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Thread: Targets

  1. #1

    Default Targets

    I just sent off an order to get caught up in my coverage of the 1:200 Skytrex Ltd. “Action 200” models of AFV’s and support vehicles (trucks, trailers, etc.) Skytrex actually did once produce 1/200 scale aircraft and 1 1/144 WWI aircraft series called “Red Eagle” which is now offered by Red Eagle Miniatures in the UK. Thus perhaps I can escape going down in flames for writing about earthbound conveyances. Readers who find the discussion truly abhorrent can always think of the models as TARGETS.

    Even the most hardened dogfighter enjoys the distraction of an occasional strafing pass or bombing run. The more modelling oriented may also find AFV’s, cars and trucks, or even human figures or trains useful to pose with their aircraft. Gamers regularly use AFV’s, etc. in table top games. Anyone who has attended by HMGS shows like Historicon and Cold Wars remembers huge engagements using GHQ and CnC miniatures. ( I suspect GHQ loses more AFV models to rugs, spills, and magpies in a show weekend than the combined annual production of 1/200 aircraft. We are actually the Small Fry.) Armed forces use lots of them in CP and sand table exercises. And the collectors love the choice of models available. A large collection can easily include over a thousand different models. Let’s take a quick look.

    Before proceeding I want to recognize the expression originated by John Hammond at Skytrex to describe his Action 200 range. The early Skytrex pamphlets call them “Skirmish Scale”, and that term has stuck in armed force usage. The One True Scale of 1/200 turns out to vividly reproduce what a typical combatant sees in aimed fire situations – where you are shooting at and receiving fire at distinct individual targets. Putting that another way, if you hold a 1/200 model in your hand at arms length, it looks like a real one at the engagement distance of 200 yards. Try it. Then try simulating a sight picture at arms length, or with something like grand kids tugging at your sleeve to simulate the fog and stress of combat. Then prepare for real action by having a friend move the model around while you are trying to lock onto the target. There……….now you are getting an appreciation of why 1/200 scale actually simulates skirmish action. And hopefully a lot of respect for the folks likes snipers who regularly engage at 800 yards and beyond. There is a whole lot of Truth in The One True Scale.

    The granddaddy range was probably Wiking Modellbau, who by the late 1930’s were selling a “Wiking Wehrmacht” series of 1/200 AFV’s and military subjects, a parallel “Verkehrs-Modell” series of civilian cars, trucks, and figures, and some offbeat subjects like a set of 1930’s racing cars that came in a board game. Eberhard Breyel and Ulrich Haewecker published a definitive monograph on the Wiking models, and great photo coverage can be found in Peter Schonfeldt’s books on Wiking and in the Sammlung Rautenberg estate auction catalog.

    The Wikings would probably be just historical curiousities except that they have been reincarnated in several forms. Mercator produced a set of about 40 of the military models that were sold through Wiedling Modellvertrieb
    HTML Code:
    <www.wiedling.de>
    until quite recently. Skytrex may now have that tooling and rights. A small number of additional models representing a planned AFV were made from refurbished Wiking tooling by Dr. Grope Modellbau. I believe those also appeared in the Wiedling lists. Finally hobbyists have copied original Wiking models and offered those to hobbyists. The Wikings appear very frequently on eBay.de. Just find out whether you are bidding on originals or copies.

    Mercator themselves also made a 1/200 range that must exceed 200 AFV types. Mercator were already one of the core producers of 1/1250 waterline collector ship models, and they applied that skill to producing AFV’s. The quality is excellent. The range dates back to the late 1970’s or early 1980’s. It was sold mainly through the Wiedling catalogs. Perhaps the best item in the Mercator list is a frame of 1/200 injection molded soldier figures. Until the very recent introduction of figures by Herpa, preiser, and Merton , the Mercator were by far the best figures available in 1/200. Other notes make Mercator very interesting for current gamers and collectors. First, the tooling and rights were acquired by Skytrex along with the valuable rights to the Mercator ship range. That means the models could very well be reintroduced, or perhaps used to replace less precise competing subjects in the Skytrex range. Second, and not widely known, Mercator also made a limited range of 1/200 scale model aircraft kits. About 5 WWI fighters and 3-4 helicopters, plus there are rumors of a few WWII fighters. Those could be produced on a low volume injection molding machine for almost nothing. Until the range is reissued, your best source is the online auctions like <www.eBay.de>.

