Weird WWI - 1919 : Part 4

As I explained in a previous post, I'm keen to expand on the air forces of the Great Powers, with items both from Irregular and Brigade, alongside some scratch-built ones. Given that we are now in 1919, we must move away from 'steam age' technology and look for something with a much more modern appearance. What could be more emblematic, therefore, of the modern 'Threat from the Air', than the Zeppelin?

Although Brigade Models offer some very large dirigibles, as they are metal, the price is a bit high for an old cheapskate like myself. Enter, then, the Revell Minikit of the Hindenburgh.

This is a relatively simple snap together affair which comes in a grey plastic, with decals more appropriate to 30s Germany, but a quick paintjob makes her look more the part, and when popped on a flight stand, scales pretty well with 2mm minis.

Talking of things lighter than air, next up a photo of Brigade's Turkish War Balloon, a must have for the Weird War. From a distance, it appears like a simple observation balloon, only to open fire when Biggles and his chums make their approach; handy as well for spotting and dealing with Martian War Machines from above!

Finally we have a first attempt at a form of home-made observation/barrage balloon. Your typical WWI gasbag, is of course, like a rather flaccid sausage, something which might be tricky to model in 1/900th. I'd had the idea of using papier mache or similar, but the outcome looked more like it had the flight characteristics of a turd rather than a bird, so I had a scrabble in the bits box.

Having used the top of one for the bridge of the German Land Dreadnought, I opted for a plastic pipette of eyewash, as these have a rather bomb-like shape, narrowing down to the neck. Below we see the process of construction: the cap is removed, and the end clipped to shape. The flat label tag happens to be hollow, so a piece of this can be cut and attached as a stabiliser on the narrow end, and we are left with a passable balloon shape.

The addition of some twisted fine-gauge wire as tethering cables, and a bit of scrap for the observer's basket, and we have the Mark I version as below; this should do the job until some kindly manufacturer comes up with an alternative:

Now an urgent report from the Russian front. German Intelligence received the following photograph from an agent at Tunguska - could this be evidence of a new Tsarist super weapon - or are the rumours of an invasion from Venus true?

Only time will tell......