Hunter

Good morning all,

Well I'm calling it done. Once again I had a great time in your GB Gam. I have plans for this aircraft in a dio setting later this year. I will be posting that in the "diorama" forum. Once again, thank you and I will be looking for the Japanese VII GB.

Thanks again Gam for taking the time and energy to host another great GB!!!

 

 

Hunter,

That is some beautiful work! I'm am now embarrassed with mine. I think I'll have to build another one.

Doc

Gamera

Please sign me up with a crossover from the Midway GB.

I will be doing a Fujimi 1/48 Val. I should be able to complete it before December.

plasticjunkie

Gamera

Please sign me up with a crossover from the Midway GB.

I will be doing a Fujimi 1/48 Val. I should be able to complete it before December.

 

Sounds cool! Just put you down. 

Wow Doc....thank you very much for the kind words. I really enjoy building zero's.

docidle

After a weekend marathon I finished my Tamiya 1/48 A6M5c Zero. Here are a coupleg of shots of the cockpit with Eduard PE. And then an underside and a regular shot. After seeing the pictures, I cannot believe I missed that seam in front of the cockpit. Next time I’ll do better. This is my first Tamiya kit and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I’m going to try doing some weathering on it, so I’ll get some better pictures and post them.

Steve

 

Hunter and docile, couple great looking builds of Zeroes you guys got there.

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

hi Cliff, can you  put me down for an A5M1 Claude from AVI Models.

The kit was just released (got mine from Hannants this week and they are sold out, but should be restocking soon).   The first profile, IJN ace Iwamoto, is what interested me to ge this one.

Tail wheel is already broken, not sure if it was me, but found it at the bottom of the plastic bag.   Oh well, decision made for me to go ahead and reinforce it with brass rod.  Good news is no antenna mast on this early type, so one less thing that can break.  Interestinly, there should be a pitot tube, but none included and instructions indicate to scratch build that detail, so some brass rod for that too.  Stay tuned ...

regards,

Jack

Nice work going on guys!!! Jack looking forward to seeing the A5M build!

Jack,

That is definitely a great looking kit. I have never seen a Japanese plane like that before. You have my full attention. I will be here watching until she is complete. Enjoy the build sir.

I know you'll blow that kit out of the water Jack. Looks funny without the wheel spats.

Got started on my contribution which I picked up at the last model show's vendor tables for $5 and still factory sealed.

Told myself I was gonna buld it OOB but it's beginning to not look as planned. I decided to drop the flaps so some cutting is required. I'm using the back edge of a #11 blade to score the outline and the UMM razor saw to easily cut the ends. It takes a steady hand and multiple passes using light pressure on the blade to get an even clean line.

I also started on the VERY sparse pit. It will need lots of thingies to make it look busy.

Jack: Looks awesome! I have some Rising Decals but I had no idea that they were making kits under a new line. Shame about the broken parts but you shouldn't have any problems replacing them.

Funny, I've been facing Claudes in a wargame I picked up the other day. Thankfully they're no match for my Hurricanes and Spitfires but they chew up my Brewster Buffalos!

http://www.slitherine.com/products/700/details/Order.of.Battle.Burma.Road

PJ: You got a great deal there! Fujima makes some good kits. The dropped flaps should look awesome!

Hi guys, thanks for the interest and expressed confidence in this new Claude kit.  It is a limited  run ejection mold, so although it has some nice surface details,  it is rough around the edges.  I've already cleaned up the tail wheel, but see a problem with the casting.  Looks like the molds slipped so that one half is off center.  So my choices are, turn a blind eye to that, fix one side so it matches the other, or just scratch build a whole new wheel.

Cliff that is odd about that video game, I think the Buffalo would out perform the Claude in all aspects except for the turning radius?  Maybe the Claude pilots are veteran status in comparison?

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

PJ, looking forward to the Val build, I've that one partially started over two decades ago.  It has good detail, suprising so for a mid 70's tooling.

regards,

Jack

Almost done the Hien last night, just some check before to declare it finished

Bsy

That is one sharp looking Tony, great job.

Jack

Thanks. The kit is ok but needs further assistance in the pit which barely resembles the real thing. If you plan on showing off the pit then scratchwork is a must.