    (A bit of an interjection here…………I am shocked that no one has been quietly making 1/200 or 1/144 masters by simply scaling down larger kits or completed models. Using 3D pantographing, reducing an unassembled kit would be very easy. That is how molds were made for generations. With modern laser scanners and additive manufacturing techniques, it would be even easier, and one could output both prototype models and the tooling to make more. Further, the skill requirements would be much lower than actually designing in 3D.)

    Back to the original topic…..

    The next range of significance was introduced by Skytrex Ltd. in the early 1980’s. The Skytrex Action 200 range includes very comprehensive coverage of both WWII and the Modern, with several hundred choices of tanks, other armored vehicles, trucks, cars, trailers, artillery, and soldier figures. The design of the vehicles and guns is not as sharp or detailed as the Mercator or more recent ranges like Hai and Trident. Most models are still readily identifiable, cleanly casted, and look good when painted. Skytrex has had a lot of military orders, so the AFV’s are very acceptable. I will deal with the figures in another review, but in general the figures are quite overscale. So are most other nominally 1/200 figures. Releasing the Mercator sourced figures will give the line a big boost. I will attach a copy of their general checklist. You can also access the entire Skytrex catalog, which includes many color photos, at
    HTML Code:
    www.skytrex.com
    . I just ordered two large batches of their models this month (10/2014), and I am very happy to report that both orders were filled quickly and completely.

    The next major range to appear was the Hai/Krtina range made by Dr. Peter Krtina in Austria. Like Mercator, Hai is best known for a large and highly respected range of 1/1250 waterline ships. The Hai vehicles also number in the hundreds of types, and cover unusual subjects like WWII Japanese armor, modern Swedish AFV’s, and a large number of items like construction equipment that could be either military or civilian. The range continues today, so your best bet is to contact Dr.Krtina at
    HTML Code:
    haipkrt@aon.at
    .

    The final large range of 1/200 AFV’s was offered by yet another 1/1250 ship maker, Trident, in Austria. Trident is still active, but the 1/200 range was discontinued in favor of 1/87 models. The Trident selections numbered somewhat less than a hundred very well made modern AFV’s. From information I have seen, the firm had access to a gigantic collection of scratchbuilt 1/200 AFV’s, so there are possibilities that the range could be reintroduced and enlarged. For now the online auctions are the best source.

    The 3D-printing production services like Shapeways
    HTML Code:
    www.shapeways.com
    are also a useful current source. Some of the items are very unusual. I recently found a series of 1/200 WWI French tanks. Another is making a series of Soviet space launch vehicles including the immense N-1 Luna. The indexing on Shapeways makes it extremely cumbersome to search. If you search for something like “1/200 scale”, that seems to tap every offering with a “200”, or seemingly just “00” mentioned anywhere. I also recommend searching under “Z-scale” and “Z-gauge”, as there are designers who specialize in items for Z-gauge (1/220) model railroads.

    Two related sources are the folks making scenic accessories for Z-scale model railroads and the suppliers of architectural model supplies. In each case you will find all sorts of listings. For example, when you get closer to going off the deep end, you should check out the web sites offering large selections of kits for building an entire 1/220 circus. Great for the imagination.

    I’ll just touch on a few smaller selections.

