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

Like Bish — I think it's Bish — my other hobby is philately, and among my particular interests is the Second World War. Among the Second World War stamps in my collection is a commemorative issued by Japan in 1942, a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The design is based on a photograph taken from one of the attacking Japanese planes; I've wondered if the photographer was Mitsuo Fuchida, my distant relative-by-marriage who led the attack. Here's the photo and the stamp:

Now here's an idea that would take model building far beyond my skill level but might interest some diorama artists: How about a diorama showing (below the viewer) a Kate flying high above the harbor, which of course would resemble the photo/stamp's design?

An interesting note: American historians date the day of the attack as December 7, 1941, but to Japanese historians it occurred on December 8, 1941. Both are correct: it was December 7 in Hawaii and in the States, but it was December 8 in Japan, which of course is west of the International dateline.

Anyway, even if Finescale members aren't into dioramas, I thought that the photo and stamp would be of interest.

Bob

Bobstamp

@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   

 

Yes it was.  The first option.  Sounds like you have your plate full there Bob.  Best of luck to you!

Bobstamp

Like Bish — I think it's Bish — my other hobby is philately, and among my particular interests is the Second World War. Among the Second World War stamps in my collection is a commemorative issued by Japan in 1942, a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The design is based on a photograph taken from one of the attacking Japanese planes; I've wondered if the photographer was Mitsuo Fuchida, my distant relative-by-marriage who led the attack. Here's the photo and the stamp:

Now here's an idea that would take model building far beyond my skill level but might interest some diorama artists: How about a diorama showing (below the viewer) a Kate flying high above the harbor, which of course would resemble the photo/stamp's design?

An interesting note: American historians date the day of the attack as December 7, 1941, but to Japanese historians it occurred on December 8, 1941. Both are correct: it was December 7 in Hawaii and in the States, but it was December 8 in Japan, which of course is west of the International dateline.

Anyway, even if Finescale members aren't into dioramas, I thought that the photo and stamp would be of interest.

Bob

 

 

Nice picture! That would be an interesting project.  I'm sure there are diorama builders lurking in here.    

Joe somehow I missed this. Fantastic. If you haven't started the VAL yet you're gonna love it. over last winter I found a seller on the local Marketplace here that was parting out her late husbands stash. I picked up quite a few Japanese kits for good prices from her.

tempestjohnny

Joe somehow I missed this. Fantastic. If you haven't started the VAL yet you're gonna love it. over last winter I found a seller on the local Marketplace here that was parting out her late husbands stash. I picked up quite a few Japanese kits for good prices from her.

 

...oh yeah, now that I picked my jaw off the floor, thanks!

Well done, I have one when carry bomb not torpedo :D amazing work

TranDuy

Well done, I have one when carry bomb not torpedo :D amazing work