Kampfgruppe144 BBS

Group Build 22: Minicraft Remembered
Minicraft was formed by Al and Mary Trendle in Torrance, California in 1968. As Revell’s Head of International Sales, Al had connections with Hasegawa and Crown in Japan and Academy in South Korea. Not unexpectedly, the bulk of Minicraft’s early catalogue comprised rebadged kits from these companies. From 1999 on, all Minicraft production moved to China. With re-pops of kits from Airfix, Heller and even Zvezda, nothing was ever produced in the US, even those kits exclusive to the company itself. With its demise in October 2022, this GB is a celebration of Minicraft kits. Original kits from Crown, Airfix and the like are welcome, though the Lancaster is best avoided!
Runs from 10 December 2022 to 12 April 2023.

Group Build 21: The Falklands War
Another GB commemorating the anniversary of a famous conflict. The war between Argentina and the UK lasted 74 days after Argentinian troops invaded the Falklands on 2 April 1982 and South Georgia on the following day. When Argentina surrendered on 14 June, it spelled the beginning of the end for the ruling junta, leading to democratic elections in October 1983. Everyone knows the drill – whilst aircraft will no doubt dominate the entries, anything related to the war is fair game. A scratchbuilt ARA General Belgrano or HMS Sheffield? More reasonably, an Argentinian LVTP-7 or a British Scorpion CVR(T)?
Runs from 8 May to 20 November 2022 (extended deadline).

Group Build 19: Flying Boats
A flying boat is any fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on and take off from a body of water. Introduced in October 1901 by Wilhelm Kress with his Drachenflieger (which, due to insufficiently powerful engines, never actually left the water!), development lead to aircraft like the colourful Felixstowe F series operating in the final years of WW1, and culminated in the type’s Golden Era in the interwar years where flying boats became THE way to roam the globe. Many types saw service in WW2 and beyond, and whilst their heyday has long gone, there are still modern examples like the Shin Meiwa/ShinMaywa series and the Canadair CL-415.
Runs from 4 January to 24 April 2022.

Group Build 18: 1942
The second Group Build where the theme is a significant year in history and we again hark back 80 summers. Whereas the events of 1940 largely centred around conflict in Europe, two years on and the battlefront has expanded dramatically following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. As of January 1942, we are also six months into the Great Patriotic War on the Eastern Front. Whilst aircraft will no doubt abound, anything relevant to 1942 is fair game. And it doesn’t have to be military in nature either!
Runs from 4 January to 31 December 2022.

Group Build 17: Nightmare Kits, Dream Conversions
Whether it is a case of updating an ancient moulding to present day standards, dealing with an absolute disaster of a kit or converting a model from one version to another, the skills involved are often quite similar. Here is a chance to delve into the stash and turn that problematic kit into a little masterpiece, convert a basic release into something quite different, or do both on the same kit. Again, whilst we all know aircraft will predominate, feel free to work your magic on AFVs, naval vessels, spacecraft … whatever.
Runs from 1 September to 31 December 2021.

Group Build 16: Anything But Planes!
Whilst previous Group Builds haven’t necessarily focused on aircraft, the vast majority of completions have fallen into that category. Well, this time, it will be very different! Anything not classified as an aeroplane is fair game here – AFVs, rockets and missiles, ships, figures, inventions from SF, you name it. Yes, even ekranoplans! Let’s see just how diverse we can get collectively.
Runs from 1 May to 31 August 2021.

Group Build 15: Desert Wars
From Napoleon’s campaigns in Egypt and Syria in 1798 and the Crimean War in 1853, there have been many wars fought in desert regions. Any of the conflicts involving desert warfare are fair game here, and builds may include anything related to the topic. This Group Build is sure to provide a high level of diversity!
Runs from 14 January to 18 April 2021.

Group Build 14: Anything But Injected!
Major manufacturers have always relied upon injection-moulding to produce model kits. The downside is that the moulds are expensive to produce and so these manufacturers have tended to be conservative in developing their ranges. Starting in 1969, smaller companies like RAREplanes, Contrail and Airmodel employed vacuforming to produce kits with much less capital outlay. The result? Models of types never imagined from any of the major manufacturers. Since those days, we’ve seen the growth of other technologies and materials, including resin, white metal, paper/card and, most recently, 3D-printing. This GB celebrates all these “non-injected” options and includes scratchbuilding.
Runs from 14 January to 31 December 2021.

