Well, sucked it up and grabbed an Iwata Eclipse BCS at HL with the coupon.  Will get to learn it after I get a couple of smaller jars for it.  Got this build and a couple of vehicles (MB Jeep, Renwall Mil. Wrecker and the 29 rat rod kit before I get into the RF and the Mustang.

Going to try the automotive foam door jamb tape ("round or oval shape about 1/2" diameter and sticky on one side) to deliniate the color line between green and white/gray on the Betty before painting overall white.  Still up in the air on the hino's before white though.  The white in the pics I have seen was not done all that well and was kind of mottled/splotchy in a lot of places.  Very hurried job to get to specs laid down and agreed to for color and markings.  Looking to do the crosses in paint since I don't print decals or have access to green decal sheet.

goldhammer

Well, sucked it up and grabbed an Iwata Eclipse BCS at HL with the coupon.  Will get to learn it after I get a couple of smaller jars for it.  Got this build and a couple of vehicles (MB Jeep, Renwall Mil. Wrecker and the 29 rat rod kit before I get into the RF and the Mustang.

Going to try the automotive foam door jamb tape ("round or oval shape about 1/2" diameter and sticky on one side) to deliniate the color line between green and white/gray on the Betty before painting overall white.  Still up in the air on the hino's before white though.  The white in the pics I have seen was not done all that well and was kind of mottled/splotchy in a lot of places.  Very hurried job to get to specs laid down and agreed to for color and markings.  Looking to do the crosses in paint since I don't print decals or have access to green decal sheet.

Hi Art,

I think Iwata makes the best air brushes.  I have the HP-SB Plus.  It does a great job.

Ken

Hi Everyone,

A little more progress on my Zero.  I repainted the seat and remembered this time to shoot the inside of the fuselage where the cockpit goes:

After I let the paint dry, I am ready to start gluing the cockpit together!  Yeah!

Ken 

Good luck with the airbrush Goldhammer. As Ken said you started out with one of the best brands. I learned on an old Badger 350 which I guess is a decent brush but I don't think I'll ever go with a Badger product again though. Just find some old junk models and practice on them, and don't be afraid if you don't like results just to spray something a second or even a third time,

Ken: That does look good, looking forward to seeing the detail work added.

I bought a couple of the Testor's cheapie kits (F4U and SBD to toss together as a relief from the "good" stuff, and have the 105 T-stick to play with as well, and a couple of chassis to spray too.  We'll get there, Have painted cars and motorhomes for 25 years, but got away from it and back to the body side in the past 20.  45 years in the trade.

Ah okay, this should be a snap for you to pick up since you're just doing the same thing in a smaller scale... 

Okay Gamera,

Here is one last photo of the Zero with the base. I made the base with a 10"x10" 1/4" plywood. It is based on a Japanese Carrier deck.

Doug

Cliff, I also started with a Badger 350 about 40 yrs ago, and I srtill have it and on occasion break it out and use it.

Doug, like the deck scene and the figures are very nicely done, Bravo!

Doug ( the other one)

Nomad Doug: That looks fantastic! Did you scratchbuild the entire thing? I'd love details on how you did it.

RR Doug: Cool, I can't knock the Badger too much though I switched years later to a Paasche and frankly though it's basically the same thing I really prefer it over the Badger in almost every way. Later I picked up a Grex for detail painting and ended up using it for pretty much everything these days.

Yeah, at the time the ole 350 was pretty nice, I had the kit with all the tips and needles, but man , what a difference over the years. I also went to the paasche VLS kit, but although it was light years better, it still wasn't what I really wanted, or at least it didn't produce the results I wanted. I finally broke down and bought  a Master Pro set , gravity fed, from TCP Global, and its finally got me in the happy with the results column. I have to admit though, I still have the ole 350, and get it out every now and then to run a little paint through. Take care...

Doug, (the RR one) lol...

Thanks Gamera and "The other Doug", LOL!

