The Little World

Or of the Gloster Aircraft Company. The Gladiator is complete and ready to join the Swu Ping Provincial Air Army.

The delightful thing about the SPPAA is that they have a variety of paints with which to decorate their aircraft. Oh, they do follow the guidelines provided by Nanking, but Nanking is a long way away, and the last regulation pot of paint arrived a year ago and was used to paint a barn.

Thus you may see a grey or blue underside, and the shade of green on the upper goes from blue-ish to yellow-ish depending upon whose uncle is supplying the paint. Likewise there is a degree of latitude granted in the lettering and numbering. Higher numbers suggest a greater air force than may actually exist…

The Airfix kit has been all that was desired and may be confidently rebuilt for other air forces as the necessity arises. The ski kit has been carefully laid aside for a more northern venture.

I was particularly pleased with the inclusion of a starter handle on the port side. I hope someone in the model soldier trade will make a ground crew figure cranking it. Unfortunately Lt. Xu did not fit into the cockpit after the fuselage was closed ( he would have if the side hatch was down ) so the plane is parked without him.