"Aircraft in 15mm Sci Fi" Topic

Some simple questions:

Are you using aircraft in your 15mm sci fi games?

If so, what size engagements (and ruleset) are you playing on what size table?

What combat roles have you chosen for aircraft/spacecraft/jump-troopers?

What models/vehicles/figures/add-ons are you using?

My own answers:

Yes.

Squad/platoon skirmish (FoF/TW) – 3' X 3'.

Probably whatever the rules allow: close air support, troop transport (including mechas, drop tanks, drop pods), objectives, really bad "cover", downed pilot scenario etc.

Various VTOL or lander dropships/gunships/skycranes, jump-packs with flight stands and some cheap/easy modern-ish (future vintage) plastic kits. Combat Wombat, ClearHorizon, Rebel Minis, possibly Khurasan, ArmiesArmy, javelin98 stuff from Shapeways, Revell Snap-Tite Easy-Kit (molded in color!), Tamiya (four bucks!) and others. Also, eventually, grav tanks and Green/Gray Martian/Alien/Android/Drone saucers, landers, robot gunships, etc.

You?

Using a Tron Legacy flyer for Firefly battles.
It's a skiff like the one Mal Reynolds shot down in the battle of Serenity Valley in the series pilot.

Use FoW rules for the game with US rifle company as the Alliance and Fallschirmjager for the Independents. Models used are Soviet with long coats for the Independents and Germans as the Alliance.

Here's what the model looks like:
link

"Here's what the model looks like"

aw i thought you were linking to a picture of *your* models. Post pics!I'm curious to how those FoW models measure up as 'retro' sci fi troopers.

I've not yet really played any games big enough for air support to make a physical appearance on the board other than as 'off board' support. Used air assets plenty in my BattleTech games though of course that isn't 15mm.

PR, I'm still in the unpainted stage and proxying my painted US (independents) and German forces (w/o purple helmets) until I get everything done.

Ah, well it would be cool to see them when they are done. I like seeing other peoples work, helps remind me to pull my finger out and get on with my own stuff.

I'm doing platoon on platoon on a 6x9 table. Some of the air power is abstract – you call in a fire mission but no model is used, just the template (think vehicles at super high altitudes like B52s but with *really* smart munitions).

For close in ground support and landing pods (aka choppers) I have a bunch of vehicles, many of which are toys with a new paint job….

Mostly I use them as terrain. Very rarely do they make an actual game appearance.

I do have quite a few in various states of paint.

But there is a few 1/100th models i have found.
link

Of course if you can find them old 3:1 Silent Death resin models look good.

Using flying drones, I use the 10mm scale Hawk Dropzone Triton model as a 15mm attack drone, feels about right. Games at reinforced platoon to small company scale.

link

Used them in Gruntz, Fubar and Quadrant 13 so far (testing rules…)

LordNth, I have a few of those Bandai kits also. I plan to modify them for use in games though I want to put them in play. Having them sitting on a tarmac is also cool.

There are some nice models in the Bandai Supersylph range like this drone fighter:
link

I have 3 nominally 1/72 scale Ghosts (snagged from a Macross Frontier RVF-25 kit), and a pile of the Bandai SuperSylph fighters in 1/144 (1/100 models are too bloody expensive!).

hlj.com/product/PLZSSY-5/Sci

hlj.com/product/PLZSSY-4/Sci

LordNth – is the white and blue Cosmo tiger from the mechanical collection 500 yen series? I've been meaning to pick a couple up, how does it scale to 15 mm troops?

The other fighters look very nice indeed – do you know the manufacturer and if they're still available?

Privateer – that's a good model for the skiff we sort-of see at Serenity Valley. Well done.

I use Stargrunt, and it's about as abstract as Extra Crispy writes. We measure from the point where the airstrike is to begin to where it's supposed to stop (about a metres length), and then everything within 3cm of the strike line takes fire.

Keith F.

Interesting to see what other people are using (when they're actually using models to represent air power).

So pop over to that other thread I started, and tell me how you're storing and displaying your aircraft, as well as how you rig it for in-game use.

