New Stuff in the Bunker

I got word that my order from Unicraft is in, I go to pick it up on Monday. Unicraft makes unique resin models in 1/72nd and other scales. Most are aircraft, but they also make a submarine, and bombs.

The submarine is a Grundahi German Miniature Submarine. They are a tracked submarine that drives along the floor of the ocean. The USSR made similar vehicles, post war. By driving along the seabed you can avoid sonar detection and do heavy work. Such subs can have arms to grasp undersea phone and telegraph cables and cut enemy communications. They also can get frogmen close to shore so they can attack beach obstacles or naval installations.

Also included in my order was four different designs for WWII era German atomic bombs, and a conversion kit for an Arado 234 as an AWACs plane. German scientists were well along on atomic bomb research and so these seemed to be interesting subjects. The AWACs should make a good addition to my German airforce. The technology acts as a force multiplier making few planes operate more efficiently, allowing better interception of intruder aircraft.

Finally, I got a McCulloch MC-4 helicopter. One of the early US military aircraft from the 1950's. I remember this helicopter from some old sci fi movies of the era. I think it was in GOG, an early robot movie.

Miniature wargames can be greatly enhanced by the use of aircraft. How many times have you played an armor game and had the enemy attack with a massive parking lot of tanks? Knowing that there is no aircraft lurking overhead makes people complacent and they will cluster their armor. Just adding the potential for aircraft will cause most wargamers to disperse greatly.

Aircraft miniatures can be hung from the ceiling or placed on a pole. Take a small bit of wooden 2x4 and drill a hole in the center. Glue a foot long metal rod into the wood block, I used a length of wire coat hanger. Find the balance point in your aircraft model, and drill a small hole there. Insert the coat hanger into the hole in the aircraft and your planes can fly over the table. I figure on single engine fighter is worth about five tanks.