Imperial Fighters Assembled: 40K

I have to say that GW are turning into a nice modelling shop, comparable with Warlord Games for producing interesting (though expensive it has to be said) pieces of kit. After "doing" the Orc air component for AI (Aeronautica Imperialis) I moved onto the Imperials (see below, for some reason they remind me of the USN Air Force - thinking Corsairs here for some reason):

This is another example of a "game in a box" independent of buying into the whole genre. I am keen to try the rules to see if they work well for modern air. Speaking of air I feel an urge to get into Blood Red Skies (interestingly Renko likes  to play both sets of these "air rules" and was last heard begging me to "finish painting those Orc jets" because he sorely needed help from being blown out of the sky by the heavily gunned Imperials). 

Dagga Dagga Orc Jet

In classic GW over production of tiny parts and pieces I present a beautiful little Orc Fighter Bomber (see below, Orcs flying in the 41st Century - I ask you, but it looks fun):

One down, several more to build!

Aeronautica Imperialis - Orcs in Space?

OK so know it is not really anywhere near historical, I mean Orcs in Space, really .. but the game pays homage to the best WWI Aerial Combat Systems, GDW Blue Max and Canvas Eagles, I've played, so it hit me in a soft spot right between the eyes (and it was classed as a birthday present from my brother so I had an excuse). The models are also very, very cool in a Steam-Punk sort of way(see below - an un-boxing to follow methinks):

The models remind me of Warlord Games latest Mig Alley Korean War selection (see Renko's superb rendition of Soviet silver camouflage) and immediately after writing that I can see myself falling towards Blood Red Skies (BRS) and the Jet-Age expansion (see below - Note: I could do that because I am not committed to any "jet age scale", whereas BRS WWII has the 1/144 to 1/300 scale "Why am I doing this again in a different scale?" question bobbing around in my head!):

It is also a "game in a box so you don't have to expand out and besides it's "Fantasy-Science-Fiction" so anything goes you can bring your own stuff in. If you get a game from it then what's the problem, otherwise I will be forever the collector and never the player. Maybe I should do some 1/300 aircraft as after all I have always played with the kit Renko has "coerced" (like I needed much pushing) into getting!

Afterthought:
Besides it is another one of games that the father can be shot down by his son (or daughter, or wife) with no loss of prestige (that noted I still don't forgive that dodgy rule call in X-Wing called by my [so-called] friends that lined up my TIE Fighter in front of that Rookie Rebel, being the exception to the rule - Unforgiven)!