As I got more info on the Val, the pit detail shortcomings kept mounting. So much for the OOB build.

Here's the pit as OOB

And after adding a bunch of missing details. Some may not be historically correct but they resemble the instruments and thingies in the real thing (Gismology). The seat in the actual Val was not attached to the floor as in the kit but rather suspended in a metal tube cradle which I fashioned out of stretched sprue. I did not bother to remove the seat from the kit's floor mount since it will not be visible when viewed from above after the fuselage assembly. The rudder pedals were made from stretched sprue and pe parts from my spares/junk box.

closeup of the seat cradle

I also want to the pit details visible so I sliced up the kit two piece canopy. I used the UMM saw for this task.

The saw is paper thin and did a great job.

The pit sidewalls were also gismolized

some more details at the rear position

The wings needed some stretchers made from sprue to get an even join at the root.

Flaps were cut out and edges filled with PPP.

I still have to add some wiring in the pit and work on the IP, paint and weathering then seatbelts will go on.

Bsyamato: As usual great job there!!! 

Jack: I may be just being over-critical. I'm comparing the Buffalos to Hurricanes and Spits- which is sorta unfair... 

Well done on the Val Plasticjunkie. I fear the toupee effect on the canopy, using original pieces. Best way is to use the sliding parts as mould for new heatformed clear parts.

Two days of work on Zuiun:

Glossy clear before decals

Looks great! Still amazing to me how you do pre-shading with a brush. 

Thanks bsyamato. The parts actually fit in the slid open position except the next to the last canopy which has that teepee effect. I was planning on leaving the last two off since I have seen a few period pictures without them on. The last one was completely removed so that the rear gun could function.

The paint and decals on your  Jake look fantastic.

Looking great guys!!!

I would be so nervous sawing a canopy

Oh geeze I must have missed you somehow PJ... 

Great job you're doing there. I love those lowered flaps and you modifications you're making to the canopy. I still haven't worked up enough guts to modify a kit like that. 

Thanks :)

Is not a Jake (not yet unfreezed ..) it's the Paul/Zuiun

Last decals yesterday on the floats

Looking good Bsy!!!

I'm looking ahead on my Val build and planning on the paint/weathering stage to come very soon.

As a newcomer to Japanese WWII aviation subjects I have a question regarding Japan's use of primer on their Naval aircraft. I posted this question on the Aircraft Thread and even shot an email to the Aviation of Japan site for some guidance. 

Would paint chipping , wear and tear expose not the metal finish but the orange/red primer used by the IJN on their planes? This is an entire different issue with the other Air Service as they discontinued the use of primer by late 43 contributing to the extensive paint peeling seen on their Army AF aircraft.

I found a color picture showing the red primer on a Val:

http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2009/04/aichi-d3a-val-interior-in-detail-colour.html

This would guide me to believe the primer would be visible on worn/chipped areas instead of the usual silver color (NMF) used by modelers. 

Gamera

Oh geeze I must have missed you somehow PJ... 

Great job you're doing there. I love those lowered flaps and you modifications you're making to the canopy. I still haven't worked up enough guts to modify a kit like that. 

 

Thanks Gamera. The flap surgery took a few minutes but I think it looks pretty cool with the dropped flaps. I also thought about folding the wing tips.......

bsy...outstanding job sir!

PJ...Wonderful work on all the "plastic surgery"

Intresting thing about the Val primer, must investigate 

Heres final pictures of Hien

https://www.flickr.com/photos/28892362@N03/albums/72157684591459402

At the next with zuiun updates

bsy,

Wonderful job sir! Everything looks great.

Hey bsy that Tony looks sweet. Great job on that one.

Yes the primer issue on Naval planes does bring up a couple of questions for sure. 

bsyamoto, excellent work on your Hien, and very nice gallery of outdoor  photos.

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

PJ, good question about chipping on a Val.  I can only suppose, but being a bird opperating over salt water, I imagine crews would be diligent in patching up damaged paint finishes?

regards,
Jack

PJ,

Here is an article that I looked into while doing my IJN Akagi flight.

Long read but interesting. 

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