Bolt Action, SS Ahnenerbe Vril Fighter

As well as being tricky to manufacture, the Haunnebu Vril Saucers required pilots who were both skilled flyers and Geweckt. It was rare to find an individual who encompassed such unlikely talents. One solution was the Nachtzehrer Vril Fighter. This all-weather multi-role plane could fulfil a variety of roles from heavy fighter to precision medium bomber.

The Nachtzehrer was powered by Vril energy run through a turbofan jet. The pilot sat in a reclining posture in the front cockpit and flew the plane much like any other jet. Behind him sat a Hexeningenieur who kept the systems working through rune magic and an expression of Will.

The Nachtzehrer  was armed with two 30mm cannon in the wing roots operated by the pilot as in a normal fighter.

Another 30mm cannon was positioned in the tail controlled by the Hexeningenieur using dowsing rods.

This photo of a Nachtzehrer lifting off shows the weapon bay doors open. A Todesbruderschaft bomb, also guided by the Hexeningenieur using the dowsing rods in the tail can be clearly seen in the internal Bay,

Vril energy confers VTOL capability, much like in the Haunnebu. The Nachtzehrer is shown in the process of converting to level flight. It is equipped with normal landing gear so that the pilot can glide it down to a landing even if the Hexeningenieur is insensible - a not uncommon side effect of application of Will.

The model is scratchbuilt from various odd bits I had lying around and has a 12" wingspan.

Bolt Action - SS Ahnenerbe Detachment Daemon

Painting up a 'Daemon Aircraft' for my Bolt Action SS Ahnenerbe Detachment.

This is the base undercoat.

You first undercoat black, and then spray Humbrol multi-effect over the top in thin layers. I used amethyst.

It's a bit dificult to see on static pictures, but the colour changes with the angle of the sunlight, like with modern car paint.

Probably will need another coat or two but getting there.

The colour shimmer.

Warbirds Over Kent

It is the Headcorn Air Show this weekend and the highlight is a flypast from the Battle of Britain flight on their way to the show at Eastbourne. I took this with a handheld Nikon using a 200 telephoto.

Red Fighter

Mitchell Medium Bomber

Catalina Seaplane

Army Observation Plane

Trainer

Chocs away, Biggles.

Another chance to see.

And on the way home, the Red Arrows overflew the car on their way back from Eastbourne. Great finish to a great day out.

Review - Bolt Action ValentineTank

The Warlord Games Valentine is a great kit. The bulk of it is in four resin components: hull, left track, right track and turret, with additional metal bits and pieces. You get a commander as well. I chose a closed hatch as I intend to use it for both my British and Soviet armies.

The detailing is really crisp and there is little in the way of flash. I had very little cleaning up to do before assembly. Then it was simply a case of washing, spraying olive green, washing with MIG 'black oil' and drybrushing.

The Valentine was the most successful British Tank of World War II, which is all the more surprising when one considers that it was really intended to be just a stop gap. After Dunkirk new tanks were needed quickly and Vickers had a private design 'in hand' based on the mechanics of the A9 and A10 Cruiser tanks.

By WWII standards, the 16 ton Valentine was only a light tank. Marks I to VII were equipped with the 2 pdr anti-tank gun and had a three man turret crew (plus driver). Mks VIII to X shoehorned in a 6 pdr by reducing the turret crew to two and the XI had a 75mm general purpose gun.

The Valentine fought with the British Army in North Africa and was incredibly reliable - some managed 3,000 miles. By 1944 it was considered obsolete by the British and was replaced by the Churchill.

Around 8,000 Valentines were manufactured in Britain and Canada. Around half went to the Soviet Union who requested the production lines be kept open long after it had been phased out from the British Army.

The Red Army valued its reliability, small size, quite transmission, low silhouette and decent anti-tank gun. They seem to have used it as a specialised tank stalker. At close range (and the Valentine could get in close) the 6 pdr could take out any German tank with a side shot.

Soviet tankers used the Valentine from the Battle of Moscow to the final victory in 1945.

Highly Recommended