bsyamoto,

That is nicely done!  You do such great work on esoteric kits.  Lots of tender loving care!  :)

Gary

Thank you Cliff :)

Decals on

At the next!

Again, looking good Bsyamato!

Great work Doug  another beauty jap  on the wall :)

Updates on the Sonia:

Drybrushed the bottom light grey/green too, just changed the the percentage of humbrol 78 to have ha darker color for panel lines and pure white fo highlight on panels center, the drybrush, done after few minutes of last grey layer bring a curious semiglossy finish on the bottom :)

Yellow stripes with 154, lots of thinned layers, at the end i refined the border steps formed by the tape masking, also painted black on wheels and homemade aotake on inner flaps

And after two layer of glossy coat for decals, a third was already done and this afternoon counting to put on the decals :)

At the next :)

Doug: Really nice work there- I wish I could move half as fast!

Thanks Jack, thats my thoughts too, no not walking around, but it was on my lazy susan table, and was being turned, so your most likely right about that.

Thanks to you too Bob, Yeah, it is a pretty cool looking little plane.

Doug

A few pages back, there was a brief topic on why Japanese paint peeled so badly.   I remember reading about this somewhere before, and had more to do with primer, or rather lack of it.  In a nutshell, it was really poor manufacturing standards, as laid out here, thanks to j-aircraft once  again:

http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/weathering_question.htm

regards,

Jack

Doug, really nice work on this.

Can't deny it's a really unique design.

As for the pics, looks like the light source shifted - were you walking around the subject as you took photos?

regards,

Jack

Looks good Doug!  Job well done on a cool-looking plane

OK gents, I was able to finish up this weekend...

Decals appiled, but had alot of trouble getting them th suck down. Had to work them for quite a while with Micro sol ans Micro set to get them to take... Never did like Hasagawa or Tamiya decals...

Once they began to adhere and take to the surface detail, they were OK.

Dont know why the color changed in the photo, its still a nice dark IJN Green, possibly the way the dull coat absorbes the light or the lighting?

This one (outlinde) hatch looks like it silvered but it didnt, I lightly chipped the panel to simulate inspection wear.

Again, No idea why the color did this, its as I said, still a nice dark green.

All in all, This was a nice well designed kit. I had virtually no problems and for an older kit, I am pleased with the outcome.

Thanks...

Doug 

OK friends, Got a bit more done today, I am putting some light chipping on the finish even though she only flew twice...

Got all her legs on and starting to fit the doors...

Thats about a funky looking angle the rear gear legs are at, but thats how they show in the picture...

Well, shes able to stand on her own now...

And the obligatory yellow on the leading edges of the wings...

Well thats about all for now, Tomorrow I start the decals...  Happy 4th all!

Doug 

Thanks guys, I think I've been painting mine all cockpit interior though!

Hey John... I agree with Jack, everything I have ever seen has stated that most all single engine naval fighters had either a black cowling or a black anti glare strip between the cowl and the windscreen from the assy point and the area just to the rear of the cockpit under the canopy glass was that color.

Doug

According to this j-aircraft.com research, the rear canopy deck should be the same colour as the cowling - so insert your favourite cowling black here.

----------------------------------------------

Great updates everyone!

regards,

Jack

falconmod

falconmod

Ok, So I got the decals on and I started to do the chipping/flaking  weathering which i've never done before like this on the Zero.  So what do you think?    This was done with the hair spray method,  1st time for that too.

I haven't put any clear flat on it yet.  That begs another question  were Zero's flat or semi-flat paint?

John

I have another question,  what color is the back deck on the zero?  the portion behind the pilot seat that is under the canopy.   is it the interior cockpit color?

John

Not 100% sure but on my japanese subjects i paint this part normally with interior cockpti color

Finally few time to post updates, kurogane first:

plastic surgery to fill some gap

adding more pieces

free wheels and seats from sprues

stretched sprue for the "cowling" top detail, original gone with sanding work

Added the ror at the steering wheel , no pieces provided in the box as the front transmission shaft 

the front wheel gear , also a correction to the under fuel tank and the silencer, glued more backward  than before 

wheels test fitting

other pieces on the wheels, this version have bolts covered

lateral back windows and windscreen glued

the top testing, after this one of side windows results in wrong place and a correction needed, theres no pins in the kit for right gluing position  and added front and back hooks

headlights drilling and gluing

and refuelling probe.. missing in the kit, plastic ror with top flatten by heat and glued the ID plate

some diggin with cutter to improve the dope

ready for paint:

homemade khaki color 

and go with brushes, at the end about 4 layer of khaki after the primer i did

homemade dope color too

Asap the sonia too, right today i painted it with first glossy layer for decals :)

At the next!

