Everything looks good to me Ken. I know what you mean though, sometimes I want to throw the #$@%@# airbrush against the wall- I swear sometimes the whole point to an airbrush is make sure it takes three hours to do something I could do with a brush in ten minutes.

Hi Everyone!

The paint showed up today so I wasted no time.  I painted the cockpit tonight (cockpit green).

You may have noticed that this sprue tree is on the small side.  Since all the parts were close together in the corner section of the complete sprue tree, I cut this section out so I didn't have to mess with masking it off.

The airbrush was clogged and I didn't know it before I started.  I ran a cup of the acrylic thinner through it first before I started so I thought it was good to go.  But as soon as I put the paint in, it clogged.  I took the cup off and ran lacquer thinner through it.  Put the cup back on and clogged again.  I kept fighting with it and started to get some paint to flow.  So I started spraying the parts when it broke loose.  Thought I was going to have some sags or runs but it looks okay.

Ken 

Well my paint should arrive today, so I will be getting underway this evening.

Ken

Lol, I'll try to help out any way I can.

Ken: Yeah, always surprised me - there is the whole stereotype about how methodical and careful the Japanese are, well they weren't here!  

Thanks for the info, Gamera!  I should have known it wouldn't be that easy!! LOL!!!

TAD

Gamera

Hey guys good luck there! If I may point out though it may seem a little strange but every Japanese company had a slightly different paint colour for the same thing- aka Nakajima navy underside grey is a little different from the Mitsubishi navy underside grey.

I wouldn't worry too much about it but if you're a stickler for detail you can find out if your Zero was one of the original Mitsubishi birds or produced under license by Nakajima - the paint will be slightly different. For one thing Mitsubishi interior cockpit green looks very similar to US interior green to me, Nakajima is much greyer and looks a lot like RAF interior green.

The interior of the plane and in some cases the wheel wells were left plain aluminum and then sprayed with a translucent varnish called aotake, it started as a bluish and over time aged to more greenish. Being translucent you can see the aluminum though it giving it the metallic blue-green look.  

Thank you for the information Cliff!  That really surprises me that the Japanese did not have a closely regulated "standard".  Especially since they seemed to be so rigid about other things.

Ken

Hey guys good luck there! If I may point out though it may seem a little strange but every Japanese company had a slightly different paint colour for the same thing- aka Nakajima navy underside grey is a little different from the Mitsubishi navy underside grey.

I wouldn't worry too much about it but if you're a stickler for detail you can find out if your Zero was one of the original Mitsubishi birds or produced under license by Nakajima - the paint will be slightly different. For one thing Mitsubishi interior cockpit green looks very similar to US interior green to me, Nakajima is much greyer and looks a lot like RAF interior green.

The interior of the plane and in some cases the wheel wells were left plain aluminum and then sprayed with a translucent varnish called aotake, it started as a bluish and over time aged to more greenish. Being translucent you can see the aluminum though it giving it the metallic blue-green look.  

Bummer about Hobby Lobby, Ken....wonder why?? Getting out the word would definitely get product moving out of their stores AND build up some fellowship and friendships amongst all those solitary model builders out there!

I don't have the decals for the 1st scheme in 1/72nd scale, but I may improvise some to get a Pearl Harbor Zero........decisions, decisions.......it would be a good lesson for me in building a 'clean' build, coming from an armor and 'ground pounder' background!

TAD

Good points there Cliff and Silentbob.  I will have to think some more about this.

I looked up the colors of paint I need and found that I do not have them.  This will be my first Japanese plane (since I was a kid!) and all of my paint are USAF colors.  So I ordered them this morning.  They should be here by Thursday.

On a side note, Hobby Lobby said no to putting up that flyer.  A big disappointment.  I think it would have benefited them as much as us.

Ken

Doing a clean aircraft is one of the reasons why I chose the first one for mine  

Looks good Ken, Tamiya always does such a great job. I have to lean somewhat to the second scheme too. In the first one those aircraft were kept in pretty close to immaculate condition so you can't even weather it very much, good option if you want to do a clean pretty aircraft though.

Hi Everyone,

I finally finished clearing off my workbench and am ready to start my build.  Here is a shot of the contents of the box:

 Clear parts:

 First package of sprues:

 Second package:

 Decals:

 Color sheet of the two configurations you can build from this kit:

I am torn on which configuration to build.  The top one is the configuration for Lt. Cdr. Shigeru Itaya, Akagi Aircraft Carrier FG, Hawaii, Dec. 8, 1941.  The bottom one is the configuration for the 261st Air Group, Kagoshima Base, Feb. 1944.  It is more colorful than the overall grey one.  So it may be the one I choose.

