hex grid of 30 by 45 hexes, and the larger 2" hexes used by some of my gaming companions. Going to the 1.75" hex still gives enough space to adapt the Colorful Skies scenarios with less fudge factor than using a 2" hex. Now I just need to convince my friend to print a few dozen bases and a slew of clear and translucent blue pegs!
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Example of a Deep Cut Studio custom mat using a 1.75" hex - red used for illustration purposes |
Back to the gaming space - with a 1.75" hex grid, the six feet by four feet gaming mat still provides a playing surface of 31 by 40 hexes, meaning very little fudge has to be factored in when using various published scenarios. The size of the hexes also work well with the size of the 1/200 scale planes. If I went to a two inch hex size, the hex grid would be 27 by 36, which, at least on the long measurement, is a quite a large variance, and would increase the fudge factor proportionately. While it allows more room for planes when they are in adjacent hexes, using the pegs to represent varying TALs should mitigate most overlap that one might have with 1.75" hexes.
Off to place an order with Deep Cut Studio!
7.04.2025
Delving Into 1/200 - The Planes
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1/200 Scale Table Top Flights Roland D.II |
6.21.2025
Colorful Skies
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My Table Top Flights Bavarian blue Fokker Dr.I and the Ares Kempf |
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The alternating colored pegs in place - here the Dr.Is are at TAL 6, speed 3 |
I had a pair of Fokker Dr.Is, fairly maneuverable in Colorful Skies but tempered with a low robustness. Across from me were a pair of Camels, similar in maneuverability, but more robust. There were also a pair of Snipes matched against two Fokker D.VIIs.
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The Camels Are Coming - here they are at TAL 4, Speed 4 |
I was able to avoid being shot at as I closed on the Camels by climbing out of gunnery range, but then came in behind the Camels by executing a Split S. Alas, my to hit rolls were too low and the Camels escaped to engage the D.VIIs. I was able to close in, after a D.VII and a Snipe had been shot down, and the remaining D.VII had run out of ammo. I was able to close in on a Snipe for a kill while my other Dr.I, having received both an engine hit and a lucky hit that reduced its speed to 1, dove out of the fray. At that point we called the game.
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Come back and fight! |
The bases are 3D printed. In this case they are two inches across to adjust for the 1/144 scale planes. The first bottom TAL is represented by the post that is part of the base, then printed pegs, in alternating blue and white, denote the rest of the TALs. A dice is used to indicate both speed and CAB. The pegs worked well, fairly tight and printed to accept the post on the bottom of the Wings of Glory planes. The alternating peg colors were ideal for easy TAL identification. My friend has also made bases with slots to hold colored pieces to denote different aircraft, much like the Check Your 6! official bases use a red, blue, white, black, yellow, or green indicator.
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Moving in for the kill, while the Camel missed my Fokker. |
Truly the only issue I had is when I climbed to a higher CAB to TAL 1. Changing the red dice to a white one to represent the higher CAB, as I was at TAL 1 I only had one peg on my stand, and my miniature was actually much lower on the playing surface then the Camel that was in the lower CAB. Other than that minor quibble, the bases worked very well!
I am working with Mike at Table Top Flights to order some 1/200 scale World War One aircraft that has a post that still fits the Wings of Glory pegs. He is hopeful this will work. If so, I look to start a 1/200 project, possibly using a 1.75" hex base and having a custom mat in the same hex size. That is a good compromise between the official Check Your 6! gaming surface and adjusting for the size of the planes.
6.15.2025
Strike on Kiska AAR
I hosted the Strike on Kiska scenario from Battles Above 3, and I have to say it was a tough day for the Emperor's men.
The initial setup allowed the Japanese players to close on the returning B-25s with relative ease. Yours truly commanded the Mitchells, and I thought I would have all sorts of trouble before a pair of rescuing P-40s could assist. I did not need to worry - a combination of the B-25's robustness with the use of a pair of hot dice (a set of Israeli dice from Fight's On, which have now become legendary, or infamous depending if one is on the giving or receiving end) made short work of the Rufes. The fact that the Mitchell is as agile as the Rufe certainly added to the Japanese futility.
