OOOo, very nice. I'll me watching this one.

BK

Aggieman

It seems the Japanese didn't spend a lot of effort photographing details of their aircraft (or the photos they did take did not survive the war/passage of time or have not been digitized).  Dang them, didn't they know we would be building models here?!!!!

A couple of images I did manage to find, one from what is likely a pre-war image:

 ....

Thanks- that is a good picture of that area.

I notice in the pictures- I have several others that show this-  that there is a flexible boot (black in the photos) that covers the oleo area.  I wonder if the brake hose is covered by that boot. I am going to assume that is true, make the boot, and assume the hose is coiled around the oleo inside of the boot.

It seems the Japanese didn't spend a lot of effort photographing details of their aircraft (or the photos they did take did not survive the war/passage of time or have not been digitized).  Dang them, didn't they know we would be building models here?!!!!

A couple of images I did manage to find, one from what is likely a pre-war image:

http://oldap.wbs.cz/pohledy_do_krabicek/mitsubishi__nippon__oakland_airport_1939__4808938058_.jpg

It is not as close as I suspect you are looking for, but unlike every other photo I have seen of that area of the Nell, there is actually some lighting under there and the detail is actually fairly clear.  It really doesn't appear there is a brake line even though I know there is.

Second image I found that could be helpful is an illustrated schematic of the Nell that is clickable, so that you can get a bit of a closer look at the landing gear.  Again, no sign of any brake lines but who knows what the accuracy of this drawing really is?

http://www.airwar.ru/image/idop/bww2/g3m/g3m-2.gif

Need some help, guys!  I just cannot find a good closeup of the landing gear. I need something that shows the hydraulic (brake) hose that bridges the oleo area of the landing gear, and connects the upper/main part of the strut with the axle area.

Don't see too much of your work Don,really looking good,especially that canopy.Will be following.

Very nice frame painting, Don, clever way and looks great. I wondered about the advertised glue, glad to see it works for you.

Patrick

Thanks Don, I've heard of the strip technique for masking canopies but haven't tried it yet. I love your results! 

That UV activated glue does sound interesting, I read your other thread on it. Thanks for the head's up! 

I plan to do the simpler paint scheme, the simple green over gray, rather than the three-color camo.  I also intend to do a lot of weathering.

I have my own technique for greenhouse masking.  I cut thin strips of Tamiya tape (I got tired waiting for my order of the new 2mm Tamiya stuff). I then do all the frames in one direction (say, athwartship), masking each frame and then brush painting it- first with the interior color and then with the exterior color.  I can generally do all athwartship frames in a single mask-paint session.  Then, I remove all of them and do the longitudinal frames the same way.  It sounds like a lot more work, but consider you do not need to precisely cut the lengths of the strips. It isn't all that much more work than the normal way.

One other item I should mention.  I am trying for the first time that UV activated glue, to see if it solves the problem of getting a decent strong bond with transparent parts, without the danger of fogging them.  So far I really like the stuff.  We have a thread going on this in the Tools forum.

Interesting kit and subject, as well as being 1/72. You've done some relly nice work so far. I too, am very impressed with your masking work. It is very nicely done.

Don, I'm looking forward to see the rest of this build by your capable hands. The canopy is incredable.

Oh wow Don, I need you to mail you my canopies to mask! Super clean sharp job there, looks fantastic. Even more so considering they're 1/72nd!

Looking forward to seeing how she comes out, that's one Japanese aircraft kit I don't have since I'm not much of a 1/72nd builder.  

This is a very nice start on this WIP build.  I'm looking forward to this project!

Toshi

Mustve given you a headache masking them canopy frames. They did turn out really well!

That is a good kit. You have done a good job on the only cumbersome part of it, the masking. I built this one a year or so ago and had a good time with it.

This is one Japanese bomber that I would like to see in 1/48, perhaps by Tamiya to go along with their Betty, given the historical significance of the Nell.

Nice clean mask job on those canopies Don

Lovely work there, Don, particularly on those multifaceted greenhouses. I look forward to seeing your progress.

What sort of color scheme have you in mind?