GB idea: conscripted and demobbed

[zebra]

I have an idea for a GB - I've called it conscripted and demobbed for brevity, but basically it's civilian things in military markings and vice versa. Basic rules would be:

 

Conscripted: anything you would usually think of as civilian, in military colours and markings. So for aircraft it would be airliners and other aircraft you'd normally think of as civilian, in military use. I'm sure there would be examples for other genres - ships pressed into military service, figure modellers could model my Grandad in his WWII army uniform, and so on. Wouldn't take conscripted literally - it could be something you'd usually think of as civilian, built for a military purpose, as long as it's not too far off its original civilian form - an RAF A330 would count, for example - but if there's too much adaptation of the basic design it wouldn't - I don't think we should count a Nimrod as a Comet or an Orion as an Electra - but others might think differently and as long as you still see it as basically a civilian design, it should be in. The more the merrier.

 

Demobbed: the opposite of conscripted... anything you'd usually think of as military, in civilian colours and markings. For aircraft that could be ex-military aircraft used as air racers, fire bombers, civilian freighters. I think most of NASA's aircraft would count. The civilian version of the Chinook in British Airways colours. And so on.

 

Update to add some broad rules, following a bit of discussion:

 

Conscripted:

Anything generally thought of as being designed or built for civilian purposes, but in military markings. Either in its original civilian form or adapted for military use, provided the basic design is recognisably the original civilian form. 

 

Demobbed:

The opposite of conscripted - anything generally thought of as being designed or built for military purposes, but in civilian markings. Could be something originally built as military but put to civilian use, or a basically military design adapted for civilian use.

 

Names so far:

1. Zebra (am I supposed to count myself?)

2. Corsairfoxfouruncle

3. Rob G

4. Grandboof 

5. Romeo Alpha Yankee

Edited December 3, 2017 by zebra
added names

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Would a restored Warbird count ? Not necessarily a racer but just a general use warbird circa 1960 ? If so I’ll jump in with some kind of civvy warbird most likely P-51 but i can pick anything really. 

[zebra]

3 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Would a restored Warbird count ? Not necessarily a racer but just a general use warbird circa 1960 ? If so I’ll jump in with some kind of civvy warbird most likely P-51 but i can pick anything really. 

You mean a warbird in civil markings, just not a racer? Sure. If you mean warbirds more generally, it wasn't really what I had in mind, but would think about it - I'm open to others' ideas.

[Rob G]

Funnily enough, I was thinking about this very idea a couple of weeks ago. I'd thought about that Russian tank that someone stuck the jet engines on for putting out oil well fires, WW2 tanks converted into tracked tractors (there was quite an industry doing that here in Aussie after the war), DUKWs as used by various civil authorities, MTBs as private motor yachts, the list is almost endless.

 

I'd actually thought that I'd allow Nimrods (how else will those Airfix kits get built?), but not 'pure' warbirds- the Nimrod was basically a (much) converted Comet, but warbirds are at least conceptually civillian-operated military airframes; most of them retain at least the representation of their military heritage with replica guns and bombs and camo/squadron paint schemes. Racers are a different matter, as they're pure civillian, modified to go fast. A small but crucial point IMO. However it's your GB, so do as you wish; no doubt there'll need to be some individual case decisions made.

 

Either way, I'm in (for the voting at least). Where I'll be in 2019 is anyone's guess...

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Zebra i think you misunderstood i meant a P-51 used as a personal aircraft with pinstripes and civilian buzz numbers in non military markings. If you google civilian p-51’s you will see a lot of photo’s of what im talking about. Back in the 1950’s-60’s and early 70’s before people started restoring these planes in to military markings they were used as personal aircraft like cessna’s and pipers were. They usually had a jump seat where the fuselage fuel tank is. And would modify the gun bays into either fuel tanks or luggage ares for soft bags. Some were used as high speed executive aircraft before jets were common. If not a p-51 then a b-25 or a-26 used as a corporate aircraft. There were dozens of these conversions by companies like on-mark. The same on-mark that later remodified A-26’s into counter invaders. 

Something like this ⬇️or 

maybe like this ⬇️

Both photo’s are strictly for informational use. All rights belong to the original owners.

Edited October 29, 2017 by Corsairfoxfouruncle
Additional

[zebra]

@Corsairfoxfouruncle those would definitely be in! I'll start a list and add your name.

 

@Rob G those tanks converted to tractors, DUKWs, MTBs etc sound like great ideas. And I'll add your name too.

 

As for the Nimrod - I think the way I'd like this to work is to set a general principle, and let people apply it as they see it. There would be too many grey areas to set a rule. I think civil designs adapted for military use should be in - but where should the line be drawn? Instead of trying to draw lines, let participants apply the principle themselves. So if you think of the Nimrod as an adapted Comet, it's in (btw I saw the Airfix Nimrod for sale at $66 today - might have to pick one up).

 

I've been giving this a bit more thought today, thinking about how I'd see things like Dakotas and Hudsons. You could see the C-47 as a militarised DC-3 so that would fit into the 'conscripted' side of things. I could equally see a Dakota built for military use as a C-47 as 'demobbed' if it was in postwar civilian markings. You could see a Hudson as a militarised Super Electra so that would count - but it wouldn't work the other way, since the Super Electra came first. But then there were some Hudsons put into civilian service postwar (the one that's flying in Australia was one of them) and I think they should count too. So I think the way to deal with the grey areas is to apply the principle pretty broadly.

 

So I think I'll edit the first post to add some broad rules.

[Rob G]

It's a murky puddle, no mistake. I think that there'll be many individual cases to be reviewed. Have fun.

 

I'd happily build a Comet (and will one day), but really have no interest in Nimrod. Maybe a BAe146 in Queens Flight colours...?

[zebra]

16 minutes ago, Rob G said:

I think that there'll be many individual cases to be reviewed

That's why I think the rules need to be broad!

 

16 minutes ago, Rob G said:

Maybe a BAe146 in Queens Flight colours

Definitely! It's got a RAF serial and roundels, it counts.

[Grandboof]

This will be fun I'll jump in if I may Plenty of potential RAAF Viscount BAC 111 RNZAF F27 B727 B757 Indian Navy Constellations ETC 

Martin H

[zebra]

Thanks @Grandboof!

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

I'll play, this is one of my personal build themes

 

[zebra]

Thanks Ray, you're on the list