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1/48 Hasegawa B5N2 Kate Akagi "Pearl Harbor" (Finished)

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  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
1/48 Hasegawa B5N2 Kate Akagi "Pearl Harbor" (Finished)
Posted by lawdog114 on Monday, July 12, 2021 12:40 AM

Hello, I continue builds of Pearl Harbor machines. Here I offer up my recently completed Hasegawa B5N2 Kate Torpedo bomber in the markings of AI-308 off the carrier Akagi during the attack. AI- 308, piloted by Jinichi Gato, was one of several Kates that hit the USS Oklahoma on that day during the first wave of attacks.  

The boxing I used was a Pearl Harbor addition which came with the parts necessary to do a torpedo plane, but Hasegawa did not include the wooden fin attachment used a Pearl.  I scratch built this with Evergreen plasticard using a picture as reference.  I painted it to simulate wood then later learned these were usually painted silver.  I liked the look of it as wood and left it alone.  It's my understanding these were fairly new at Pearl so I kept weathering to a minimum.  I did some chipping on the cowl and added some upper surface fading, as I figured these sat on the deck in the hot Pacific sun often.  The lower surface is AK Real Colors IJN J3 SP Amber Grey and the upper is my custom mix of Tamiya Paints.  I thought AK's IJN Green was too dark to my eye.  All markings except "AI-308" on the tail were painted on. I added some PE seatbelts and thats about it.  Like their N1K2, Hasegawa makes a beautiful Kate as well. 

I'll be doing a Val soon.  

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

A few in-progress pics....

 

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: USA
Posted by keavdog on Monday, July 12, 2021 12:48 AM

Turned out very nice.  Are these comissioned builds or for your own Pearl collection.  The base is very nice- how did you do that?

Thanks,

John

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Monday, July 12, 2021 3:32 AM

Thanks!  Interestingly this one is a commission build that inspired the other two (zero/P-40).  I just decided to build those first.  The zero and P-40 I still have as I find myself having trouble parting with my models lately..........lol. 

The base is Verlinden cardboard I glued to a wooden plaque.  It looks ok for pictures but is nothing special in person.  I need to find some Japanese carrier decks.   

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    July 2014
Posted by modelcrazy on Monday, July 12, 2021 7:28 AM

Beautiful Yes My favorite torpedo bomber. The Skyrader really is but since it never was able to fulfill it's original roll.....

Very well done salt and sun dried finish....love it!Stick out tongue

Steve

Building a kit from your stash is like cutting a head off a Hydra, two more take it's place.

 

 

http://www.spamodeler.com/forum/

  • Member since
    May 2020
  • From: Omaha, Nebraska
Posted by learmech64 on Monday, July 12, 2021 9:06 AM
Excellent build as always Lawdog.

Doug

  • Member since
    April 2015
Posted by Mopar Madness on Monday, July 12, 2021 9:24 AM

Nice fit and finish as usual LD!

Chad

God, Family, Models...

At the plate: 1/48 Airfix Bf109 & 1/35 Tamiya Famo

On deck: Who knows!

  • Member since
    March 2012
  • From: Corpus Christi, Tx
Posted by mustang1989 on Monday, July 12, 2021 1:30 PM

Very VERY well built, detailed and painted/ weathered Joe. You really do have a good system going with your builds. Love it man.Yes

                   

 Forum | Modelers Social Club Forum (proboards.com) 

  • Member since
    March 2013
Posted by patrick206 on Monday, July 12, 2021 1:58 PM

It's another dandy fine job, Joe. They had a heck of a large wing surface area, didn't they.

Thanks for the text and photos.

Patrick

  • Member since
    June 2013
Posted by bvallot on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 6:49 PM

Beautiful Kate!! I love that torpedo too. =] I wish I could sling one of these on top of my truck to run around with in traffic when people want to drive like maniacs. 

I'm a stickler for details, but I'd have stayed with the wood as well. Good move. =]

On the bench:  

Tamiya F4U-1  Kenneth Walsh

 

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 8:31 PM

modelcrazy

Beautiful Yes My favorite torpedo bomber. The Skyrader really is but since it never was able to fulfill it's original roll.....

Very well done salt and sun dried finish....love it!Stick out tongue

 

Thank you, I have the Tamiya Skyraider in my stash. I may give it a whirl one of these days. 

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 8:33 PM

learmech64
Excellent build as always Lawdog.
 

Thank you

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 8:34 PM

Mopar Madness

Nice fit and finish as usual LD!

