David Eltel
Cumming, Georgia
Using Hasegawa 1/48 scale kits, David built a flight of planes from the famed Japanese 343 Kokutai, led by Minoru Genda, best-known for his prominent role in planning the Pearl Harbor attack. The 343rd flew Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden-Kai fighters, code-named “George.” David trimmed prop blades from their hubs and replaced them with clear acetate he ran through an inkjet printer to depict spinning props. He modified control surfaces on the plane in the foreground to show it banking, and attached antenna wires made of human hair. He referenced markings from the book Genda’s Blade, by Henry Sakaida and Koji Takaki (Classic, ISBN 978-1-903223-25-3).