AKULAs After the Bomb project 1980s imagination - pg34 - Bloodhound Missile

[Jemima Fawr]

All the Staishmobiles I saw in the late 80s were gloss black, same as the Chevettes and Minis.  Don't remember any roundels, though.  On station they'd have a removable chrome 'pennant-stick', like a G-clamp-thing attached centrally to the grille or bonnet-edge, with a rectangular Ensign Blue pennant with red-white-blue roundel.

[carlos marighela]

I know the RAF police had the old electric jam sandwich stripes on some of their Landies and I’ve seen photos of an Astra wagon in the same livery? Were they tricked out like that in the 1980s? Inquiring minds must know.

Now Akky what you really want is a RE bomb disposal vehicle with the bright red fenders for shits and giggles.

[Jemima Fawr]

I know the RAF police had the old electric jam sandwich stripes on some of their Landies and I’ve seen photos of an Astra wagon in the same livery? Were they tricked out like that in the 1980s? Inquiring minds must know.

Now Akky what you really want is a RE bomb disposal vehicle with the bright red fenders for shits and giggles.

I can't remember, sorry.  The vast majority of Landies and 4-tonners were plain green with the yellow airfield stripes - usually with 'ROYAL AIR FORCE' in blue overprint along the sides.  However, you did see the odd 'civvy green' Landy with silver trim and there were always a few green & black camo ones knocking around (tactical units usually had the majority in camo).

The most distinctive 'vehicle' I ever saw was Harry Staish's personal transport at RAF Brueggen; he had the Stn Cdr's pennant fixed to his bike.    To top it off he would invariably ride around station wearing his favourite IX (Bomber) Sqn baseball cap, which was bright yellow with a large green stuffed-toy bat stuck to the top.  Epic.   

[Jemima Fawr]

Oh no, I tell a lie!  The Snowdrops definitely had black Chevettes and Minis with orange stripes and blue light on the top.  They featured rather heavily in the old TACEVAL film 'Watchdogs'.

They seem to have got white 'jam sandwich' Astra estates sometime during the late 80s.

Yeah, I remember the EOD 'orange corner' wagons.  A mate of mine was EOD, so I'll ask if he's got any pics.  They also had CVR(T) Spartan and Scimitar at some locations (Spartan for moving around under air attack and Scimitar for 'deflagrating' UXO with 30mm Rarden), but that was probably after the RAF Regt lost the light armour role during the 90s, so probably too late for this period, though I don't know for sure.

[Jemima Fawr]

From a quick Google, here's a nice example of an RAF Police Ford Escort Estate: http://www.ukemergency.co.uk/00-af-48-this-is-a-black-raf-police-ford-escort/

[carlos marighela]

Cheers. Now I’m wondering what they had in Berlin. Forces there had a habit of buying German vehicles, which was only fair as it was mostly spent on the German taxpayers mark.

Anthony Andrews would have been green with envy having a 30mm gun to blow UXOs up with. 

[AKULA]

Too many ideas…not enough time 

A bit of support for the VDV - an air droppable RPU-14 multiple rocket launcher

I don’t think that anyone makes one right now, so I took an Eureka Type 63 Chinese MRL and added another 4 barrels to it.

[carlos marighela]

Clever! Nice conversion.

[CapnJim]

Very well done!  +1!

[tomrommel1]

nice indeed

[AKULA]

Cheers all!

A slight change of pace… I need to start adding some more civilian/refugee types, plus some more vehicles for checkpoints.

Came across this (1/43) diecast, and had to add it to my 1980s British collection…although I’m not sure that they will be selling many ice creams given the weather.



Still has its own music system, plus good all round visibility…well it would if the owner cleaned the windows.

[Grumpy Gnome]

Loving it mate! 👍

[carlos marighela]

Brilliant! I can almost hear ‘Greensleeves’ playing.

Weird, it took me some time to acquaint my children with the concept of the ice cream van and the need to grab cash and bolt when you heard the bells.

[Jemima Fawr]

Brilliant! I can almost hear ‘Greensleeves’ playing.

Weird, it took me some time to acquaint my children with the concept of the ice cream van and the need to grab cash and bolt when you heard the bells.

But 'Greensleeves' means they've run out! 







Doesn't it....? 

[Jemima Fawr]

Brilliant model, by the way! 

Our local ice cream sellers had 6x6 Land Rover vans (two rear axles), for driving on the beach at Tenby and other beaches locally.  I always thought that they might be quite useful in a post-apocalyptic setting.

Not that it stopped a mate of mine from drowning one on the beach at Tenby ('You've Been Framed' made him famous)...