 And finally the instruction sheet:

 Next step, wash everything!

Ken

Hi Everyone,

I stopped by the hobby shops this morning just as planned.  The store manager was not working today at Hobby Lobby.  But the person who was in charge said she would leave the flyer for the manager who would be there on Monday.  She also said she did not see a problem with putting it up.

The second one, a locally owned shop, was very receptive about putting it up.  It is now posted on the front door.

I then spent the afternoon clearing off my computer desk which is right next to my workbench.  Now that it is done, I will start on the top of my workbench next.  It doubles as my paint booth so it has a "top".

Ken

Hi Everyone,

Happy Friday!   

I got some more work done on clearing my workbench.  Just so amazing how much such a small area can hold!

I will be going to visit the hobby shops tomorrow morning.  Hopefully they will be receptive to the idea of putting up the flyer.

Ken

Ken, good luck, hopefully you get some good new members.

Hi Everyone,

I did manage to get some work done on clearing off my workbench tonight.  But I spent most of the evening working on a flyer for my IPMS chapter.  I will be stopping by the local hobby shops this weekend to see if they will allow me to put them up in the plastic model area.

Ken

Hi Everyone,

I am very disappointed that I did not have a chance to work some more on clearing my workbench.     I had to take care of some personal business.  Hopefully I will be able to spend some time on it tomorrow evening.

Ken

Gamera

HAHAHAHAH, I haven't cleaned my bench since well, I don't even remember anymore!!!

Some archeologist could do some sort of dig separating out different strata to see what I was working on at different points of time!  

You are funny!  You made me laugh!   

Ken

HAHAHAHAH, I haven't cleaned my bench since well, I don't even remember anymore!!!

Some archeologist could do some sort of dig separating out different strata to see what I was working on at different points of time!  

Hi Everyone,

I made some serious progress on clearing off my workbench tonight.  Funny how quickly it gets cluttered between projects.

Ken

Tal Afar Dave

Well, well, well........I got this feeling I've seen you around some place, Ken!! Welcome aboard!!

TAD

Thank you Dave!  Now that you mention it, you seem awfully familiar too!   

Ken

Well, well, well........I got this feeling I've seen you around some place, Ken!! Welcome aboard!!

TAD

Gamera

Sure! Looks awesome Ken and glad to have you!

Thank you Cliff.  I look forward to getting started on it!   

Ken

Sure! Looks awesome Ken and glad to have you!

Hi Cliff,

I would like to join your group build with this:

As soon as I get my workbench cleared off, I will start on it.  Thanks!   

Ken 

Well, this time worked out well, thanks!

No problem, I prefer listing other sources since it seems most of the time I try to help with advice it does more harm than good!

Thanks Gamera.  I just finished reading it.  It’s lengthy and involved, but very informative.

The conclusion of the article is that the extensive chipping on some Japanese aircraft is due to lack of primer.  The bottom line for Zeros, as I understand it, is that they were properly primered throughout the war, unlike other versions of Japanese aircraft.

I’ve also done a lot more poking around and I’m starting to realize the extensive chipping I see is mostly in pictures of other aircraft not so much on actual pictures of operational Zeros.

So, I think I’m going to scale back on my plan and reduce the amount of chipping.

Thanks for the honest input, I think it’s going to help me get a more accurate build.

Tom: This is the article I was thinking of, I started rereading it but ended up distracted and didn't finish. Maybe it's some help? I'll get back to it this weekend and see what I can find. 

I've been looking at the J-aircraft site, but there's so much written there it takes time to get through.

I know I've read something about the pealing paint, but I can't remember what or where.  I'm not a rivet counter, but I prefer my builds to be reasonably realistic.

That's why I was asking.  I don't want to put a lot of work into something and then find out later no aircraft actually looked that way.

One of my reasons for wondering about the green chipping is that applying it in the field probably didn't happen under the cleanest circumstances.  I've painted a couple cars and know it's tough to get a surface clean enough for the paint to adhere and last.  

Although, in the case of IJN in 1943, the paint probably didn't have to last long before the aircraft was destroyed or written off.

Yea, I would definitely appreciate any info or opinions anyone can give.