I finally got to get some work in on my zero,  just gotta add the seat and some seat belts and then i can glue the fuse together.

John

John: Looks good man!

Josiah: The whole salt thing is pretty simple. I pulled an old P-47 kit out and tried it to get some experience. Only problem is at the time I only had table salt, I'm going have to try again now that I have the sea salt.

bsyamato. Looking really good. You've been busy!

Nice pit coming along there, John!

Gamera. Here' s a closer shot of the hood. I used alclad, then gloss clear coat, then the salt. Then, Tamiya black. I took the salt off with a wet q tip. It's also easy to make some wear with a toothpick, like around the latches, etc.

I'm almost done. It's those odds and ends now, that seem to eat up a lot of time at the end. I got the decals on, but should have sanded just a bit better where I put them. One of those things that you can't notice well without the optivisor, but as we modellers know...it's there! Grrrr. Anyway!

She looks great in the close-up! I kinda goofed here, I went ahead and painted the yellow leading edge stripes and masked them before the aluminum so they won't be involved in the chipping process. I can go back and do them with a silver marker though I suppose.

Looking forward to the finished photos. Dang you guys have been making crazy progress! Wish I could get a little more done.  

John (falconmod) - neat work on the cockpit details of  the Zero.  What is your preference of paint brand for the interior colour of this particular subject?

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I think I've got the main details now done, and can mask off the cockpit and start throwing some paint on.

  A combined 0.3 and 0.5mm hollow brass rods were used to replace the molded pitot tube.  Also 0.3mm to replace the actuating rod on each aileron.  A slot was cut out of each wingtip navigation light.  Using some pre-shaped clear styrene from the sprue tree, this was glued in place and followed up with some sanding to achieve the proper shape.

***** Do have one question about the gun camera.  A wire replicates the cable that leads into the cockpit, but I couldn't find any reference of where it inserts in the wing bottom.   I think my decision was based on what looks good esthetically, but not so much practical.  They would probably want it short as possible, less chance of getting damaged.  So any opinions on this? The one end is just in position for now, so it can be moved/shortend.

regards,

Jack

jgeratic

John (falconmod) - neat work on the cockpit details of  the Zero.  What is your preference of paint brand for the interior colour of this particular subject?

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regards,

Jack

Jack,

  I used Model Master Interior green.

John

Nice Pit Falconmod :)

Panzerpilot , he seems good to me 

Large updates.. i ended to finish the Babs completely with acrilics.. my first time 

works of two nights... paint session after closed fuselage in one night.. terrific saving time for my usual paint with enamels 

washing with a mixture of black and light brown

Ip ready

some picture before to close and leave inner details to the memory of pictures :(

Closing and wings/rudders on

pieces painting

After vallejo primer and two layers of homemade light grey with a touch of yellow and gears on. Some panel lines was accentuate to not lost during paint session

more layers after

Engine and cowling almost done. The cowling color have some blue but not visible in the picture :(

At the next!

John: I think I missed you before, looks great there! Love all the work there on the instrument panel.

Jack: Very nice work too! I did look a little for information on the gun camera but didn't find anything. I really need more references on early war aircraft, almost all I have is late war stuff- sorry.

Bsyamato: Looks good! Nice introduction to acrylics- I hardly use anything else now.

Gamera - thanks for checking your refs.  It was actually this cutaway drawing that gave me the idea to add the camera cable.  Looking at this and more photos, I'm wondering if Fujimi made a gaff  with the pitot tube, as references seem to indicate the correct location being on the starboard wing. 

regards,

Jack

Jack, you made me go looking through photos. Claude pitot tubes were starboard side. I couldn't find any photos clear enough for your electrical lead question.

Odd thing. Fujimi's box art clearly shows the pitot on the proper side, but the kit has it to port. I don't think I relocated mine when I built them.

Hmmmmmmm interesting flub there on Fujimi's part. Wonder if the kit was based on a museum plane that was restored improperly?

Not sure if there are any restored Claudes.

Johnsan, thanks for the confirmation on the pitot tube.  Could be Fujimi followed the placement as it appeared on the prototype, or perhaps from following a photo that was created from a reversed neg.

No complete examples of the Claude survived the war.  I think I've only seen pieces of one salvaged from the water.

regards,

Jack

Ah, thanks for the correction guys- I was kinda just thinking out loud there...

I was thinking reversed negative myself.

Cliff you can add the hasegawa Ki-51 Sonia (1/72) to my builds for the GB, just waiting some day to clears the workbenchs and will start the sonia too :)

Babs updates:

More interior pale green mixed for the under canopy areas

Added little pieces before canopy, the sort of gunsigth in fron the pilots was modified with a clear piece

then glued the fixed canopy parts

reproduced the small side windows with contacta clear revell glue

A test fitting with engine and propeller :)

At the next!

