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Japanese 7.7mm "Woodpecker"

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15 replies
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  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Sunday, November 10, 2013 11:42 AM

Thank you guys. I think the engineer(s) for this kit went thru the AFV/DML model engineering school. Why mold it in one piece when it can be done in three to five pieces?  But in the long run I am happy with this little pecker (pun intended) and will add it to my growing IJA collection here. Now if I can get a real deal on all those Fine Molds IJA kits I keep eyeballing...

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Spartanburg, SC
Posted by subfixer on Sunday, November 10, 2013 9:02 AM

A proverbial "Silk Purse". Well done, stik.

I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: Goffstown, NH
Posted by New Hampshire on Sunday, November 10, 2013 7:34 AM

It looks great Stik!  With armor, aircraft and ships the "sexy" thing it is nice to see something as simple as a crew served automatic weapon getting a little time in the limelight...wait, is that why the kit plastic was that color?  It is the limelight?

Brian

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Sunday, November 10, 2013 1:10 AM

The kit actually comes with the handles for the squad to carry it, two seperate ones for the forelegs, and a  twin handled piece for the rear legs, an alternate pintle for an AA mounting, and a few odds and ends accessories. I will see if I can come up with an appropriate color for the oiler portion of the feed tray cover.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Formerly Bryan, now Arlington, Texas
Posted by CapnMac82 on Saturday, November 9, 2013 9:13 PM

Dang, I can practically smell the oil.

Which is pretty prominent with these, as there is a oiling pad above the feed slot to lube the cartridges.

The metal just above the feed tray is a little bit darker from having absorbed all that oil--but, it's more shiny, too, which kind of makes it an either/or for the modeler.

The cooling fins on these, up sloce always seem darker than the barrel--Burnt Iron to Oily Black, but scale effect would negate that a bit.  They do all seem to have a highlight on the those fins, the sort of thing a rub with a pencil lead would render--but, it's a very skinny highlight.

The ammo for this had a gausey muslin carrier, but the smart people tell me the Japanese troopers nearly universally used the wooden box loaded with ammo in it's 40 round feeding strips.

For the seriously curious, the full-up squad for one of these is a gunner, the a-gunner, and three riflemen, with all of those designated as ammo bearers.  If one notes the tubes on the front legs of the tripod, doctrine was that the MG squad would also keep track of a couple 2m wood or bamboo poles.  if the MG needed to displace, the riflemen would come in, set the poles through, police up all the ammo, and then they, and the gunner on the back tripod leg, would pick the piece up entire and race to the new location.

The moniker "woodpecker" came from the steady rate of fire from the MG, with the pauses as more ammo strips were fed in.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: San Francisco Bay Area
Posted by bufflehead on Saturday, November 9, 2013 7:42 PM

Stik, personally I think you did a heck of a job on a dog of a kit!  From Slime Green madness to Gunmetal Cool!!  It looks nice next to your sweet Chi Ha!  All you need is some figures to go with it! 

Ernest

Last Armor Build - 1/35 Dragon M-26A1, 1/35 Emhar Mk.IV Female

     

Last Aircraft Builds - Hobby Boss 1/72 F4F Wildcat & FW-190A8

     

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Saturday, November 9, 2013 4:28 PM

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Monday, April 29, 2013 8:59 PM

SP: I picked one of these from Squadron too, probably same sale. Looking forward to seeing how she comes out.

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Friday, April 26, 2013 11:38 AM

You are not kidding guys! As soon as I opened the box to look at the sprues the warning bells went off in my head.... But this is a huge red flag on that Maquette ( I think) Dshk HMG I later picked up... same concept of a kit...

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Spartanburg, SC
Posted by subfixer on Friday, April 26, 2013 8:34 AM

Nice shade of green.....

Ick!

I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Texas
Posted by wbill76 on Thursday, April 25, 2013 8:06 PM

The green plastic should've been your first warning sign! :D Good thing you stuck with it though, can't let the woodpecker get you down! Wink

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 11:33 PM

Well if it is not a myth, it is pretty dang rare. Last true quick easy build I had was the AFV Club Talon EOD Robot...

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Australia
Posted by Blitzwing on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 10:10 PM

Am I the only one to find the idea of a cheap, quick and simple build to be a bit of a modelling myth?

URL=http://picasion.com/]

  • Member since
    March 2012
Posted by madhatter on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 8:48 PM

RPM...not the greatest kit makers around. ive had some experience wit their "stuff".

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 7:59 PM

Time, patience, and perseverance pay off... got the thing built, all the last little fiddly bits added... painting should be simple enough...

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

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