I have a few subjects that fit, count me in!
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I don’t have anything at all,but you are opening it for a year,maybe I can come up with something,I do like the badges.
Got you down, I’m expecting a Nov 1st start
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About a month ago, I told Freddie (@fjs3) if he went through with his Midway Group Build, I’d go through with the group build idea I’d been kicking around.
Well Freddie’s group build, which I plan to enter, appears to be happening, so I guess that means I’m on the hook to at least test the waters. 
And yes, crossovers between the two are perfectly welcome if you can find a subject that qualifies for both.
Based on excellent feedback in this thread, I’ve been working on exactly what those two words mean to me and I think I’ve finally figured out the heart of it:
“We can’t shoot back. We still have a job to do. Let’s go.”
UNARMED means exactly that. The aircraft, vehicle, boat, ship, or whatever you’re modeling doesn’t have meaningful offensive or defensive armament with which to fight back.
But UNAFRAID is just as important.
There have to be people aboard, and their mission has to put them at genuine risk from enemy action. They know they’re going into harm’s way. They know they can’t fight back. And they go do the job anyway.
That’s really the part of this that interests me.
So the basic rules would be:
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It has to be a manned military subject.
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The mission you’re representing has to put the crew in harm’s way from enemy action.
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The subject itself has to be unarmed — no meaningful offensive or defensive armament.
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They have to go do the mission anyway.
The era doesn’t matter, and neither does the type of subject.
SOME EXAMPLES OF SUBJECTS THAT MIGHT QUALIFY:
These aren’t meant to be an exhaustive list, just examples of the kinds of subjects and missions I’m thinking about.
AIR — An unarmed photo-reconnaissance aircraft flying over hostile territory, or an AWACS crew operating within range of enemy long-range missiles. They know they’re a target, they can’t shoot back, and they perform the mission anyway. Unarmed & Unafraid.
GROUND — An unarmed supply truck carrying fuel, ammunition, food or other supplies through territory exposed to enemy action. The crew knows there’s a very real possibility of getting shot at or ambushed, but somebody has to get those supplies through. Unarmed & Unafraid.
SEA — A landing craft carrying troops toward a defended beach. The crew is heading directly toward people trying to kill them, they have no meaningful way to defend themselves, and they go anyway. Unarmed & Unafraid.
There are also plenty of things that are unarmed but wouldn’t qualify.
A trainer flying around safely at home is unarmed, but there’s no “Unafraid” part.
Same thing with a drone. The drone may be flying directly into harm’s way, but the person flying it isn’t.
And an empty bomber doesn’t suddenly qualify just because we took the bombs out. Its mission is still delivering weapons.
I’m sure there are going to be gray areas and subjects I haven’t thought of, which is exactly why I’m putting this out here before making anything official.
So please poke holes in it. If you see a problem with the definition, have a subject you’re not sure about, or think I’m overlooking something, let’s hear it.
And, more importantly, would anybody actually be interested in participating?
My thought is to make this a 2027 Group Build, officially running through December 31, 2027, with a two-month “soft launch” beginning November 1, 2026. If you’ve got something you’re excited about and don’t want to wait until January, have at it.
That gives everybody as much as 14 months to finish, so hopefully this can be a pretty low-pressure Group Build.
So… anybody interested?
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SR-71 , C-130H/J, C-47/49… in my stash . Have to see how the Midway build goes first…
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I’ll give it a go. Not sure at this time what I will build. I will make that decision if, when this becomes official.
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I am in as well!
I’ll look in the Deep Stash for something interesting… okay that didn’t take long, I have one. I’ll post a pic in a bit.
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Well, that’s three already. Thanks guys!
@Pj_s_thunderbolt, looks like you’ve got some great possibilities in that stash. As we get closer, let me know which one you think you want to do.
@learmech64, it’s very likely to become official. No need to decide yet. That’s part of the reason I’m giving everybody plenty of time.
And @RealG, somehow I’m not surprised it only took you about 30 seconds to find something in the Deep Stash. Now you’ve got me curious.
This is exactly why I wanted to throw the idea out here before making it official. Keep the ideas and questions coming.
That kind of rules out my T-38a Talon. The only other thing I have is a 1/48 Special Hobby Sikorski R-4B helicopter, the first operational military helicopter. It served in WWII and was unarmed, even going on rescue missions. I’ve been meaning to build her, but since it involves vac-u-formed canopies, I’ve been a bit reluctant. Guess this is time to try!
Gary
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Gary, now THAT sounds like a great Unarmed & Unafraid subject.
An unarmed rescue helicopter going into harm’s way to pick somebody up is exactly the kind of story I had in mind when I was trying to define this group build.
And apparently we’re up to four interested people already.
Maybe this is finally the excuse you needed to tackle those vacuformed canopies. I’d really like to see you build this one.
I ordered a vacuform canopy for my B-17 project, and frankly I’m terrified of the thing. So you can go first and I can learn from your experience!
Okay, here are my candidates for the GB:
If anyone is dying to see a particular kit built, give me a shout out. The E-767 has been hacked into pieces already, but the other kits are “fresher”.
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if I have or can find a C-47 in my stash I might be in, not Shure I want to build my 1/48 C-130J at this time.
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Don’t forget transport or troop carrier cargo aircraft. Douglass C-47, Curtiss C-46, Fairchild C-119, Fuel tankers, Fire bombers, AWACS type aircraft, (I think you already mentioned those). Also any number of C-130, C-5 or C-117. Pretty much any aircraft with a C or KC in front will work as well.
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I’ve got this little beauty in the stash. If I can finish off one or two other projects I might could hop on.
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Okay, now THAT is exactly the kind of unexpected subject I was hoping this Group Build would bring out.
A staff car could be a great fit, but you’re going to have to educate me a little because I honestly don’t know much about how these were used. What’s the “Unafraid” part of the story with this one? What kind of missions did they do that would put the people in it in harm’s way? Spies? Couriers? Something else entirely?
I’m genuinely curious what you have in mind.
And don’t worry about clearing the bench anytime soon — I’m planning to give everybody plenty of time.
Well, I now notice that this you’ve intended this group build to be for aircraft models, not autos, ha! I can find something else if needed.
But as for the Citroën Traction 11CV, the Germans requisitioned a TON of them from occupied France and used them throughout the war as liaison and staff vehicles. My idea when buying the kit was to place it in an early Barbarossa forward airfield display with a JU-87B undergoing maintenance. While the Germans more or less ruled the sky in summer 1941, I think it’s very plausible that a lucky Soviet pilot could have stumbled across a hapless staff car in the countryside.
A Luftwaffe Citroën –
Later in the war –
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Absolutely! And just to reiterate this for everyone, this Group Build is not limited to aircraft. Unarmed military vehicles are welcome too. I mentioned that in my most recent post, but it was probably easy to miss with all the aircraft examples we’ve been throwing around.
So no need to find something else. Bring on the Citroën! That’s exactly the kind of unusual subject I’d love to see in this Group Build.
@RealG,
My first job in the USAF was computer maintenance on the E-3A/B!
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