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The veteran Rufe pilot, leading others into the fray, would not survive this turn |
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Damaged... |
The first Rufe closed in, a veteran pilot. While a lucky hit caused fire and panic among the bomber crew of fire and panic was inflicted, a couple of successful aircrew checks would eventually resolve both issues. Opening up with the top turrets in return, the veteran floatplane pilot was damaged by one Mitchell, and then sent spinning out the action by another. However, this result did not deter two additional Rufes from mixing into the bomber box, one finding itself squarely in the middle of American crossfire. The second of this pair was able to obtain a lucky hit, another fire. This one caused airframe damage, which then allowed the bombers to break formation and increase speed! One Rufe pilot showed tail, breaking off after seeing the destruction wrought by the Mitchells, which had been diving each turn to grab an extra hex since the beginning of the game, and now the increased speed assisted in creating more space.
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Not learning by the example of the veteran's demise, two skilled Rufes move into the box... |
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...causing fire on the lead bomber... |
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...scratching a Rufe in return... |
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...the other Rufe turns tail, or perhaps passes an intelligence check |
5.11.2025
Soviet Swansong AAR
I recently hosted the Soviet Swansong scenario from the Air War Korea scenario book for the Southwestern Ohio Check Your 6! group at the "local" game shop - as local as an hour's drive might be.
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Lining them up - crap, too high! |
That damaged MiG decided to try an special maneuver the next turn, prompting an aircrew check, which was failed. The result was one MiG tumbling out of the sky.
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Giving the Americans a gift. |
The other section of Sabres were slowly making their way into the fight, turning towards the center of the board while climbing for altitude. The cover section of MiGs dropped into the center of the board on turn three, and now a hairball ensued. The Soviet ace placed rounds more than once on the Americans, but my buddy Matt, known now as Mr. Robusto (with the tune of どうもありがと Mr. Roboto now dancing through our heads) kept making his robustness rolls. Another MiG took an airframe hit, and on the next turn, not learning from the previous example, that MiG also tried a special maneuver. Result? Another MiG tumbling from the sky!
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This section was coming into the action |
A third MiG was shot down, and now the score was 12-0 in favor of the Americans. The Soviet ace tried to dance about to shoot down any American, but it was not to be. Realizing that they had an overwhelming victory, by turn eleven the Americans all dove out of the fight with their victory point total intact.
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The Soviets had their chances, but just couldn't get past Mr. Rubusto |
I liked the scenario as it was somewhat balanced, and will definitely run this one again as a small convention game.
5.07.2025
Works in Progress
4.23.2025
Two Slovak-Hungarian War Scenarios
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Avia B.534IV |
4.20.2025
The P-43 Lancer
4.16.2025
The Yak-9P for Korea
While I have a decent Korean War collection for Check Your 6!, there are some aircraft types I have yet to pick up, such as the Yak-9P used by the North Koreans early in the conflict. The Yak appears in a few scenarios that appear interesting and not overly large, and as the Yaks are not sporting camouflage, I should be able to paint them without sending them off for commission work.
Over the last few months I have gathered into one spreadsheet as many Korean War scenarios as I could locate, using the Skirmish Campaigns Air War Korea book, Scramble - a Bag the Hun compendium, and finally some scenarios found on the Check Your 6! discussion group. In total that list now comprises of fifty-two scenarios, the Yak-9P making an appearance in eleven. I won't be collecting aircraft for all eleven scenarios as fielding a bunch of B-29s or Il-10s does not appeal to me, but collecting enough to add Yaks to field a few of the North Korean Air Force scenarios.
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As portrayed on the Flight Deck website |
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This version is a little too light on the gray and has no blue hue |
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This is what I will be shooting for |
Decals are easy - Sieben Schwaben Spiele Decals makes a set for North Korean Yaks in 1/200 scale, and Bernhard at Sieben Schwaben will rescale to 1/285.