UFO Sighted at Nystrup

From time to time I think it's nice to be able to season the rather drab and boring business at Nystrup Gravel with something different. The other day I was fortunate to find an old photograph in the archive from a Nystrup newspaper. The photo was in an envelope marked 'not to be published'. From the hand written story also in the envelope it turned out the image was from nothing less than an UFO sighting in Nystrup on the 24 august 1954!

The 'not to be published' photo is now online! Clearly photographed from the Nystrup Gravel tracks west of Nystrup the photo shows a round flying object over the meadow to the north. Looking carefully, one can see that the object carries a sort of pixelated camouflage pattern on the upper surface.

The paper in the envelope contained a short eyewitness report given to one of the newspaper's jounalists as well as small scrap of paper attached with staples. The small note said 'not to be published' with reference to Danish law on national interests and the relations to foreign powers signed by the local police authority. One wonder why they just didn't confiscate the photograph?  

While the so called Space Race did not really begin until the launch of the Soviet Union's Sputnik in 1957, tensions with the Soviet Union were increasing in the early 1950s. Large numbers of UFO sightings in the West after WW2 could have been prompted by the rising number of modern aircraft in the skies (many people having not seen jets before), natural phenomenons, or even Soviet airplanes - or real flying saucers, of course!

A US newspaper's mention of UFO's over The White House. 

Of course the UFO sighting over Nystrup wasn't real. It was simply my urge to do something different not having the faintest relation with Nystrup Gravel (which of course wasn't how it ended). 

Colour image of the 'UFO' making a final pass over the meadow and tracks before flying on. In reality the craft is an advanced drone with an unknown propulsion system.

Close-up of the drone and its companion. The drones are kits from the Warhammer-universe slightly rebuilt and painted.

Seen from above the pixelated camouflage stands out and the Ukrainian flags make it clear where the flying crafts belong.

The donor kit with the drones is the 'Tau Empire Pathfinder Team' set from the Warhammer 40.000 series. Picked up for a modest sum because of a damaged box I figured I could build a few advanced drones 'dressed up' as miniature Ukrainian aircrafts with the characteristic pixelated camouflage. I changed the drones a bit by swapping and omitting parts as well as adding a few items from scratch. The building part of the work was quickly done, but the painting took a little longer. The pixelated camouflage took several rounds with airbrush and masking tape before being ready for weathering. I painted the Ukranian flags by hand.

There are plenty of parts left in the box. Perhaps I one day decide to use the parts from the large drone in the box. The rest will probably lie unused in a box until disposed of.

The two drones seen during painting. One of them with masking tape all over it. The lower half of the drone is in dark grey painted and weathered with brush. Lenses for sights and observation devices were painted black with a final covering of gloss varnish.

Some readers may shake their heads and wonder why I waste time on completely crazy projects like this. Other modellers will know how a different project can add new energy to other, more serious modelling projects. That is what the two small drones and the photo work did for me. Now I'm working with the wooden cladding on the relief building. All very serious and correct.