The Little World

For the first time ever I am doing a group build. Not an exercise where I’m going to be a member of a group of modellers, but one where I make a group of models. Related items, if you will, and all made at the same time.

They are being made for a purpose – if I get a chance to show off my WET DOG RCAF station next year at the WASMEX exhibition, it needs to have appropriate airplanes. And surprisingly, appropriate doesn’t need to be Canadian or even British. Alberta airfields of the 1940’s played host to a wide variety of American equipment that was being routed to the USSR for Lend Lease purposes. ( Lend-Lease to the USSR sounds funny. DId they ever pay anyone anything for it? Was any of it ever given back? Military Charity would sound like a more honest title…)

Okay, that aside, I have been netresearching for images of planes on their way from the USA to the USSR via Canada and found a small number of real images. There are pictures of Edmonton airport with C-47’s, P-39’s, and Spitfires. I suspect the last named are for local defence – possibly against the Calgary Air Force. The images are in monochrome but seem to show plain paint jobs on the fighters and transports. I’d guess Olive Drab and Neutral Grey.

There will need to be a lot more netresearching to see if I can find out whether the planes that were sent north from Great Falls were in Soviet colours and markings, USAAF markings, or just a general OD/NG. Plus I need some actual photo evidence of insignia – it is all too easy to fall into the trap of Profile Publications and Paul Hamlyn colour call-outs. I can imagine shades and tints but I really want to see the evidence for myself.

The basic models are old friends – Hobby Boss P-39’s – with nothing really to differentiate them except box, instruction sheet, and decals. I don’t begrudge the makers this sort of packaging subterfuge, as I can make use of it for my own purposes. I’ll be adding subtle changes between one and the other to make them stand out. One trap I will not fall into is using the theatre inscriptions and patriotic bumf on the sides of the fuselages; at the time that I intend to depict these – and another special plane – they are unblooded fresh stock being handed over to what was probably an ungrateful VVS.

It will likely require a sign to be displayed at the exhibition to let people know what they are seeing.