My first game of the convention was in the always presented
Canvas Eagles air combat battles. I play often (cough) and was given one of the stands previously by Dave McNeil. It was plain wood. Can't have THAT can we? It is the same as unpainted figures on the table. Shame. Yes I could have simply painted it plain green or such, putting an arrow on it to show the aircraft's direction of travel, and leave it at that. Boring! So paint it blue and glue on some fluffy cotton balls as clouds? Interesting but.....What type of mat is being used for the games? Green fields was the answer. OK, I think I will model it with that in mind.
So I created:
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| While very 'decorated', the stand has the mandatory directional arrow (the light gray gravel field shaped in a triangle) and a large space in the rear for the altitude chits (wall lined flat field of flocking) |
The thick lumber base, now painted green, has enough width and heft to allow for a car radio antenna to be used to mount the light weight plastic model plane.
Oh, my! A Sopwith Camel diving on my blue beauty. To everyone's surprise including my own, I would eventually shoot it down for my first kill with this plane (I have flown it for years!)
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| "Well, it looks like move 69R3." "So I fly backwards???" |
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The above photos show the various designs of stands used (mine is in the rear). All three blue colored German planes pursuing the British bomber on its run over the airfield. It was shot down in next turn. Thank goodness I had wounded the observer/bombardier previously as I needed to land on the same airfield immediately thereafter almost out of fuel! (You must understand I never usually have to worry about fuel as I am normally shot down well before the fuel tank is dry)