Yes Gamera I scratch built the base. I used the pic below as the idea and went from there. I used a 10"x10" plywood base and primed it with automotive primer. I then painted the entire thing with Model Master Wood #4673. I kinda guessed at the measurements on the lift and then drew the outline with a pencil. I used a round object to make the corners. I masked the wood off and painted the lift with dark grey with a touch of black to darken it more.

I then drew the inside outline for the black ring and masked that. The white strips are Tamiya 6mm masking tape that was masked and painted. The inside of the lift was drawn with a pencil. The wood planks were measured at 1/8" and then I used a pencil to draw then on the board. the cross lines on the wood planks were measured at 1".

It took me about three days to finish it. It was a fun project to do.

Doug

Hi Everyone,

My latest progress so far:

Ken 

Thanks for the instructions Nomad Doug - I'm going to have to try building one though I need to finish some stuff before I start yet another project.

Ken: Very cool, those seatbelts are really working out for you.

Into the home stretch now, no decals all masked

Tates... Good looking aircraft! Liking your "Busy Bench" lolol... Looks a lot like mine right at the moment!

Keep the pics coming!!!

Doug

Yes, she looks really good Tates!

Just saw a story on Yahoo on K. Harada, Zero pilot during Midway who shot down 5 TBD's and was shot down and survived on Guadalcanal.  Had a pic of models in a box and one was a German Komet in dark green with hinos on her.  Looks like they might have got a couple of those as well as the ME's.

I just watched a show on YouTube about Japanese secret weapons.  The 262 and 163 were given to them in drawing form only and the Japanese had to re-engeneer the planes from drawings alone. They were going to enlarge the 163 for better mileage. Not too bad for a race we were being told were inferior.  Japanese ships and planes were way better than we thought at the time.

Take a look for that episode on YouTube. Interesting.

Thanks for the heads up guys!

There's a really good website devoted to Japanese experimental aircraft of the Second World War here.

The Mitsubishi J8M Shusui (Sword Stroke) was in fact a direct copy of the Me-163. Oddly the Nakajima Kikka (Orange Blossom)  though looking almost exactly like a smaller 2/3rds size Me-262 was a totally Japanese design - sorta.... Two submarines were sent from Germany to Japan with the blueprints for the BMW 003 turbojet engine and the Me-262. However; the sub with the 262 plans was sunk. Left with the plans for the engine and only some photos of the 262 the Japanese engineers built  the Kikka to look like the 262 but it was internally entirely a Japanese design! FineMolds makes kits in 1/48th of both the Shusui and the Kikka.

There were also plans for a larger copy of the 262 called the Nakajima Ki-201 Karyu (Fire Dragon) that literally never got off the ground. Plus the Kyushu J7W Shinden was designed to fit a turbojet engine as well.

Some crazy stuff- I wish we'd see more of it as models rather than yet another German X plane...

Near the badge :)

last two days cleaned the canopy from paint excess , three glossy clear layers and decals on the Ki-55

She looks really good!

Thanks Clif :)

washed after sealed decals 

Again, she looks really good Bsyamato!

Hope everyone is well, sorry for the lack of progress on my part. Haven't been feeling well plus with the 'Armour in the West/Defense of the West' GBs ending early next month I've been concentrating on getting stuff finished up for them.

I'll be in this when the Boeing GB starts in June with a JGSDF PATRIOT though i may have something else. right now i am trying to figure out how much i can finish for a June regional, including 1/35 K-5 RR gun.

Really cool Wayne, wonder if it could shot down Mothra...

Basically finished the Ida last night:

One of exhausts scratcbuilded before paint 

after painted i lost even the original one before to glue (the floor monster!) and scratchbuilded the other too :(

She looks great, looking forward to the finished photos!

It does make sad to find out the floor/carpet monster lives in every country though...  

Got all the large decals on with Solvaset to melt them down over all those rivets and panel details. There are a few tiny decals to go on then the washes and weathering.

Looks great PJ!

Almost done with the Type 74 MBT here, I've been having issues with the Woodland Scenics snow but I finally decided to say 'the #$@#' with it and just finish the thing...

good lloking Nate :)

where's the badge? 

Final pictures of the Ida