Operation ID
Scale model airplanes trace part of their ancestry back to the Scale ID models used to train WWII pilots, gunners and observers to identify aircraft. Hopefully, they would learn not to fire on friendly aircraft and shoot down enemy planes. The basic premise is to build a plane with no underwing stores or national insignia, it needs to have a propeller hub or spinner, but propeller blades are optional. It should be built in the wheels up to resemble a flying aircraft. The canopy will be painted over, so there’s no need to detail the office. So, your end product is just the basic airframe, painted black. Here’s a chance to turn that glue bomb, putty magnet disaster in a box into a finished product.
Also Rans
Many aircraft development programs result in a competition between 2 or more vendors to see who has the better solution. Sometimes the loser is almost as exciting as the winner. During WWII it wasn’t uncommon for the military to order both contestants, only to have one outperform the other in actual operations. Frequently, eager molding companies tool up the entrants, hoping to be ahead of the market. But the type fell by the wayside. Let’s look at those also rans; YF-17, F-20, YF-23, X-32, YA-9, YC-14, YC-15, XF-107, SB2U, XF8U-3, TSR, Avro Arrow. I sure I’ve missed dozens of foreign models. But the idea would be to build them as they competed, or even move to a WIFF and dress them up in operational colors. You could even include lost causes like the F2A Buffalo, SB2A Buccaneer, F3A Corsair, I’m sure everyone has a candidate here.
WIFFs
What If? Could really go two ways here, Production A/C in nontraditional garb, or prototypes in active duty markings. In the first case; things like B-58 in SEA camo, F-105 in Navy High Vis markings, P-47 in Luftwaffe markings, A6M Zero in Glossy sea blue with stars and bars. In the second case; XF5U in GSB, XF5F in early war tri color markings, TSR in desert camo, Avro Arrow in an RCAF lizard scheme, XFV-1 or XFY-1 in high vis markings. My favorite, F-111B in operational markings. I’m depending on everyone’s creativity here.
Brush Fires of the 60’s
We just finished Hot times in the 50’s, maybe move on to the 60’s with mostly small conflicts, or smaller players in larger conflicts. Soccer War (Honduras – El Salvador), I’m sure something happened in the Middle East, Vietnam (other than the US, China and USSR). Anything else? I guess you could even come up with follow ons for each decade, 70,8 0, 90, 00’s. Focus on smaller air forces.
X-planes
Pretty much anything with an X in the designation. Pure research craft like the X-1 to X60, Experiments; XFV-1, XFY-1, XF-107, XF2Y-1. First offs; XF-104, XB-70, XB-52, I’d also include the Douglas Sky Rocket. Anything else, especially from foreign shores?
Smile!
Reconnaissance aircraft, almost anything flying with a camera. Spitfire PR, SR-71, U-2, F-4 Lightning, F-6 Mustang, XF-11, F-15 Reporter. Probably plenty more that I haven’t thought of.
Lights. Camera. Action.
Airplanes from the Movies and TV. Preferably the actual craft, like Airwolf, or TC’s chopper, Sky King’s Cessna 310, Dusty Crophopper, Memphis Belle. There’s plenty more, but I’d try to limit to to actual on-screen planes, say a F4U from VMF-214 and not just any random F4U for “Black Sheep Squadron”, General Savage’s B-17 from “12 O’clock High” and not just a B-17.
Old Favorites that I’d like to try again:
Century Series
Terrible Teens
