The Commissioned Projects - Part VI

From the Wardrawings site

Next up, completing the Burma project. I recently received an order from Table Top Flights that will allow me (once the planes have been painted)  to host six different scenarios from a variety of sources (the core rules, Battles Above 3, and one additional scenario found on the Check Your 6! discussion group). Focusing solely on fighters as the prospect of having a dozen bombers on the tabletop does not excite me.

I am adding three Ki-44 Shoki (Devil Queller), two Curtiss Hawk Model 81A-2 (known to most of us as the P-40B/C), six Ki-27, two Hurricanes, and three P-40E models. This will provide, along with the existing planes I have already for Burma, all the aircraft needed for the following scenarios:

With these planes getting ready to ship off, once completed they will give me all the Burma I need!

The Peregrine Falcon

We know the plane by its American callsign, "Oscar," but the Nakajima Ki-43, to the Japanese Empire, was called the Hayabusa, or Peregrine Falcon. It is one of the most common of Japanese aircraft, but the Mitsubishi A6M series is far better known, and more often used by Check Your 6! gamers. However, the Hayabusa racked up half of all Japanese fighter victories during World War II, seeing action across the empire.

Often mistakenly called "Zero" in Allied reports, the Japanese Army's first retractable gear fighter was manufactured from 1939 until 1945, in three main types. The Hayabusa was to be the replacement for the beloved Nakajima Ki-27 (later known to Allied forces as the Nate). The Ki-43 prototype was not favored by military test pilots, but design improvements led to a favorable response by the Japanese Army, albeit at the sacrifice of strength and protection. The Ki-43-I was initially armed with just two Type 89 7.7mm machineguns, progressed to one Type 89 and one Ho-103 12.7mm machinegun (the most common gun arrangement on the Ki-43-Ib), then completed its run with two Ho-103 machinegun (the Ho-103 was classified as a cannon by the Japanese as it used an explosive shell). Speed for the Hayabusa was just over 300 miles per hour.

In 1942 the Ki-43-II was introduced with such improvements as light armor for the pilot and a crude form of self-sealing fuel tanks. Other improvements included a reflector gunsight, a taller canopy, and a three-blade propeller. Equipped with a more powerful engine, performance was enhanced, but speed and the rather weak armament were still detriments to the Hayabusa's ability to cope with more powerful Allied aircraft.

In game terms we have the following:

In 1/285 and 1/300 scales we have a few quality choices for the Hayabusa. Flight Deck Decals offers both the Type I and Type II models, while Raiden has one Oscar available (from the pictures on their website it is difficult to determine which type). Table Top Flights also provides both a Type I and Type II model. There are other companies that produce the Hayabusa, but the three aforementioned are my preferred ranges.

One can obtain some double duty in purchasing the Hayabusa. Compiling the various scenarios that feature the American Volunteer Group, from both the core rulebook and Battles Above 3, and adding in the Dutch East Indies scenarios from Battles Above 3, one needs a dozen Oscars. 

This highly maneuverable and successful aircraft deserves a bit more attention from Check Your 6! gamers.

Burma!

Yesterday I hosted a Check Your 6! game at the local gaming store (if a 50 minute drive is considered local), using the Burmese Buffalo Hunt scenario found on the CY6 forum with a few minor changes. It was a fun challenge for both sides as the scenario takes place in the rain and fog and visibility is drastically reduced. Also, the Hurricanes of 17 Squadron have their long range fuel tanks still attached, severely impacting their speed and maneuverability.

Nine Nates faced off against three pairs of Allied aircraft - Hawk 81s of the American Volunteer Group's 1st Squadron, Buffalos of the British 67 Squadron, and the aforementioned Hurricanes. It was interesting to watch the player's morale ebb and flow with the game. After spotting the Buffaloes, and having a set of the three Nates drop down from above just a few hexes away from them, the Japanese players continued to place hits on the Brewsters, but the robustness of the Buffalo coupled with the two light machineguns of the Nates meant that the Buffalos were not going anywhere for some time. However, the tide began to turn a bit with one of the Buffalos taking damage and the other receiving a lucky hit, impacting its fuel. By this time the slow climbing and slow moving Hurricanes, along with the faster Hawks, made their way into the fry, but the Nates were able to react and drive off the Allies. If memory serves me correctly, one Nate was shot down and one damaged, with the Allies suffering the loss of a Buffalo, the other damaged, a Hurricane shot down, and a Hawk likewise. Several of the Nate ran out of ammo during the course of the game (I believe four in total, but it was still an overall Japanese victory. I probably should have balanced the players a bi more as the Japanese side all had experienced gamers, while the Allies had one experienced gamer, one who had played CY6 a few times, and one who had never played.

All the planes were painted by Miscellaneous Miniatures.

Mat - Hotz Mats

Planes - Raiden

Commission Work in Hand!

Kevin at Miscellaneous Miniatures reached out to me recently let me know that he was once again doing commission work, and of course I just happened to have planes sitting about waiting to be painted! I sent him two small Check Your 6! projects, those being Pearl Harbor and Burma. The Pearl Harbor scenario you can find on the Downloads page above, and the Burma planes will allow me to do a few scenarios from the Battles Above Pacific scenario book. Here are some pictures of Kevin's work (and these pictures do not do justice...the planes are so much cleaner looking in person).

Flying Tiger Project:

Pearl Harbor Project (my buddy Matt has the Japanese covered):

And the details on the undersides of two of the planes:

These two projects are now complete, short of adding magnets.

Kevin offers high quality paintjobs at affordable prices. The planes for these two projects were $5.00 each.

Shipping Planes for Painting!

Today I mailed off a few Raiden planes to have painted by Kevin Hammond at Miscellaneous Miniatures. Kevin had contacted me via the Wings of Glory Aerodrome to let me know that he was doing commission work once again, and so of course I was ecstatic to hear that great news. Kevin has painted some beautiful planes for me in the past, including my 1948 Arab-Israeli War collection.

Today's shipment included two projects - Burma and Pearl Harbor - for the former Ki-27s, Hawk 81s, Brewster Buffalos, and Hawker Hurricanes, and for the latter P-40s and P-36s. With what I am having painted for Burma I will be able to host three scenarios and for the Pearl project I will be able to do the Second Strike scenario with my friend Matt (he is handling the Japanese side of things).

I am really looking forward to seeing how these planes will turn out, as well as finally getting some scenarios for Burma on the table as I have had the unpainted castings sitting in a box for a few years now!

Mat - Deep Cut Studio

Check Your 6! - New Projects

After another great Game Day I have decided to expand my Check Your 6! collection a bit. I am selling off my Spanish Civil War planes so that I can start a few oddball projects that I have more interest in.

At Game Day I picked up the remaining aircraft that I needed to complete all the 1948 Arab-Israeli scenarios I have collected, written by Rob Wubbenhorst and published in Wargames Illustrated. I also picked up a few P-40B/Cs to start either a Pearl Harbor or Flying Tiger project. As I already have some P-36s doing a Pearl Harbor scenario might be fun, but I also now have, via a trade, a few Ki-27 Nates, so I might hold off on Pearl as that involves buying all the Japanese forces as well.  

I haven't purchased the planes yet, but the 100 Hour War (known incorrectly as the Football War) saw Corsairs and Mustangs used in Central America, and I have the workings of a scenario in mind.  

I also have an idea for Swiss/German fighting during World War II that could be interesting, and have completed a bit of research to create a scenario for that. I am getting some Bf.109s in a trade as part of the Spanish Civil War selloff.