 

Thanks Chad

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 8:34 PM

mustang1989

Very VERY well built, detailed and painted/ weathered Joe. You really do have a good system going with your builds. Love it man.Yes

 

Thanks Joe

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 8:36 PM

patrick206

It's another dandy fine job, Joe. They had a heck of a large wing surface area, didn't they.

Thanks for the text and photos.

Patrick

 

Indeed Patrick. I was surprised on the wingspan of this plane. Your welcome. 

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    July 2014
Posted by modelcrazy on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 8:36 PM

lawdog114
Thank you, I have the Tamiya Skyraider in my stash. I may give it a whirl one of these days. 

Me too. I keep eyeballing that one 

Steve

Building a kit from your stash is like cutting a head off a Hydra, two more take it's place.

 

 

http://www.spamodeler.com/forum/

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 8:39 PM

bvallot

Beautiful Kate!! I love that torpedo too. =] I wish I could sling one of these on top of my truck to run around with in traffic when people want to drive like maniacs. 

I'm a stickler for details, but I'd have stayed with the wood as well. Good move. =]

 

Thanks Britt. It would work better with a boat I suppose....lol. It was one of my better wood simulation paint jobs, so I had to keep it. 

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Northern California
Posted by jeaton01 on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 11:32 PM

Well done, Joe.  It really is nice kit.  I did AI-308 from a kit that had a folded wing option.   We could start a squadron if Modelcrazy Steve would just build us a carrier in 1/48!

John

To see build logs for my models:  http://goldeneramodel.com/mymodels/mymodels.html

 

  • Member since
    July 2021
Posted by Flight Line Media on Friday, July 16, 2021 4:01 PM
Lawdog! I love it! How was the overall build? Some Hasegawa kits can be tricky. In my experience, their WWII planes are nice though! I have always been impressed with your speed.

Andrew

www.flightlinemedia.co

Follow us on Instagram: from.the.ariel.view

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Saturday, July 24, 2021 3:54 AM

jeaton01

Well done, Joe.  It really is nice kit.  I did AI-308 from a kit that had a folded wing option.   We could start a squadron if Modelcrazy Steve would just build us a carrier in 1/48!

 

Thanks bud.  Let's do it! 

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Saturday, July 24, 2021 3:58 AM

Flight Line Media
Lawdog! I love it! How was the overall build? Some Hasegawa kits can be tricky. In my experience, their WWII planes are nice though! I have always been impressed with your speed.
 

Thanks Andrew.  It's one of their more recent toolings.  Detail was good and I had no fit issues.  My main gripe was the weak panel line detail in the fuselage sides in certain areas.  I had to make several deeper with a scriber.    

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    June 2017
Posted by Chemteacher on Monday, July 26, 2021 11:34 PM
Beautiful work.

On the bench: Revell-USS Arizona; Airfix P-51D in 1/72

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Tuesday, July 27, 2021 8:23 AM

Your usual beautiful job! Love the pre-shading and weathering!!!

Heart

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

 

  • Member since
    July 2019
  • From: Vancouver, British Columbia
Posted by Bobstamp on Tuesday, July 27, 2021 6:17 PM

Wow! That's just plain gorgeous. Maybe someday, when I'm old...  Oh, wait, I am old now! Anyway...

I just have to say this: I am certain that I am the only Finescale forum member, certainly the only Canadian-American of British descent, who can truthfully say that I am a relative by marriage to Mitsuo Fuchida, the leader of the Japanese Navy's attack on Pearl Harbor. Seriously. If my family were to have an reunion of my (and if Fuchida were still alive) he would be not be out of place, although he might not be welcomed by everyone, especially my Uncle Phil, who spent three years in the South Pacific during the Second World War.

This is how Fuchida and I came to be members of the same extended family: Fuchida had a daughter, Miyako. Following the Second World War, Miyako travelled to the United States to attend the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. While attending school she met Harrison James Overturf, a U.S. Marine. They were married in 1963.

Harrison James Overturf was the grandson of Harley James Overturf, a brother of George Edwin Overturf, the paternal grandfather of my wife, Susan Overturf Ingraham.  Those two branches of the Overturfs had had a falling out in the 1930s when Susan’s grandfather begrudgingly loaned money to Harley and scolded him for not paying better attention to his financial affairs; the money was repaid, but they never spoke again. The families only reconnected when my wife's Aunt Sue saw an article about Miyako in a San Francisco newspaper. At that time (three or four years ago), Miyako was still living in San Francisco.

Bob

On the bench: A diorama to illustrate the crash of a Beech T-34B Mentor which I survived in 1962 (I'm using Minicraft's 1/48 model of the Mentor), and a Pegasus model of the submarine Nautilus of 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas fame. 

