WWI Air Wargaming
in Miniature
Part II

Modeling and Painting the Miniatures

United States: colors and markings

by Bill Rutherford

Colors

The USA entered the war without any combat aircraft of its own. The US Air Service grew its own pilots but equipped itself with Nieuport 28s, SPAD XIIIs, Salmsons, Breguet 14s, and (British!) DH4s. These all generally remained in whatever camouflage they were received in.

Markings

US national markings were the ubiquitous roundel (illustration A, again), with white centers, surrounded by a blue inner ring and red outer ring, worn in the standard six positions, with tricolor vertical rudder stripes of white-blue-red, running front-to-back. Serial numbers were in the style of the supplying (French or British) nation. Unit and personal markings appeared on fuselage sides, with unit identification also appearing on the top of the upper wing. These were colorful, but more restrained than either the French or German styles.

Note

The famous Lafayette Escadrille, composed of volunteer American pilots, was officially the French escadrille N124 (Squadron 124, Nieuport-equipped), and flew aluminum-doped Nieuport scouts. Some pilots field-camouflaged their aircraft, but the colors used aren't (to me, anyway!) known.

Finally: The preceding can only be considered an introduction and overview. One last time, I must urge you to study photographs if you want to do more than apply basic markings to your aircraft - there's simply too much variation to do otherwise. Camouflage and markings are what make WW I air gaming so pretty - don't short-change yourself by painting bland, undetailed, miniatures!

Conclusion

When I started this survey, I had a feeling - unjustified, in hindsight - that the pickings for good WW I air games would be pretty slim. I couldn't have been more wrong. The gamer has a number of choices, spread across a number of complexity levels, of rules to play. To suck a new player into this rewarding game area, pull out Fly or Die or Blue Max. To draw in the board gamer, try Fokker Fodder. For meatier games, one can try Red Baron, Confirmed Kill, Aces High, or Canvas Falcons. For a complete overdose, there's Wings - with all the stops pulled out - or, more gently, Hostile Aircraft. This is truly the best of times for WW I air gamers, with miniatures aplenty in several scales and a rule set for every taste!

This article hasn't attempted to address everything involved in the WW I air war. What it's tried to do - and I hope succeeded in doing - is provide the reader with a one-stop jumping off point to explore the, to me, vastly entertaining arena of of WW I air gaming. Where do you go from here? Try out one or more of the rule sets I discussed. Playing at a convention is an especially good way to learn these rules - I've seen public demonstrations of Canvas Falcons, Hostile Aircraft, Red Baron, Wings, and Blue Max games at the various cons. Pick up and paint a couple of aircraft miniatures. Read a couple of the books in the bibliography to get yourself 'in the mood,' and go hunting Fokkers.

ED NOTE: Be sure to look at the review and letters section of this issue as there are several last minute rule and model arrivals reviewed there.

More WWI Air Wargaming

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