Floating Battery arrives!

 

My partner in VSF adventures popped in yesterday to show me the postie delivered...

A beautiful model by Oshiro and crisply cast too. A lovely addition and I'm super envious!

https://www.oshiromodels.co.uk/product-page/vsfv04-turret-carriage

VSF One Man Dirigible

This screw powered one man dirigible is a VSF delight to battle foes in the Back of Beyond, over the Red Planet or as some sort of diesel punk version of the Gyro Captain from Mad Max 2! I found this kit in the depths of the Man Cave where had lurked since purchase. The Flight bonus round gave me the impetus to give it the attention it so richly deserves.

The model is a resin and metal casting from Tobsen Miniatures in Germany, who do some fantastically crazy and wacky stuff: https://shop.tobsen77.com/en/  (https://www.facebook.com/Tobsen77.de/) He also sells the characterful pilot figure and the customer service is excellent (including overseas postage & handling). Maxim gun and the backpack/ammo pouches are from my spares box.

The countersunk magnet in the base made for a very neat connection

I spent an overly long time trying to be clever by magnetising the base for easier storage, to reduce damage and so I can use the flying base for a multitude of other models.  I had mixed results but at least it is serviceable and (mostly) stable.  Probably a good height for lighter plastic models but I'll make some shorter tubing for metal contraptions like this one.

So lots of fun and this model is highly recommended!

Inspiration from the Imperial Science Museum

During our return journey from the New World, my family enjoyed a few days seeing the sights of London.  A bit of a world wind visit but we hit the main sights and enjoyed them once again (the kids were tiny last time and didn't remember them).  Couldn't help but take a few inspiring snaps at the Imperial Science Museum which I thought I needed to share.

First up, the famous Babbage Difference Engine, Mk1

And the larger Mk II, made in 1991 from Charles Babbage's designs

Detail of the computational mechanisms and brass pinwheels

 The Museum also had some wonderful models of period Flying machines - lots of dirigibles and early powered machines, not so many aeronefs!

La France 1884 (above) and Gifford Airship 1852 (below)

WW1 era designs 

Stringfellow's Flying Machine, 1848 - unconfirmed reports claim this as the first powered flight

Bleriot Criss Channel design, 1909 (1:10 scale)

Classic Rumpler Taube monoplane, originally designed in 1904

 Then there was the fantastic bit of engineering - one of the first steam locomotives - just look at those rivets and all the cross bracing - great stuff!  Note that the boiler is encased in a cask styled wooden sheath.

 A very worthwhile few hours meandering through the collection - highly recommended!

Doctor Drake's Patented Aerial Steam Carriage

Whilst perusing my Portable Babbage Machine to see who the Old Etonians have signed before the latest association football transfer window closes an electronic missive popped into my incoming box from those clever chappies at Fat Dragon Games that will be of interest to the cleverer bods amongst you who play that H G Wells wallah's Little Wars game.

Seems the Dragon chaps have produced a paper model of Doctor Drake's Patented Aerial Steam Carriage which would have been jolly useful on campaign in the mountains of Dodjibottistan I can tell you (the Aerial Steam Carriage not the paper model, well thinking about it and those blooming curries maybe the paper model as well, harrumph!).

Swift wallahs who get a move on can get a 20% discount at RPG Now and you can print as many as you want. What ho!