Thanks. All freehand. I’m experimenting some new methods with these two and learning as I go along.
2 Likes
Got a bit of work done on the P-47. It’s been going together rather well but I ran into some confusion doing the engine cowling and all that goes in. But I’ll get it together.
5 Likes
Kudos! I keep thinking I should be able to do that, but I don’t get anything that looks that good. So hats off.
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The Wolf progresses but not quite as I planned.
I completed the wiring for the tub
I repainted the gold parts Tamiya provided. They had some prominent seam lines, and in the case of the radiators, the gold was just over the top.
And plumbing for the oil tank and fuel line. The instructions don’t give a lot of direction so some will have to wait until the engine is complete.
and on the engine, having painted the parts I decided that the colour callouts were too bright so that has gone back to the paint shop. But the body shop has been busy testing out how the fit will be and what work is required to get a good fit.
cheers
Michael
14 Likes
Michael, not a car builder, though I must admit your build is looking impressive! Keep at it.
1 Like
Hi Everyone,
There’s certainly lots of different and very nice builds going on here to commemorate Mr. Tamiya! I must admit that this build has been by far the easiest and most fun build of a twin, and I’ve built quite a few! So, this is how the build progressed. In my last update, I had completed the paint job complete with all the markings painted on with the use of Montex masks.
Following the painting, I went to put down a matt clear finish. With supply lines, and scarcity of clear I had to improvise. Using a mix of Future floor wax and adding in some very old Tamiya flat base, I sprayed the bird, and much to my dismay I got a run on one of the engines. Using a tried old technique, I let it all dry thoroughly, and then lightly sanded the area down. The first step in repairing this goof was to mask off the area, and then begin sanding.
Any lost detail was lightly rescribed, and then the offending area was repainted in the original black.
With the masking tape removed, I found the result to acceptable!
Next up in the final part of the build was the little fiddly parts. For the most part, they weren’t too fiddly. the main landing gear fit was perfect! The tail wheel covers, well not so much. The starboard side went on just as depicted in the instructions. The port side was another story. After four attempts using liquid glue and having the part not align or not stick, it was time for the superglue option. It should be noted that I’ve had this issue with Tamiya kits in the past, so in all likelihood, this is my fault somehow. There’s always something else to figure out! Anyway, loaded with superglue on the tabs I went to attach the gear cover when it did a spectacular flip and dive right into the wheel well. Upon inspection I could see the cover sitting nicely in between the two fuselage halves. A rescue was mounted by first removing the tail wheel and then, knowing the tinsel strength of superglue is weak, retrieval commenced. Two gentle twists freed the cover, unfortunately, the part fell from the tweezers and imbedded itself in between the rudder halves. After some gentle banging and shaking it was clear that the cover had found its home. It was then that I decided that the plane hit some FOD and the crew chief removed the cover to replace at a later time.
Putting the cannons in had a similar experience, where the outer cannon, while appearing to be in place slipped into the fuselage, only to free itself after I’d corrected the issue (typical). This was a simple like for like replacement as the kit has two duplicate cannons! I moved my attention to the canopy. Having masked it with the Eduard set, and painting the interior black, and then painting the exterior to match the rest of the bird I removed the masks and was pleasantly satisfied.
The canopy was attached using white glue, as were the access portions of the canopy, which fit as they were intended with no fanfare. Same goes for the cannon access panel. All was looking good and in record time! The final thing was to attach the propellers. These had been painted using yellow/orange for the arc markings and then masked and painted using Mr. Color “Prop Color” a dark shade of red brown. With Tamiya’s use of polycaps these went onto the plane with a slight push. And with that I was surprised to see that I had a fully completed Japanese night fighter that looked the part!
I will recommend this kit to anyone that builds models! This kit is a great one, good fits, interesting subject, clear instructions, well-engineered. It has it all. To the modeler that hasn’t tackled a twin engined radial from WWII, this is a great starter to learn. In keeping with Tamiya Shunsaku’s philosophy of providing well engineered, easy to build, with good research to achieve a hobby that is fun, encapsulates it. This kit gave me almost nonstop fun, which to me is the most important part of our hobby. I completed this in 24 hours of time, and the wife was pleased to see that I didn’t use any curse words!
Thanks to you all for allowing me to participate in this campaign. Congratulating a modeler that gave us so much, words can’t describe, yet I tried.
Till next time, be safe, wash your hands with soap and water and a above all else have fun!
17 Likes
What’s not to like?