Hi All

I had an idea for a campaign that I thought might be interesting.

We have lots of campaigns about well known and famous events but how about something that focuses on things that are much closer to us if not necessarily world famous.

The theme of the campaign would be to model a subject to which your home town has a direct connection to.

It might be something that was based in your town, passed though your town, was made in your town, a person who lived in your town or even something named after your town. HMAS Sydney anyone ?

For example where I live there were PBY Catalinas based here during WW2, also the 503 PIR staged through here , there are old coastal gun emplacements and a whole heap of other things.

The idea would be to model one of these subjects, show/prove the connection and most importantly pass on the story behind it.

Not only do we get some cool models but we learn a few of the lesser known stories of history.

I am thinking it would start in the new year and run for 6 months to June 2012.

A base ribbon would be awarded for participation, with a silver and gold level award for higher achievement.

For example if I did a figure of 503 PIR trooper I'd get the base award, If I did a Dio of the 503 PIR in my home town I'd get Silver, If I got a picture of a member of the 503 PIR next to my dio I get Gold !

Level of award to be determined by popular acclaim.

That is an ingenius idea! Everyone can get be inspired for this one!
I just finished something like that in the Aeroscale Hangar Queen campaign...

This was the Coast Guard helicopter based at Glenview NAS that protected Chicago boaters through the 1970's. My dad is a retired USCG Reservist and had even been hoisted out of Lake Michigan by this one (or one just like it, they rotated every 3 years) during a training exercise.

For an Armorama campaign, I'd come up with another idea. Of course there's the cruiser USS Chicago, andalthough I grew up in Chicago, I live in Madison now, where the 115th TFW(?) is based. Lots to think about. Others, especially active military personnel may have an easier time thinking of subjects, but there are lots!
thanks for posting!
-Sean H.

edit: It's the 115th Fighter Wing of the WI ANG, and "the 1st Battalion/147th Aviation Regiment, a Wisconsin National Guard unit from Madison, has 14 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters". I also just read that the 115th provides all of the crash fire rescue service for the Dane County Regional airport here in Madison-- that could squeeze into the Armorama category, maybe. If I have to stretch-- anything made by Oshkosh might serve too!

Seeing as how I'm probably not going to make the F-16 campaign, this would be perfect for the Hill AFB viper I was planning on building. There are several other ideas I could go with as well.

Unfortunately the Campaign system does not support multiple award types (I think it used to a long time ago).

@Gary, that is a bit disappointing it would be good to recognise those that come up something special. maybe They can just add something to a signature line ?

@Sean, that is the spirit mate in fact it was reading a little of your story in the Hanger Queen campaign that got me thinking along these lines. Models are like antiques, great on their own but even better if they have a story.

Good to see there is some interest, perhaps we can do it across all scales, media and subjects (Army, Navy and ...... we yes I guess the Air Force Pukes as well )

Any more takers for this campaign?

Hate to see it go by the wayside as I am sure we can all come up with some really interesting subjects.

I moved years ago, but my home town has plenty of potential. St Louis had McDonnell Douglas. American Car and Foundry as well as Scullin Steel, produced Sherman parts. General Dynamics, Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge also reside there.

Now if I can plan a build around Anheuser Bush......................................

G

i actually just completed a P51 with a background of this theme

Although I live in Florida, I grew up in a little city in Arkansas. The local Air National Gaurd is the Flying Razorbacks. And, what do you know, Academy produces the F-16s they flew. I think I can manage to complete one. Been looking forward to this for quite sometime and I am glad I waited.
That's too bad about the award. My father was one of the supervising air traffic controllers that monitered them. I not only can prove the link, but I could possibly get an autograph from them when I go there for Christmas. Hope that is gold medal worthy.
P.S. The airspace was designated Razorback Approach.