    Dennis Knight, the founder of Helmet Aircraft, was first and foremost an artist. Dennis delighted in ensuring that his personal creative stamp was on every model he sold. His pre-WWII propeller airliners, for example, could be purchased with a set of painted passengers waiting to board. His WWI and open WWII aircraft could be fitted with a selection of pilot and air gunner figures with optional MG’s and (I’m not kidding!) blowing scarves. Wonderful stuff! For current availability contact the new major domo, Paul Howard, at
    HTML Code:
    http://www.helmet-aircraft-200.co.uk
    .

    In our own HBM 1/200 range we produced a few that would qualify here. Certainly the “Karl” self-propelled mortar and its Panzer IV ammo carrier. complete V-1 and V-2 launch sites, and the unique FAV (Fast Attack Vehicle). The FAV was an interesting item, because it could cross in front of an adversary faster than a hostile turret could traverse. We have a couple of each left here. You can email me at
    HTML Code:
    <ron200hbm@gmavt.net>
    .

    Another unusual range came from an English outfit called Wild Geese Miniatures (the "Wild Geese" refers to mercenaries - not birds or juvenile assaults). They offered a series of WWII Japanese tanks, along with some really wild Home Guard vehicles cobbled up on car and truck chassis in the dark days before the Battle of Britain. Wild Geese seems to be defunct.

    Two additional ship model producers, Hansa-Schowanek and Schlingelhof, must have been considering entering the fray, as each made just a few modern tanks. My suspicion is that a contract from the Bunderwehr or Bundesmarine was at least floated in the 1980’s.

    The 1/200 diecast producers like Herpa and Hogan are periodically slipping scenic items into their 1/200 aircraft ranges. Often those are airport accessories like tow vehicles and luggage movers. Recently, however, Herpa has brought out some excellent ground crew figures and ordnance carts. Hogan made some super fuel tankers.

    In passing I should touch a bit more upon figures. It is extremely difficult to produce detailed human figures that are actually in 1/200 scale. It is a vision problem. A big, upright 6-footer human would only be 9mm in height, with most of the population substantially shorter. It is a materials problem. Neither plastics nor metals flow very well in such tiny confines, and when they do fill a mold cavity the thin bits like necks and arms often break or distort when the castings are extracted. It is a tool problem. Very few people have the machinery or skilled craftsmen to carve or sculpt in this scale. In the final analysis it is a human factors problem. Even when we do obtain a good scale figure, most of us can only pick it up, detail it (eg, add weapons, packs, etc.) paint it, place it where we want it when it is on some kind of sprue. (Small wonder that figures are rarely used in 1/200 or smaller scale CP exercises, and miniature ground gamers glue whole units to movable bases. A friend who paints medals and eyelashes on his toy soldiers explained it more aptly – playing with 1/200 or smaller figures would be about the same as separately maneuvering the landing gear for our aircraft.)

    We see the results of these challenges when we go shopping for figures. The miniature gaming web sites actually offer lots of articles on the subject. Very few figure designers succeed in maintaining their stated scale. In most cases they drift substantially larger in both height and bulk. Oddly, the problem seems just as marked in large (eg, nominally 10mm, 15 mm, and 20mm/1/72) scales, and it can be marked enough that figures from different ranges cannot easily be mixed within a diorama. The impact is even more marked when oversized figures are plunked down in or next to accurately scaled planes or vehicles.

    We maneuver model planes. We support or attack other planes or targets like vehicles, fortifications, buildings, or vehicles. If we add humans (or animals – horses would be the leading candidates because gamers make too many off-color remarks if we include beasts like camels or sheep! to a scene), we want the figures to blend in and enhance, and not demand individual attention. We can achieve that by finding figures that look in or even a bit smaller than scale, by adding subtle detail cues, and by painting in palettes (eg, OD, Khacki, Field Gray) that make the figures part of the action. It sounds oversimplified, but the humans in an action scene become almost generic. For us, “KISS” probably means “Keep It Scale and Simple.”.

