Hey Ken,

Running into some of the same problems as well finding reliable references....I may run down a few that you mentioned.....already confused about my trip down "the rabbit hole" on the colors already!!!

Working on my Val; it's an older kit with low parts count and the world famous "Humbrol Only" paints call out.  Took me awhile to decode the different colors.  Fuselage fit is pretty poor, but hopefully will settle down after I seal it up.

Hopefully, I'll get onto the new Zero kit soon....

Watching everyone's builds with great interest as I've not built many Japanese planes......maybe 2?? (in my life......)

TAD

Tal Afar Dave

Hey Ken,

Running into some of the same problems as well finding reliable references....I may run down a few that you mentioned.....already confused about my trip down "the rabbit hole" on the colors already!!!

Working on my Val; it's an older kit with low parts count and the world famous "Humbrol Only" paints call out.  Took me awhile to decode the different colors.  Fuselage fit is pretty poor, but hopefully will settle down after I seal it up.

Hopefully, I'll get onto the new Zero kit soon....

Watching everyone's builds with great interest as I've not built many Japanese planes......maybe 2?? (in my life......)

TAD

Hi Dave,

If you want to wait a few days before purchasing any of the ones I mentioned, I can let you know if any of them will be helpful.  I am not sure myself yet.  As soon as they show up I will post my review of them!

Ken

Son Of Medicine Man

Gamera

Ken: Sounds cool! I assume you already did a web search?

Guess I'm lucky I picked up Mikesh's book years ago for about forty bucks or so. Maybe I should sell the darn thing! Gee friggin whiz- $175 to $1460 for a copy in very good condition!?! Mine is almost like brand new!

So Cliff, you are currently sitting on a gold mine!  Should you sell it and make a bunch of money, or keep it being the "treasure" that you wisely bought at a good price?

Ken

Haha, Doubt I'll see it but I won't be loaning that one out to anyone that's for sure!!!

Btw: Please let us know what those books look like, always on the look for good reference material here too.

And also, the Mikesh book too provides a bunch of photos of restorations, not much else available it seems.

BTW, just posted on another thread about these I just got from HobbyLink Japan:

And that I'm not sure which is stranger, that Japan makes stuff like this or that I actually ordered a set!!!

Gamera, Both are strange!  Are the girls going on the tank?

I'll never understand the Japanese fascination with High School girls.

I suppose they could be on a High School field trip.

I don't get the whole Japanese high school girl thing, then again I don't 'get' anime/manga either. I do have some friends who are big fans and the whole Japanese high school gal thing has turned into a bit of a joke so I had to pick them up.

I figure I'll put the gal in the summer dress in a scene with the Type 10 and I have a Type 74 I'm thinking of hitting with whitewash I'm thinking of sticking the gal in the winter coat with.

Then again another friend suggested doing some sort of 'Girls Und Panzer' sorta thing with them! (it's an anime with yes gals in high school uniforms driving around in tanks and shooting at each other, I watched a few episodes but it's just way too WTH!?! for me).

Gamera

I don't get the whole Japanese high school girl thing, then again I don't 'get' anime/manga either. I do have some friends who are big fans and the whole Japanese high school gal thing has turned into a bit of a joke so I had to pick them up.

I figure I'll put the gal in the summer dress in a scene with the Type 10 and I have a Type 74 I'm thinking of hitting with whitewash I'm thinking of sticking the gal in the winter coat with.

Then again another friend suggested doing some sort of 'Girls Und Panzer' sorta thing with them! (it's an anime with yes gals in high school uniforms driving around in tanks and shooting at each other, I watched a few episodes but it's just way too WTH!?! for me).

TAD

Hi Everyone,

Three of the six reference books I ordered will be arriving tomorrow.  Hopefully I will find what I need.  I will let everyone know tomorrow evening.

Ken

Thank you Ken for diverting the conversation and getting us out of that one.

Hi Everyone!

Well I actually received 4 out of the 6 books I ordered today instead of just 3.  Here is my review of them.

A6M Zero in action:  This book by Squadron/Signal publications has a lot of technical details of the Zero.  It details the different versions.  It is a good resource for detailing your model if you want to build a specific version.  The biggest con for this book is the lack of color photographs.  In fact the only color is the two center pages showing accurate side view drawings (not actual photographs) of 10 different planes and the back cover showing 2 aircraft drawings.

In the Cockpit:  This book has nothing but full color photographs of cockpits taken with a wide angle lens.  Each one is taken from the view that the pilot would have if sitting in the pilot's seat looking forward.  So you get to see the front main instrument panel and the side panels from the seat forward.  There is also a photograph of the whole plane along with a description.  One plane that would be of interest to this group build is the Kawasaki Ki-45 Kai Hei Toryu.

In the Cockpit II:  The format of this book is the same as the first.  Planes that would be of interest to this group include; Aichi M6A1 Seiran, Kawanishi N1K2-JA Shiden Kai "George", Kugisho MXY7 Ohka Model 22, Kyushu J7W1 Shinden, Mitsubishi A6M5 Reisen Model 52 "Zeke", Nakajima J1N1-S Gekko "Irving", and the Nakajima KI-115A Tsurugi.