Scott, what a great and I think orginal idea for a campaign. I'm in Milwaukee Wisconsin and there are a lot of options around for me. Just a few blocks away there is a National Guard Unit with M-109's. Mitchell Field there is a B-25 infront of the airport and at the south end of the airport there recently used to be a C141 transport group and an air refueling group with KC -135's and they have an F-4 out side those gates. There are a few M-60's around in front of VFW Posts too. The Ontos was also made in Milwaukee. And the Summerfest Grounds ( home to the worlds largest music fest) was a former Nike Site. So lots of options here. Thanks again for the idea ! Tom

Wow looks like there is some good material out there, really looking forward to this one if we can get it off the ground.

@Jesse , if you can give us the story behind the 'tang mate, once the campaign starts, I'm sure a pre-built model would be a worthy inclusion. Maybe you can do a dio or a complimentary aircraft? Like an adversary or something?

@Matt: Interested to see the Razorbacks, it is the name of my local school's football team and we have razorbacks in the hills around home too.

Always good to see links to beer in a campaign, well done Wayne and I guess Tom could do that one too !

I wonder if Gary would let us do 3 campaigns, Bronze Silver and Gold ? We can put all of the feed back etc in one thread and all sign up to a single campaign but at award time we just sort everyone into 3 different campaigns just for the purpose of the award?

For my build I think I will do a vignette of Operation Jaywick, a canoe attack on Singapore Harbour. The fellows who did the raid were based in Cairns. Now all I need is to find a canoe.... and some Aussies...... and some water .... and the side of a ship.... hmmmmm

Don't forget it doesn't have to be something based in your town, a person who lived in your town but went on to other things can be a good subject as well. There just has to be some connection, the more round-a-bout or "Kevin Bacon" degrees of separation the better !

No. I don't even want to think about having 2-3 campaign pages for every campaign. I am already making mistakes with the large number of campaigns we have already.

Gary should get some minions.

Fair enough, I was really just thinking of having 2 extra campaigns right at the end, purely for the purpose of awards but if it causes hassles no need to make things harder.

Be good to see it if the campaign systems gets reworked at any stage tho'

I could be up for this! While I currently live in Colorado Springs, I'm originally from Davenport, Iowa and have the Iron Shipwrights Patrol Frigate to do a U.S.S. Davenport PF-69. This would be a great excuse to get going on that!

Of course, if the rules were expansive enough, Davenport was part of an area called the Quad Cities which included Rock Island, Illinois (as in Rock Island Arsenal) which would certainly open up the possibilities.

AND, if it included my home State I could do the Sherman II of the Warwickshire Yeomanry that had both Iowa and Colorado painted on it!

Guess I'm in!

Michael

Go for it Michael !

The more tenuous and circumspect the link to the subject the better I reckon.

My second cousin's elder brother's uncle's daughter married the son of Nelson's second in command at Trafalgar so I may well model the Royal Sovereign

Any more up for it? 4 more and we are another official job of work for Gary !!!!

I'm in, I'm originally from Belfast home to the Shorts Aircraft Factory and come Sunday I should have the Airfix Shorts Tucano in 1/72nd scale.

I might be up for this. Will have to see how things are in January. Anyway, the Marines that eventually took Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima first trained here on the Big Island because of the similar volcanic ash cinder cones here. Could be fun to dig into that history some and do a dio with a few figures.

Happy Modelling, -zon

Excellent Zon, I'm sure there is heaps of stuff you can do based on Hawaii, I'd reckon it doesn't have to be something ON Hawaii itself, just need to show a link that's all.

Hmm is that our 10 Gary ?

if you allow pre-built, ill go in on it with my great uncles p51. only problem is, is i completed it about a month ago.

No completed builds are allowed in campaigns unless:
a. It's a campaign about re-doing the build (new paint job, conversion to another type)
b. It's a campaign about dioramas where the build is just a part of a larger build.

Most campaigns require that the entry not be started until the campaign starts.

True enough the main idea is to start a new build, of course you could do something else that is complimentary to your G-Uncle's 'Tang.

Maybe a Dio of it on an airfield or an adversary that he might have faced.

The main thing is to have some association with the story of how you are connected to the subject.

Any more for any more? One more and we are a go !

Here is a picture that was in our local newspaper yesterday that made me think of your campaign.



Randy