Mini Messerschmitts

For Bag the Hun 2, I recently placed an order with Pico Armor here in the states of some late war WWII 1/600 aircraft. I picked up some Bf 109Gs, 110Cs (which pass for G models at that scale), some P-47s, and P-38s. On top of that, I grabbed a slew of B-17Gs and a couple of C-47 and Junker 52s. 

All of the models were fantastic, and ordering from Pico Armor was as seamless and pleasant as you could ever hope for. The order came in quickly and clearly packaged, marking which models were which. 

I opted to paint the Messerschmitts (109s and 110s) with a camo scheme that could be representative of the whole of the war, thinking of playing other theaters in the future. I hand painted the balkenkreuz on the wings and fuselage, which turned out better than expected. Up close they certainly show their imperfections, but from a natural distance, they do the trick. I gave all the aircraft (both 109s and 110s) individual aircraft markings based on their staffel (Luftwaffe squadron), which are really difficult to read, but they serve their purpose. Overall I’m really pleased with how they came out.

Bf 109G of 9 Staffel III./JG11

Bf 110C (or G quite easily at this scale)

I painted the P-47s with invasion stripes, despite the limited time in which they were used. Through some research I learned they were applied hours prior to their missions the early morning of the Normandy landings, and remained in effect for about a month or two afterwards, and then transitioned to only the underside of the plane. Even after that, units and planes could still be found with them applied. Plus I think they look iconic. The P-47 itself was quite the workhorse, capable of being equipped with 1000 lb bombs and rockets for ground attack missions, or being underslung with drop tanks for bomber escort sorties. 

P-47 with Normandy Invasion Stripes

Lastly, thus far, I’ve painted the P-38s. Again I went for a camouflage scheme that would be mostly applicable for the entirety of their WWII service. There are some incredible stories surrounding the P-38, and I liked the idea of having a cannon equipped multi engine fighter for our BtH games. Again, each model is denoted with their two letter squadron identifier, as well as an individual plane radio identifier (A-L for 12 aircraft).

 

P-38G “The sweetest-flying plane in the sky”

I still have to finish up the various transport planes, plus the multitude of Fortresses, but it’s an enjoyable process. Sitting down with some paintbrushes, a coffee, and a podcast (such as the Too Fat Lardies Oddcast) is relaxing. I’ll hopefully get a small post up soon when those larger aircraft are finished, and hopefully I’ll get a after action report (AAR) with plenty of pictures of some aerial combat up soon!

Caleb