Doug: Nice work there the Shinden is coming right along.

John: Oh gee, I can't remember now, I'd guess interior cockpit colour though it might be aotake. Anyone else want to chip in?

falconmod

Ok, So I got the decals on and I started to do the chipping/flaking  weathering which i've never done before like this on the Zero.  So what do you think?    This was done with the hair spray method,  1st time for that too.

I haven't put any clear flat on it yet.  That begs another question  were Zero's flat or semi-flat paint?

John

John

If i'm not mistaken the prop blades should be painted brown /i can't check my refrences at the moment, so i'm not 100 % sure/. Nice job on the Shinden so far! I can't wait for Zukei Mura to release their 1/48 kit.

Well I was able to get some paint done this week so far...

 The underside was said to be sky grey,

The upper is IJN Green (Tamiya acrylic)

Installed the prop and started on the landing gear. Hoping someone can give me some insight into the prop blades, I had read that the blades were some type of composit material but was not spicific as to what, so I used MM Metalizer paint, Buffing Gun Metal Lacquer. Sprayed a good coat of Future for the sealer. Man, what long spindilly little legs it has. I would think that this might be a weak point of the design, but ... Any way, thats all for now, Thanks

Doug

John... Yes sir, the paint from what I've read was inferior and Japan being an Island country with little natural rescources had to cut corners on alot of things, like the zinc that went into the primers and the lead that strengthened and help the paint endour the harsh use, also the aluminum in the aircraft was of varying degrees of quality, even getting to the point in later years of using steel skins on some aircraft due to lack of aluminum. All in all you've done a amazing representation of  the Zero, Keep it up!

Doug

Rigidrider, Silentbob33, GAF, bsyamato:

Thanks for the encouraging comments.  It is hard to know with Japanese camouflage  what is enough or correct for that matter.

GAF:   sometimes you just have to work wherever you can.  No really, I forgot to take the pictures the night before and had to take them in my car in the parking lot of my work> 

That is a interesting comment about the paint pealing off from the factory to the airfield!   The Japanese have really improved there painting methods since then!   

John

falconmod

Ok, So I got the decals on and I started to do the chipping/flaking  weathering which i've never done before like this on the Zero.  So what do you think?    This was done with the hair spray method,  1st time for that too.

I haven't put any clear flat on it yet.  That begs another question  were Zero's flat or semi-flat paint?

John

The chipping seems perfect John , nice workbench :)

Well done on the ancient kit Doug  missing again this subject

asap updates of my works too

John,

That chipping on the Zero looks good to me!

On the other hand, I think you have the most interesting work area I've ever seen!!  Is that the only place you can find some peace and quiet? 

Gary

Great work John!  Looks like just the right amount of chipping to me

Looking good John! The thing is it didnt take too long for Japanese aircraft to start looking like that, I had read in one book that right from the factory, paint could come off in sheets on the way to there units before ever engaging the enemy! There was a picture of a Ki 84 (I think) that arrived at its air station fresh off the assy line with a full 1/3 of the paint missing from one of the wings, had something to do with the poor metal prep before paint was applied. I still love Japanese camo schemes (field applied) and yours looks just right!

John: Looks good to me! I like how the paint chipped off around the panel lines etc where the edges would be. I'm not totally sure but the paint I'd assume would weather to a flat however it might be originally.

Ok, So I got the decals on and I started to do the chipping/flaking  weathering which i've never done before like this on the Zero.  So what do you think?    This was done with the hair spray method,  1st time for that too.

I haven't put any clear flat on it yet.  That begs another question  were Zero's flat or semi-flat paint?

John

Lol, nice to know I wasn't the only one Waikong!

Doug, Nice looking build so far.  That plane always had that 'sci-fi' look to it.  Aces of the Pacific, I loved that game - probally  spent way too many hours on it. :)

Lol, it's an ancient game now- really passed by technology but I loved it way back when.

I love the looks of the thing, if it hadn't been for the jet it might have been the future of aviation. I've got the Curtiss Ascender and the Northrop Black Bullet (which is actually olive drab) in my stash.