Bsyamato: Sorry missed the Sonia there, just added her. And really nice work on Babs, looks good and a very attractive plane with the nose on.

BTW: Finished the NM on the Shiden this weekend and then put on the clear gloss Alclad overcoat and letting it dry for a few days before I try the salt. As usual I ended up getting some trash in the paint, how on earth do you get a clean NM finish!?! I used a tack rag and everything. Still I'm pretty darn happy, good enough I'm almost tempted to leave her in NM finish!

Sorry the lighting wasn't best. And yes if you look I did break off one the portside cannons but I saw where it went and put it back in the kit box...

That's a really nice looking NM finish.

Trash in the NM finish? I always get some as well. I figure that having a really clean primer is key. Next time I do NM, I'm gonna use Mr surfacer straight of the rattle can.

Nice progress on here, folks!

Bsyamato - your build is taking shape now, I hope to be near that stage tomorrow.

Gamera - really nice NM, and I do detect pre-shading underneath.  

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I've got the previously discussed details of the Claude squared away, and have sprayed the main body a metal colour.  I'll post a progress pic soon, just want to get in another day at the bench.

regards,

Jack

Thanx Jack, soon the Babs will be done :)

Last night decals, some fear about the acrilics that seems react with decals water  but after semms all ok. Next step ENAMEL gloss paint and washing 

these decals was really old and take lots of time before to slide off the paper..

No fear about the sonia Cliff, you don't miss nothing , i don't post nothing till now , just announced :)

Perfect NMF with preshading on the Shiden  .. guns and antennas moulded with fuselage and wings are even a bad affairs :D

Thanks guys, and Jack yeah that's the same method of pre-shading DoogsATX used here, I won't go into details but I like the technique and have been adapting it for myself.

Bsyamato: That is one beautiful clean build- seems almost a shame to put a wash on and dirty her up.

The washing will just pop up the panel lines Cliff :) i like too a clean finish for this plane

Looking forward to seeing you work your magic! 

I hope so  fear about possible problem with acrilic paint and enamels , asap will try

BTW the only picture i took of the Ki-51 sonia from hasegawa... it was a part of combo kit (as the rufe arrived in the same delivery) ,so no box to show :(

So here is how I went about creating the look of the 'golden' Claude:

1.) - after a grey primer, (and some pre-shading of black applied with the hairy stick), an overall steel colour.  Also applied dark dirt Flory wash, and wiped off with a section of cotton flannel and a little water.

2.) - to represent the possible amber protective coating, airbrush clear yellow overall.  Also added into the mix was future, lacquer thinner and some clear orange,  (a little less than one third) to avoid getting that puke green look.

3.) Though it looked cool, I thought the effect in step 2 was a bit too strong (perhaps a scale thing?).  Deciding it needed to be toned down, the remainder amber mix was added to aluminum - roughly 50/50 mix.  Reason I didn't use Steel here, simply ran out of the stuff.

Would most welcome to hear some feedback.

regards,

Jack

Really i like the effect Jack 

I used a similar way to do my claude for first or second Jap GB, a silver finish and a final layer of glossy clear, yellow and few silver, all humbrol enamels

The final effect are less yellow, but just personal taste.. no claude survived as previously discussed here :(

indoor pictures shows better yellow tint

BTW this kit was one of  funny kits i ever build (out if my mistakes when build.. decals are painted out of few survived stewncils for bad first painting session) and wishing to get more copies of it :)

Waiting for your work

Bsyamato - thanks, and I like your portrayal of the Claude.  

May I ask what brand paint you used for the red?  I'm not sure if I'll be able to create a paint  mix to match the kit decals.

regards,

Jack

Good looking stuff, guys.

Jack, I think #3 looks best. If you're worried about reds matching, you could paint the hinomaru. Circle masks are very easy to do, especially without with surrounds. You won't have to worry about silvering and the red will match.

Bsyamato, looks good. Have you decided on which scheme for your Sonia? So many from which to choose.

I'm having a hard time getting started again on the Zeros. So instead, I'm going for something a bit more modern, a JASDF T-33 or 'San-san' as the JASDF called them. Actually this wasn't a hard decision. The T-33 is my favorite plane. Platz kit is really good. I'm still on an NMF kick. Yeah, it all works together.

Jack i used a mix of 19 bright red with a micro add of yellow as i remember , unfortunalely i painted them after silver/mix coat.

Johnsan, not yet decided about the sonia scheme.. so many to choose :) from the decal sheet i think will use only the hiniomaru

Jack: Thanks for the walk-though there. Looks great and it's good to see what you did so we can build on what you've already done there.

Bsyamato: Beautiful job there and an interesting different approach to the golden tint.

Johnsan: I'll go ahead and put you down with the T-33 if that's what you're starting on. Could you please give me the company and the scale?