Group Build 13: 1940
The second year of WW2 is primarily remembered for the Battle of Britain, but there was far more besides, both from a military and a civilian perspective. So, eighty years hence, this Group Build is open to anything that was around in 1940, from fighter aircraft to armoured cars, from battleships to buses.
Runs from 8 February to 31 December 2020.

Group Build 12: Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 “Fishbed”
The origins of the MiG-21 can be traced back to the swept-wing Ye-2 in 1954. Its successor the Ye-4 first flew on 16 June, 1955 and featured the delta-wing configuration so synonymous with the “Fishbed”. After years of development, the design eventually entered service with the VVS as the MiG-21F in 1959. Since that time, over 11,000 aircraft have been built, serving with nigh on 60 air forces. All variants of the MiG-21 are fair game here, including the license-built Chengdu J-7 “Fishcan”.
Runs from 1 October 2019 to 26 January 2020.

Group Build 11: Messerschmitt Me262
Whilst it wasn't the first military turbojet to fly, the Messerschmitt Me262 was the first to become fully operational. Faster and more heavily armed than its RAF counterpart, the Gloster Meteor, the 262 could well have seriously altered the balance of air power in the latter part of WW2 had it been available in greater numbers. Both the single-seat A and dual-seat B series can be built here, and kit enhancements and conversions are encouraged.
Runs from 10 August 2019 to 22 September 2019.

Group Build 10: Between the Wars
The two decades between the First and Second World Wars saw major advances in all areas of technology. In military and civil aviation, flimsy wood and canvas biplanes and triplanes gave way to sleek all-metal monoplanes. The lumbering "land ships" of WW1 were replaced by maneuverable tanks and armoured cars. In this GB, anything that was developed and operated between 1919 and 1939 (but not WW2) is fair game.
Runs from 10 August 2019 to 26 January 2020.

Group Build 9: The Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global tension that extended from March 1947 to December 1991. Whilst it never escalated to an all-out confrontation between East and West, the 45 years it lasted encompassed many conflicts around the globe. Plenty of wars to choose from … Korean, Vietnam, Six Day, India-Pakistan, right up to and including the Gulf War … as well as numerous smaller but no less significant incidents. Feel free to explore all the options … aircraft, AFVs, naval vessels, rockets and missiles, troops, etc.
Runs from 1 February to 31 July 2019.

Group Build 8: Centenary of the RAF
To celebrate the Centenary of the Royal Air Force, welcome to our first year-long Group Build. With the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918, the RAF is the oldest air force on the planet, so there is plenty of scope in the Build. Anything RAF-related goes … aircraft, vehicles, boats, personnel, you name it.
Runs from 1 January to 31 December 2018.

Group Build 7: The Vietnam War
Starting with the First Indochina War in December 1946 and escalating to the Second Indochina War in December 1955, the Vietnam conflict saw many dramatic developments in weaponry. Aircraft, helicopters, rockets and missiles, AFVs, marine vessels, even troops ... anything related to this conflict is fair game.
Runs from 29 July to 10 December 2017.

Group Build 6: Biplanes and Beyond
Time to hone those rigging skills! Any aircraft that possesses more than one wing is fair game - biplanes, triplanes, quadruplanes.
Runs from 3 June 2017 to 15 October 2017.

Group Build 5: VTOL
Anything from a lunar lander to a gyrocopter, taking in jump-jets and conventional helicopters, one-off prototypes to mass produced designs. Basically, if it can take off vertically, then it's eligible!
Runs from 21 January 2017 to 10 April 2017.

Group Build 4: Adversaries
Spitfire versus Bf109? MiG-15 versus Sabre? Stuka versus T-34? Martians versus humans? Any pair of 1/144-scale items that were pitted against each other in mortal combat are fair game. Get those creative juices flowing ...
Runs from 7 May 2016 to 17 July 2016.

Group Build 3: Black or Night
If it is painted dark colours (dark dark dark blue, dark dark grey, Black) or operated at Night, then it goes here. Includes WhatIfs, vehicles and boats.
Runs 1 November 2015 until early New Year 2016.

Group Build 2: Over the Wet Stuff
Aircraft that operated over bodies of water, including floatplanes and flying boats.
Runs from 1 August 2015 to 4 October 2015.

Group Build 1: Transport aircraft
Transport-related aircraft, both military and civilian.
Runs from 9 May 2015 to 5 July 2015.