Aussie NYE Aeronef Championship

Held yesterday, one can read the results here:
http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?p=7009#7009

And see some pics of the great looking fleets here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7664665@N03/sets/72157622986195199/detail


Huzzah!

Karsten's Brazillian Fleet - Nice eh?

Factorium Closes

In preparation for next week's relocation to more southern provinces of the Colonies, my VSF Factorium has now officially ceased production. Today saw packing begin in earnest, including the boxing of factorium automatons and materiel.
We hope to re-commence production of vital war supplies as soon as possible.
Long live the Queen!

Merry Christmas to All!

Best Wishes for a very Merry Christmas to All!

Rivers in 2mm scale

Sick of the lack of rivers terrain available in 2mm, SteelonSand has published an article on converting some from larger sclae ditches. Its simple and very effective - well done old Chap!

Its got me to thinking its just the thing to try some medium altitude bridge-busting sorties with some Harasser Squadron 'Nefs...surrounded by Anti-Aeronef Land Ironclad batteries of course!

http://steelonsand.blogspot.com/2009/12/rivers-for-small-scale-gaming.html

SMLS Syren

Mssr Blease of Wessex fame has conconcoted a lovely replica of the Baron's hard hitting and extensively modified SMLS (Seiner Majestät LuftSchiff) Syren.

While you have to wait just a little longer to read about the Baron's adventures (worth the wait I hope!), enjoy Steve's modelling here:
http://bleaseworld.blogspot.com/2009/12/wrath-of-syren.html

Holiday Greetings From VSF And 15mm Science Fiction Gaming

From Our Lot To Yours All The Best This Christmas!

Aeronef over the Aegean!

More news from Wessex Games:

Having finished the typesetting of Aeronef Over Carpathia it has been
renamed Aeronef Over The Aegean as the battles take place there not
over Carpathia!! :-)

Hope to have it out the week commencing the 21st, Brigade are doing a
campaign pack for you to buy with all the models you need to play the
campaign.

Steve

Sweet!

Aeronef over Carpathia

From Wessex Games:

Apparently there is a rumour on TMP that Wessex Games are "intending to go out of business", not true, we've just been over taken by real life pressures that occasionally impact us.

As proof that we are still around we are going to release a nice little Christmas present for Aeronef gamers in the form of Aeronef Over Carpthia (Wrath of the Syren) - and the really good news is that it'll be free!

Written by Paul O'Grady, this is a three scenario mini-campaign centred around the actions of Hungarian noble Baron Lantoz in 1890's Eastern Europe against the might of the Ottoman Empire.

Typesetting is underway and we should have Aeronef Over Carpathia available as a free PDF download at Wargame Vault in time for some festive 'neffiness.

http://wessexbertie.blogspot.com/2009/11/aeronef-over-carpathia.html

Sounds awesome (and well written to boot!). OK, I can now confess this secret project which I have been working on over the last few months. Kudos and much thanks to Ogrefencer for his significant written input, and to Zophiel for his excellent artwork.

Festive VSF cheer

Looking for that priceless present for the one you love?

Looking to convert your opponent to the wonders of VSF?

Fed up with socks from Auntie Mabel?

Fear not - Wessex Games are providing the world with some Festive VSF PDF
cheer this December...

For the whole of December we are selling Aeronef, The Aeronef
Captain's Handbook and Land Ironclads at a whopping 25% off the normal
price!

Huzzah!! You cry, but wait there is more...

For December we are selling all three rules in one Les Guerres
Extraordinares bundle with a cataclysmic 33% discount!!!

Triple Huzzah!!!

Just click this link to bring yourself (or someone you love) some
festive cheer:

http://www.wargamevault.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=2492&affiliate_id=229495

Santa

Rememberance Day

Lest We Forget

French Military Victories

This seems quite apt after my recent dig at the Frogs!! (http://pauljamesog.blogspot.com/2009/10/complete-military-history-of-france.html)

HMS Rocket

Another YIAWWS Exclusive - by Vanvlak Industries!



HMS 'Rocket' is the lead ship of the MkII Airborne Steam Shunt (A.S.S.) class of unarmed vessel, a short range flyer used to shuffle cargo around docks. The long rail at the rear is used to attach cargo onto. The MkIIa is similar but has a redesigned aft section and is a dedicated dirigible and aeronef tug, although the MkII itself is sometimes put to the same use. The MkIIb is identical to the MkII but has an enclosed cockpit for space use.