  • Member since
    June 2013
Posted by bvallot on Wednesday, July 28, 2021 6:09 AM

Bob, that's facinating! I wish more Finescale members with stories like that would share them. Has anyone reached out to her since?

On the bench:  

Tamiya F4U-1  Kenneth Walsh

 

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Friday, July 30, 2021 3:18 AM

Chemteacher
Beautiful work.
 

Thank you

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Friday, July 30, 2021 3:34 AM

Gamera

Your usual beautiful job! Love the pre-shading and weathering!!!

Heart

 

Thanks bud

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Friday, July 30, 2021 3:39 AM

Bobstamp

Wow! That's just plain gorgeous. Maybe someday, when I'm old...  Oh, wait, I am old now! Anyway...

I just have to say this: I am certain that I am the only Finescale forum member, certainly the only Canadian-American of British descent, who can truthfully say that I am a relative by marriage to Mitsuo Fuchida, the leader of the Japanese Navy's attack on Pearl Harbor. Seriously. If my family were to have an reunion of my (and if Fuchida were still alive) he would be not be out of place, although he might not be welcomed by everyone, especially my Uncle Phil, who spent three years in the South Pacific during the Second World War.

This is how Fuchida and I came to be members of the same extended family: Fuchida had a daughter, Miyako. Following the Second World War, Miyako travelled to the United States to attend the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. While attending school she met Harrison James Overturf, a U.S. Marine. They were married in 1963.

Harrison James Overturf was the grandson of Harley James Overturf, a brother of George Edwin Overturf, the paternal grandfather of my wife, Susan Overturf Ingraham.  Those two branches of the Overturfs had had a falling out in the 1930s when Susan’s grandfather begrudgingly loaned money to Harley and scolded him for not paying better attention to his financial affairs; the money was repaid, but they never spoke again. The families only reconnected when my wife's Aunt Sue saw an article about Miyako in a San Francisco newspaper. At that time (three or four years ago), Miyako was still living in San Francisco.

Bob

 

Wow Bob, thanks for taking the time to offer that information. I agree with Britt that we need more of this input.  His Kate was one of the kit options. I almost built that one, I still might actually.    

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    July 2019
  • From: Vancouver, British Columbia
Posted by Bobstamp on Thursday, August 5, 2021 3:43 PM

I myself haven't had any direct contact with Miyako, but I did help a Japanese journalist contact her, and my wife's aunt has communicated with her by email.

Bob

On the bench: A diorama to illustrate the crash of a Beech T-34B Mentor which I survived in 1962 (I'm using Minicraft's 1/48 model of the Mentor), and a Pegasus model of the submarine Nautilus of 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas fame. 

  • Member since
    July 2019
  • From: Vancouver, British Columbia
Posted by Bobstamp on Thursday, August 5, 2021 4:14 PM

@lawdog114: Are you saying that Fuchida's Kate was one of the kit's optional builds? That would be cool.

I am drawn to building models of planes, ships, or anything else, really, that I've had either personal or virtual experience with. That's why my first four models have included three aircraft and one ship that I know a lot about:

• A plane that I crashed in in 1962 (a T-34B Mentor trainer).

• A helicopter that evacuated me to a hospital ship (a Sikorsky UH-34 after I was wounded in Vietnam in 1966.

• The hospital ship itself (USS Repose).

• An Handley Page HP.52 Hampden bomber, which I learned about while researching the death of a Royal Canadian Air Force observer, Joe Hicks, who was killed in April, 1942 when his bomber crashed in Denmark following a raid on Rostock, Germany. I have photographs of the crashed bomber taken by the Germans, and got an "inside" tour of the Hampden that's on display at the Canadian Museum of Flight in Langley, BC, in the Fraser Valley southeast of Vancouver.

I've been working, slowly, on an F-86 Sabre model, but I just can't get enthusiastic about it. I've never even seen a Sabre!

In my stash I have a Grumman TBM which I plan to build as a slurry bomber like the one I was trying to photograph when my plane crash happened. Unvelieveably, that TBM is still flying, and several photos of it are available on line. I'd like build a Twin Beech like the one that transported two volunteer smokejumpers to crash site of the T-34B. I'd also like to remain in reasonably good health for enough more years to complete these projects! Wish me luck!

Bob   

On the bench: A diorama to illustrate the crash of a Beech T-34B Mentor which I survived in 1962 (I'm using Minicraft's 1/48 model of the Mentor), and a Pegasus model of the submarine Nautilus of 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas fame. 

  • Member since
    January 2020
  • From: Maryland
Posted by wpwar11 on Thursday, August 5, 2021 5:39 PM

What a fascinating story.  All because someone posted a model on this forum.  Thanks for sharing Bob.  

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