Modelling the Mitsubishi A6M Zero:  This book just as the title suggests is focused on building models of the Zero.  The models built are an A6M2-N Rufe using a 1/48 Hasegawa kit, an Kamikaze A6M5c using a 1/72 Hasegawa kit, an A6M2 model 21 in Pearl Harbor trim using a 1/48 Hasegawa kit, and a captured A6M5b TAIC No. 7 using a 1/32 Tamiya kit.  At the back of the book is a section called "Zero Walkaround".  This has actual photographs of close ups of different areas of different planes.  Nowhere near complete.  The book also explains general modeling techniques not just unique to the Zero.

 Ken

Thanks Ken, nice reviews! Those 'In The Cockpit' books seem like a viable alternative to out of print Mikesh book.

Well, I'm going to declare it finished.  Not my best build nor my best work, but for my first Japanese plane ever, I'm OK with it.

I never was able to find any info on the tail number T2 197 other than a few sketchey opinions that it was involved in the Yamamoto mission.  I usually like to learn a little more on my subjects.  If anyone knows anything I'd love to hear it.

Jeez, looks good to me Tom, I'd certainty be proud of it.

Tom: She looks like a fine job to me, very nice work! I like the chipping, looks good without being overdone.

Do you want me to go ahead and post you, I am thinking about using the first photo.

Thanks for the kind words.  I guess I see and know where all my mistakes are.  There's a few things I'd like to take a mulligan on.  Oh, well, things to aspire for next build.  

Gamera, yes please do.  I think the top pic would be the best one.

Tom: For some reason I can't get the photo to download and then upload to PhotoBucket- going to keep working on it.

I have it in Photobucket.  Is there anyway I can help?

Tom: I've downloaded stuff from PhotoBucket here before and reposted it to my folder for the front page, but it wouldn't download the photo.

Ate supper and came back and it downloaded and posted fine.

Oh well, all's well that ended well- you're on the front page now, and congrads again, maybe it wasn't exactly what you wanted but she's still a beautiful model

Looks good Tom! This GB was my first Japanese plane as well. What method did you use to chip the paint?

I used salt chipping; my first there as well.  Some areas came out really cool looking others not so much.

Some areas I used too much water and the salt dissolved. These areas actually worked the best as the water dried and left a more uniform area.  Cool looking, but hard for me to reproduce.

Other areas some of the individual salt crystals (which are in the shape of squares) are evident; and don't quite look as good (if you look close).

Compare the leading edge of the starboard stabilizer to the middle of the port stabilizer.

In a few areas, I also used a stiff brush cut down to really short bristles and "stippled" on Tamiya XF-16, flat aluminum.  Mostly just to get a chipped effect on the decals.

Overall I'm pleased with it and it was a good learning experience.  I have another trick in my bag for future builds.

Tom68

Well, I'm going to declare it finished.  Not my best build nor my best work, but for my first Japanese plane ever, I'm OK with it.

I never was able to find any info on the tail number T2 197 other than a few sketchey opinions that it was involved in the Yamamoto mission.  I usually like to learn a little more on my subjects.  If anyone knows anything I'd love to hear it.

I haven't commented much, but I'm really enjoying all the great work in this GB.  Thanks! 

Well done on the Zero Tom , i like it (Y)

Thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Ken

Son Of Medicine Man

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Ken

Same to you guys. Sorry I haven't been posting but got into a car accident coming home from vacation. I'm currenty in the hospital and have no internet access outside my phone. 

I'll see about getting the stuff posted for Japanese GB IV whenever I get out.

Take your time and get better Gamera, wishing you a speedy recovery. Try to enjoy that hospital turkey!

Gamera

Son Of Medicine Man

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Ken

Same to you guys. Sorry I haven't been posting but got into a car accident coming home from vacation. I'm currenty in the hospital and have no internet access outside my phone. 

I'll see about getting the stuff posted for Japanese GB IV whenever I get out.

Oh my gosh Cliff!  With your brand new car?  What happened to you?  Why are you in the hospital?

Ken

Hey Ken, driving back Atlanta Sat some woman in a minivan slammed into my drivers side door.

The new car is totaled. I'm sitting here with a broken collarbone, fractured scapula, and mess of broken ribs. I have a vaccum hose shoved my left side to drain off any fluids and am waiting for my lung to heal enough for them to remove it.

Oddly I'm not in any real pain right now, just really poed . One of front teeth is lose so I can't even eat solid food like turkey but have been doing fine by soup and cutting stuff up into small pieces.

Hopefully I'll get out sometime early next week. Any prayers etc would be welcomed right no

Gamera

Hey Ken, driving back Atlanta Sat some woman in a minivan slammed into my drivers side door.

The new car is totaled. I'm sitting here with a broken collarbone, fractured scapula, and mess of broken ribs. I have a vaccum hose shoved my left side to drain off any fluids and am waiting for my lung to heal enough for them to remove it.

Oddly I'm not in any real pain right now, just really poed . One of front teeth is lose so I can't even eat solid food like turkey but have been doing fine by soup and cutting stuff up into small pieces.

Hopefully I'll get out sometime early next week. Any prayers etc would be welcomed right no

Holy cow!  Were you on the interstate?  Did the police arrest her for being drunk?  Was she just going too fast and lost control?  Did she have good insurance?

Very glad to hear you are not in any real pain.  Man it sounds like you got banged into pretty hard.  I really wish you a full recovery.

Ken

I was off the interstate at the time and the officer claimed I hadn't stopped at a sign. I did't see the sign orher. She must have been flying at the time though did't seem like she even tried to evade me or brake - just hit me broadside.

My insurance is handling it, dunno how much they'll jack my rates but so far they've been great on this.