TMP link

I may well use aircraft, as I will be using Quadrant 13 which contains rules for stopping and non-stopping aircraft. This can even include flying powered armour units. Now I just need to find which ones would work best… a VTOL transport seems a necessity.

The 1/100 EX-33 Tiger is 2800Y.
link
As is the EX-32 Cosmo Zero.
link
Cosmo Tiger II even more.

Even the 1/144 Yukikaze kits and collectables cost a packet! Might I suggest some of the older Macross range?
hlj.com/product/WAVMC-52/Sci

I believe 1/144 would be more practical in actual play due to the space constraints of an average game table.

Maybe, but still, peoples personal tastes keep being stuffed into everything and so many don't agree with seeing smaller scale aircraft flying over a games table with bigger scale minis all over it.

Like so many things, I'm of two minds about aircraft scale.

For on or very near the table, I like the idea of "in-scale" aircraft, be it 1/100, or if you insist, 1/120 scale (I think that might be a bit harder to find, and let's face it, 15mm figs are pretty darn close to 18mm after basing, and with scale creep). They are, however, pretty darn sizable, two or more times the size of tanks.

1/144 scale seems like it would be fine for aircraft operating "hundreds or thousands" of scale feet above the table, and pictures of such do not look bad, in fact, they look pretty good.

As far as cost and sourcing, I'm more inclined to buy aircraft/spacecraft from our little 15mm SFTTWG "community" than I would from, for instance HLJ, simply because I want to promote the many wonderful suppliers that one finds right here, rather than sending my money to a zaibatsu with an already huge fanbase. Not that I have anything against model/manga/anime combines per se, just that I want to see these little guys stay in business, so I can buy more of their unique and fantastic products.

My reasons for buying "modern" Snap-Tite and/or Tamiya planes are simple: They were inexpensive, or easy to build, or easy to acquire, or all three. Tamiya kits for four bucks? Sold! Revell Easy Kits at Michael's? I pick one up on every other shopping trip.

When it boils down to it it's all a matter of personal preference and what everyone in your group agrees upon. The real shame is that aircraft suitable for 15mm play are not exactly numerous. I like large tables to play in and I would definitely use 1/100 models of aircraft. I have several candidates on hand for modification. Gromet37 is a practical individual and the models he buys can be modified depending on your modeling skills. Take the plunge and give it a try if you haven't. Converting and kitbashing is quite fun. Just remember that the finished product is rarely finished in a day or two.

Gromet37 is a practical individual

I have it in writing! I must show the wife!

8)

If you're willing to papercraft:
link

Then again, that would allow you to shrink any larger scale aircraft down as well.

Awesome idea.

And cheap, which means I love it. 8)

I haven't made paper airplanes in a really long time.

Which means I really love it.

Thanks.

My pursuit of relatively cheap and/or relatively easy aircraft continues, as I got some more Snap-Tite stuff, some Tamiya stuff (super inexpensive sale items) and some Model Power diecast stuff (ditto, sale). Still looking at some New Ray Sky Pilot stuff in diecast, as well.

I just had to see how the diecast stuff would match up against the Snap-Tite, and the Snap-Tite against the Tamiya. I should end up with maybe a dozen-and-half planes. Can't wait to see the mechs and tanks fight it out amongst these parked planes. Several will be objectives.

Pics will follow when I finally get this scenario rolling. Or at least get the airfield ready. I think I'm going to need a bigger airfield, and a bigger storage space. :)

"LordNth – is the white and blue Cosmo tiger from the mechanical collection 500 yen series? I've been meaning to pick a couple up, how does it scale to 15 mm troops?

The other fighters look very nice indeed – do you know the manufacturer and if they're still available?"

I picked it off eBay a few years back. It's the old Star Blazers model kit from Bandai. Not the newer Mechanical Collection.

I'll have to see about a new photo session as I have gotten more models and all these shown was before I bought any 15mm figures.

To you other question.

The Bandai kits in 1/100 are very nice but they have that retro 1950's-60's look to them. I can tone that down by trimming the protrusions from the wings, tail and nose and definitely the huge external fuel tanks and such.