Thanks, Cliff, and John who is not a Gary, sorry about that.

Thought I would check in with a little progress.  I managed to get the bottom of the Zero masked and then tried out the spray can color "Hunters Green" to see what it looked like.  It's... It's... It's green!

I can't say how close it is to IJN green, or IJA green for that matter.  All I can say is that it is enamel and it is shiny!  As a base, I think it will be okay as I intend to give it a wash of actual IJN green.  I do need to be careful as I'm not sure what a wash of Tamiya IJN green color will do to this enamel.  Needs testing.

The Hunters Green appears rather dark in the above photo, but is actually lighter as seen in this image.

I hope by the time the wash is applied, some weathering and chipping done, and a matte finished applied it will be somewhat close.  I have to say that I'm just experimenting now.

In case you're curious, the mask is still on the bottom of the model, so the grey-green is not showing through.

Hope everyone is doing okay in their concentration camps!

Gary

Gary: Hmmmm, Hunter Green wouldn't have been my first choice but it looks pretty darn close to me. Looking forward to more! 

Hey, Cliff, can I add my A7M here?  Sorry, I should have posted it here first.

jeaton01

Hey, Cliff, can I add my A7M here?  Sorry, I should have posted it here first.

 

Well, you've finished it but I guess it's okay.

No, that's OK.  Can you put me in for the Fine Molds A5M4 instead, 1/48.  Just got it today.

Here's the box art and some of the contents for the Fine Molds A5M4 Claude.  I'm going to use the markings for the Soryu, which participated in the Java Sea campaign at the same time as the G4M1 I built here.  The last markings in the instructions with the legend in the fuselage Hinomaru.

Looks cool John, going to put the Claude down now.

Piers: Thanks and your dozer looks good!!! 

Piers, PM me your ip number, you can get it by going to whatsmyip on google.  I'll see if I can get you fixed up with my gurus.  I wish there were more tractors in 1/48.

I started on the A5M, it is really going together well, a great kit.  My luck may have run out on the instrument panel decals on this one, jury's still out.  They are still drying.

The floor of the cockpit is on the top of the one piece upper wing so the wing is the starting point.  The engine has great detail and fit, very easy to assemble and paint.  I made masks for the windscreen and it is all painted up.  As you can see, I'm not exactly following the order of the instructions, that way I can keep making progress when paint or decals are drying.

That looks great John! Love the prop! 

Edited 5/4/2020, Carrier names corrected.

The A5M4 is done. I did some research on the A5M4 whose markings I chose, and am quite sure but not positive that it was on the Hosho, a light carrier in the 3rd carrier division during the battle of Midway, June 4-7, 1942, where it played only a peripheral role.  This would most likely be the last carrier combat assignment for the A5M, and in contrast to what I have read before that there were no carrier based A5M's after December 7, 1941.  The Shoho was also carrying A5M's when she was sunk at the battle of the Coral Sea on May7 1942.

The interior built up easily with lots of detail, although I have done better work on instrument panel decals.  The rest of the model had great fit.  I painted it with Alclad II ALC 101, interior is Gunze Mr Color 126 Mitsubishi Interior Green, with details done with Tamiya acrylics.  Eduard seat belts. 

With an A6M2 Zero in Suburo Sakai's markings.

John, your speed amazes me!  Nice work on the Claude, sir!

Gary

John: Beautiful job there! The NM finish is flawless! Just put you up on the front page.

Hello John, great looking Claude!

I believe CII tail code would be Zuiho, while CI are of the Hosho (up until April 1941 they had been G).  The red stripe along the length of the fuselage may be a marking of the Home (Reserve) Fleet - opinion varies.  Not sure what the script within the Hinomaru means.  Info compliments of Nick Millman replies from a few years back.

http://pacific.valka.cz/planes/ijnaf_marking.htm

Wingsy Kits has it as one of their options too:

regards,

Jack

Thanks everyone.  This one would probably go together quick for most anyone, it's just a great kit.  I do wish I could read Japanese, I'm sure there's a lot of good information in the first few pages of the instructions.

Jack, thank you for the reference.   I see the Wingsy instructions would have the straps on the tank in black.  Only the attach fittings are indicated black in the Fine Mold instructions.  Likewise, no red on the wheelpants.

I have an A5M2b on the way, with the closed canopy, and the Ka-14 is actually in the workshop but I may build something else first.

Shoho was sunk at Coral Sea, which was the lone sister ship of the Zuiho. 

The Hosho was a single class carrier, and only ventured out in a secondary supportive role for Pearl Harbour and Midway.  Can't find anything about Coral Sea.

regards,

Jack

Gam,

If I may, I would like to enter my 1/350 Akagi. If it's OK, it will take me well into next year. I will be starting it anyway but would like to throw it in on this GB. I want to finish it before the Nationals in Vegas next year so I don't want to wait until My Japanese GB Aug 2021.

Sure Steve, and OMG that's gonna be awesome!!! 

Thanks Clif. It might have to suffice for next years Japanese GB X.

I'll start on it tonight, along with much research, most of which has already been done.

I think I will never get the names right, Jack.  You are correct, of course.  Hosho, Shoho, my brain interchanges them.  Just give them CV numbers and be done with it!

I've corrected (I hope) the original posts.

Hi John, no problem.   For the Hosho at Midaway (according to wiki), there is only mention of 8 obsolete bi-plane bombers, but I think we can assume it still had some fighters since it had a capacity for a total of 15 planes.   Of interest, it is one of their bombers that was resposible for photographing the abandoned and burning Hiryu:

regards,

Jack

Hey John and Jack that's interesting! And John the A5M2b sounds cool, will be happy to put you down whenever you want. 

Steve: Personally that'd be a project for me for the next twenty years!!! 

BTW: Got my copy of the 2019 'Midway' the other day. No it's not the perfect movie but still somehow watching it on my TV at my own pace I think I enjoy it more than the big screen. 

I started on this monster last night. The past two night were me trying to make heads or tails of the PE and relationship to the kit. Unlike Eduard and others who tell you which part to replace in lew of the PE part. I surmise that Hasegawa built the kit and added the PE as add-ons. There doesn't seem to be any "replacement parts" per say other than the girders in the "Super Set", everything else looks to be an enhancement to the kit. One just needs to keep an eye on all 8 sheets of PE to make sure you don't miss anything.

After making the 3x searchlights, 3 tiny parts each, and setting them aside so I didn't lose them, I when ahead and installed the bulkheads. Be aware that one of the stern bulkheads has an additional part attached and must be installed a certain way so you can attach the rudders, as if I was going to install rudders….pfft

Oh wow Steve! Oh wow oh WOW!!! 

Cliff, I'm still waithing for the A5M2b.  In the meantime I'm going to start on the Ka-14, the prototype for the A5M series, also Fine Molds 1/48.  There was another airplane in The Wind Rises, but it was an airplane Horikoshi dreamed of as a child, I built it last year, I think.

The "dream airplane":

John: Sure! Going to put the Ka-14 down now! 

And that dream airplane is cool, nice job on her!!! 

Steve, Agaki looks like a massive kit, I can see it keeping you going for a year! I am going to enjoy watching this build unfolding.

John, looking forward to seeing the photos, I enjoyed 'The wind rises' too along with many other Ghibli movies.

The Komatsu is coming along slowly, plenty of other things going on at the moment. Finally got a coat of yellow on over hairspray, then scrubbed it back.

Had to do a bit of touch up, but happy with how bad it looks.