Mission creep, Blood Red Skies

 One of my favorite parts of blogging is the camaraderie shown to one another in the comments. I often read that there are a variety of projects being pursued locally at any given point.  One  type of log I don't show is a painted to date or lead remaining schema. 

Often because I am not keeping track. My painted items are primarily the 28mm Napoleonic armies, with WW2 a close second as a time sink.  But the side projects are cumulative in effort and expenditure.  Take for instance the foray into Blood Red Skies  this past 12 months. 

 

 

This is Airforce General, , the repository of the US, Russian, and Italian forces.  The photo boxes are a size able to store a six plane fighter squadron or a three light bomber unit each. There is also a lonely unit of Zeros,  from the Midway box. 

The heavy bombers of the USAAF  are stored separately as they need more room than the fighters.   Two of the smaller containers have play aids but the other fourteen have 1/200th scale fighters. 

I intend to fill in the two boxes with more aircraft.  Eventually. 

It did all start innocently enough,  a singles set of one unit allied, one axis. Greg H, local long time opponent, soon amassed a collection of IJN assets .  Roger an has an increasing number of Luftwaffe units, and Barry comes down with both Battle of Britain RAF and Luftwaffe. 

And there's the basis for the mission creep. The Cactus Airforce to oppose the IJN, enough units to put on heat in the African Campaign,  some heavy bombers to bring the European and Pacific missions to life.  So my P38's were joined by P40's and P47's,  B26 and B17's were added to the B24's.  Devastators  and Avengers joined Wildcats and Hellcats. 

Even the mighty P39 has swelled the ranks. As a P400's squadron. 

A small excursion in the Eastern Front had squadrons of Yak1,  Mig3, PE2'S added. SB2 units may be added. 

And to oppose the Desert Airforce units, recent arrivals of the Regia Aeronautica include SM79 and MA202 squadrons. 

Your journey does not include any RAF or Luftwaffe planes. Well maybe I need another case of photo boxes.  After all, I have met some other players at the local game store who are playing.  Mosquitoes anyone?

Have  any of you succumbed to an 'ooh, shiny' moment lately?