'Rocket' is currently attached to the Mediterranean fleet, and has seen service in Malta and Graham Island.*

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinandea




It's the first model in a new collection of vehicles I intend to build (no bets on whether I'll actually get them done...). They will be a loose assortment of Victoriana, mostly vehicles with some troops, all in 15mm scale. I'm currently working on the second vehicle, a Mk I Conveyancer. The vessels will be part of a joint British (Imperial)/Venetian force. I still have no idea what they are up to in the Mediterranean, or who their enemies would be (Barbary Coast Pirates? The Russian Navy?).

Peter Pig sailor at the helm.



Bravo old Boy - we've missed your unique style and great skills around here!

Attack on Melbourne

Interesting details of a colonial harbour defense plan (minus the aerostats and aquanefs of course!)

http://www.awm.gov.au/journal/j35/kitson.asp

Old School Balkan Dirigibles

Gentlemen,

Below are a selection of the scratch built Dirigibles I made for the Balkan Air Fleets some 4 years ago - certainly the Turks pre date Brigades models. They are now residing in the collection of Steve Blease and are rumoured to be appearing in the 2nd edition of Aeronef when it is published. These wee very simple to build - consisting of spare aircraft bombs and drop tanks with various pieces of scrap plastic and sprue added to taste. The Turkish Carrier started life as the Revell Hindenburg kit with much chopping about. I really must get around to making some more of these as the basic technique I used has improved with practise and the fact that Brigade produce a load of usable bits to add to the resultant model.

The Turkish carrier Messudieh - note the wing turret type rails for launching fixed wing fliers.

A Turkish cruiser squadron on patrol, no doubt searching the Greeks or Bulgarians.

The Greek Coastal defence Dirigibles Psara, Hydra and Spetsai.

A Greek escort squadron of small destroyer sized dirigibles.

Finally the Bulgarians - the large model in the centre has some outrigger launching rails for fixed wing aircraft although sadly I never got around to adding them.

It was great fun making these and I am sure the next lot will be even better.
I hope you enjoy this piece of Aeronef history as much as I did digging them out!

Zeppelin to America

From Our Correspondent: Lakehurst, New Jersey, 15th October 1924

Zeppelin Missing!

"Hopes are fading for a successful conclusion to the fantastic exercise of a trans-Atlantic crossing from Friedrichshafen, Germany, to here in New Jersey today. In one of the most incredible adventures yet seen in the world of aviation, the German Zeppelin, LZ-126, no longer the monstrous terror-bomber of the late European War, was to have been flown by its co-creator, Dr Hugo Eckener across the stormy waters of the North Atlantic to take her place amongst the burgeoning ranks of our own glorious Air Corps.

As our readers will know, this terrible symbol of Prussian aggression was to have been offered to our government as part of War Reparations, and would have been converted to civilian use.

The Hydrogen-filled monster was last seen crossing the Irish coast in cloudy weather, escorted by fighters that appeared as mere moths against her giant bulk; (See photograph above) her expert crew confident that they would make landfall on American shores within two days.

President Calvin Coolidge's Office has denied reports that her disappearance may have some connection to the recent activity of Air Pirates in the vicinity of the Newfoundland Coast, and have stated that all efforts are being made to trace the gaseous leviathan......"

An interesting anniversary today, the fifteenth of October, which saw the successful conclusion of a transatlantic flight some three years before the exploits of Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis, which have somewhat claimed the limelight ever since. Dr Hugo Eckener, co-developer of Germany's dirigible airships, convinced the Allies post WWWI that it would be better to support the fledgling aviation industry by allowing the construction of civilian airships, rather than seeing them dismantled. Although controversial, this decision saw the transfer of LZ-126 from Germany to the U.S. Air Force to become the ZR3, later the Los Angeles.

Once her Hydrogen had been replaced by Helium, she served on as a training ship, and had the distinction of being the only U.S. Airship not to be destroyed in an accident, making over three hundred flights in an eight year period.

Excellent information on this unusual footnote in history, and other early dirigibles can be found here:

http://www.airships.net/us-navy-rigid-airships/uss-los-angeles

http://www.air-and-space.com/LZ-126%20LZ-127.htm

Plenty of stuff to inspire scenarios, I think; was the LZ-126 intercepted by Air Pirates, or did Dr Eckener have more sinister motives for taking charge of the Zeppelin on her maiden voyage?....

(Photo shows Revell Minikit Hindenburg accompanied by flight of Irregular Miniatures 2mm IKGW6, generic biplane)