    We are lucky in The One True Scale to have good, inexpensive choices for truly scale figures. Using the “looks right” criterion, it would be hard to beat the Mercator 1/200 soldier frets. They are well scaled, well posed, and generic enough to look good in any national colors. In quantity, they should be incredibly inexpensive. Send your votes to Skytrex! The Herpa 1/200 aerodrome and service workers are likewise very good choices, but rather expensive. For equal quality at competitive pricing I suggest the 1/200 and 1/220 bulk boxes of unpainted figures made by Preiser for model railroaders. Or the bulk figures and scenics made for use in architectural models. My own strategy is to more or less “go with the flow” and use good figures that are overscale in their intended uses. After a lot of experimentation, and with the sage advice of Vince Corcoran and Gregg Scott, I settled on the mini-scale ranges that are in by far the greatest use today. Those turn out to be the nominally 1/285 miniatures by GHQ and CNC. Start looking here
    HTML Code:
    http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/military-models-world-war-ii-micro-armour.html
    and here
    HTML Code:
    http://www.pfc-cinc.com/page/page/295095.htm
    . They are well sculpted (under microscopes!), well posed, realistic in size and proportions, and absurdly inexpensive. In addition whatever alloy they are using is soft enough that I can easily do organ transplants if I need just a head and shoulders for a cockpit. Or do radical chopping and tweaking to fit a gunner in a Bofors mount or pose as riggers around a parked plane.

    Enough for now. There are lots more TARGETS to consider, like trains, armored trains, buildings, fortifications, boats, and ships. Not to mention hangers and accessories to make our own airfields look spiffy. Let’s hold that for another time.

    Ron

  2. #2

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    This came out kind of messy. Would someone please tell me how I can use links without having them boxed and separated from the text?Thanks.

    Ron

  3. #3

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    That is not a problem. One can always copy and paste the links
    Thanks for the data.
    <img src=http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=2554&dateline=1409073309 border=0 alt= />
    "We do not stop playing when we get old, but we get old when we stop playing."

  4. #4

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    cut and paste straight into the text or highlight a word or phrase, click on the link button (right of the smiley face) and paste the link in there, users just have to click on the word then

    "He is wise who watches"

  5. #5

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    Not only a very explicit and useful guide to what is on offer, but for me a trip down memory lane Ron.
    Thanks.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  6. #6

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    I see that I forgot to attach the Skytrex Action 200 listing. Here it is. You can check the prices on their web site.

    Ron
    Attached Files

  7. #7

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    Thanks Ron.
    A I only live about 14 miles from the factory, I will be giving them a visit again shortly. Certainly before Christmas.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  8. #8

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    Rob,

    Whilst there, please, please, please remonstrate with them to bring out the Mercator 1/200 AFV's, figures, and in particular their 1/200 injection-moulded aircraft kits. The WWI fighters are gorgeous. I am told incredibly similar to the 1/72 Airfix versions of the 1970's. And as your holiday shopping proceeds, please see if you can track down either the 1/200 Wild Geese producer or the chaps who made the 1/200 SDD models (both in the UK).

    On the subject of SDD, there have been at least two British model ranges called SDD. One must have been a kitchen table hobby operation, but they made some interesting and unusual white metal models in 1/200. They are the firm I am curious about. The other SDD, who are justifiably well known, is the present day training aid makers Security Design and Development, who make wonderful training aids for professional skills like spotting IED's and suitcase bombs. During the 20th Century portion of the Cold War they also made training models of armoured vehicles in what I think was 1:100 scale. The models were absolutely superb but extremely expensive for the day. I could tell you a story about coming back from their offices with samples via a Heathrow flight to Montreal. The scanner at the curbside luggage drop lit up like a pinball machine, as did the operator. I had forgotten about the samples of Other Things wrapped carefully in bubble wrap along with the tanks. The several beefy chaps who suddenly appeared around me expressed a great deal of interest until they realized who I was and read the invoice. They suggested that I show the invoice in advance next time, with some colourful references to not spending an all-expenses-paid holiday in one of HRM's most secure but least comfortable correctional facilities.

    Ron



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