Update on battlefront Hueys, trials and solutions...

As y'all may remember, I received a three-pack of Battlefront Huey "slick" helicopters, which I still consider absolutely the best available.  I've been working off and on getting the slick ready for the table, and ready to present to you fine people.  Alas, it has been put on the back burner as I rush to finish my MainForce VC platoons.  Since the VC did little with Hueys other than shoot at them, the impetus has lessened a bit.  Add to this, my four year old son is infatuated with my helicopters and in his enthusiasm snapped-off the tail rotor blades.  It's fixable, but just another in a series of delays.  AND, I've just found a possible solution to the problem of the upper, green "sun-roof" windows above the pilots.  More on that later.

Stay tuned.... I hear that "snap-snap-snap" of Huey blades at low power as they power-down to make a landing at "LZ Tigertanker".

-out

VietCong sniper marker...

I've been working on these puppies off and on since they arrived in the mail... and every time I handle them (especially the snipers, seen here), I can't wait to use them!  Here we have two VietCong insurgents "popping up" out of a well camoflagued "spider hole" and engaging presumably "enemies of the Revolution".

Pretty simple and "straight-up" painting techniques.  I like the good base/highlight contrast on the palm leaves, I may decide to add highlight colors to the uniforms. 

Flashpoint Miniatures USMC Fireteam 1968...

Sorry for the delay folks, again, real life has this nasty propensity to intrude on our beloved hobby. Before I showcased a US Marine trooper in Vietnam, circa 1968 or so, as a test base for both Negro skin tones and Vietnam-era uniform painting in general. Here are the aggregate results...


I painted these up for my friend Ken, also as a cheap test bed for what I wanted to accomplish when I buy my 1st Cavalry Division company. For the uniform base I used Tamiya "Olive Green", with a "US Medium Tac Green" by PollyScale. I found this a darker contrast against the helmet cover, and the equipment pouches (canteens, ammo, etc).

For the pouches and such I used "US Olive Drab" highlighted by Panzer Olive Green, both by PollyScale. For the weapons, although I am less satified by the sculpt of the gun stocks, the front sight-posts look good, as does everything else that suggests that these men are carrying an M-16... except for the guy with the M-14. Stocks were straight-up "Chaos Black", the gunmetal was "US Sea Gray", highlighted by "British Sea Grey" (PollyS).

I kept the "Graveyard Earth" (GW) flak jackets highlighted by "US Olive Drab" (PollyS). I still haven't gathered the courage to highlight Negro flesh... I'd just hate to ruin the figure with a bad color choice.

All in all I think the Flashpoint figures are superior in most respects, and are the best 15mm Vietnam range you will find at this time. Some work could be done to improve gunstocks, but they are far better, IMHO, than what Battlefront has to offer in this range.