Neutral Skies

Well it can use some more work but this is the best I could do with a mousepad. In this one I tried to draw and color without lineart and it turned out looking like a work in progress but I like it. I only used lineart for the planes but everything else was done "freehand".
My inspiration for this was pretty random. I was playing some old arcade games on my PC and I just happened to play one called Progear (it's one of those air, side scrolling shooters developed by Cave). I thought that game fit my style of work in a way being steampunkish with large flying fortresses.
And I used an old ww2 painting for some small reference.
Now time for some story,
After the war in Europa Corporal stayed in New Guiana on leave for a few weeks before returning home. One of his good friends, Brian Kerensky was a doctor and war pilot in the Alliance Air force who was studying medicine at the New Guiana University of Science.. They eventually met and decided to go on maneuvers with a squadron before Corporal's return home.
Everything was going well, despite Corporal's air sickness but then the flying HQ picked up some odd radar signatures. "All squadron planes we have unidentified bandits closing fast from the NNW," Brian looked ahead squinting his eyes to see three ominous grey shapes in the distance. " There aren't supposed to be any other planes in this sector?!" "We're in neutral skies!" "What are your orders commander?" As those words were said a missile flew past the number three plane birdie zero. "Oh $#*& Command! Command! we have been engaged, I repeat birdie zero has been engaged!"
Brian pulled his plane over to Birdie's sector, "What the hell, they're taking offensive maneuvers! Birdie Zero bring 'em here, Squadron defensive formation now!" The flying HQ plane started to relay orders, " Squadron defensive fire, bowl formation we have clearance to open fire." Brian looked back at Corporal and said, "Get up in the turret and give 'em the whole nine yards!" With a shocked look on corporal's face he climbed into the turret and manned the .50 caliber and said, " Oh man why me?"

This was done in photoshop CS5 and took about 2 days to do. All feedback is greatly appreciated!