Kits in progress:
- 1/48 Tamiya J2M3 Raiden (first kit started, now finally on the painting table, albeit minus a cockpit and some exterior detail that got removed w/ lacquer thinner, plus other gaffes - truly a sacrificial learning-curve build)
- 1/72 Testors F4U1 Corsair (second kit started, furthest along paintwise, starting to look not half bad - another sacrificial learning-curve kit)
- 1/72 Hasegawa J2M3 Raiden (haven't thought about this one for a while, but do recall making some progress before moving on to something else, as usual)
- 1/72 Hasegawa J7W1 Shinden (got hung up on scratchbuilding cockpit detail, but should build up into a nice model at some point)
- 1/144 Sweet A6M2-N Rufe (2 kits, just at the point of masking canopies prior to paint prep - some OK cockpit detail added)
- 1/144 Sweet GM-FM3 Hellcat (built up just one of the two kits so far, stalled at the enhanced cockpit stage)
- 1/72 Hasegawa F86F Sabre (ancient JASDF boxing w/ raised panel lines, etc - scratchbuilding cockpit detail, planning wheel well detail and maybe a crash moulded canopy)
- 1/144 Arii A6M3 Model 32 Zeke (serious upgrade challenge build of ancient tooling - scratchbuilding entire cockpit, planning engine and wheel well detail and well as crash moulded canopy - my current preoccupation)
So things have gotten a bit involved. Anyhow, might as well start with the Corsair since it's looking the most like an actual model airplane as opposed to a bunch of parts.
Started this cheap kit ($6 at Michael's) about 9 months ago – I think it's an old Hawk tooling or something like that, probably from the 1960’s, complete with faired-over cockpit and half-pilot figure. Panel lines a mix of raised & recessed, possibly the kit’s best feature. Some of the detail is nice, but a lot of it is just missing – engine exhausts, air intake grilles, etc – anyway, it was a learning build and learn I did, mainly a whole lot about compensating for poor fit with filling, sanding, filling, sanding…more filling...there was also a pretty rough first attempt at wiring up an engine and giving it a black oil wash, all of which was prelude to several months spent stuffed in a plastic box back in the shadows. But then without warning this raggedy, half-forgotten old airframe reappeared for a quick dustoff, assembly, painting prep and overall try for the finish line. Got the canopy masked and glued (forgot to include the pilot figure though – all painted up and no place to go)
Drilled out gunports, scratched up a few radio antennae on top and a pitot tube (got broken off, natch), and even learned how to repair a raised panel line (!), before finally an all-over polish with 10000 grit and some Testors grey primer sprayed from a can. Used Tamiya XF-16 Flat Aluminum for a metal undercoat, which I don’t recommend as it left a very pebbly finish that continues to show through the upper colour coats. I’d read about that too and still went ahead and tried it anyway. Yep!…anyhow, the underside colour is Tamiya XF-19 Sky Grey with a drop of X-2 White, while the top is X-4 Blue darkened to more of a navy blue using X-1 Black. During unmasking of the lower half the forward wheel covers somehow disappeared without trace, so I’ll be scratchbuilding a pair of those.
Spindly landing gear still masked off with Parafilm, but coming in handy to prop up the model during painting. Next is masking random panels on the underside and respraying to cover up Tamiya tape marks, bits of navy blue overspray and two thumbprints (one on each wing). Then chipping the paint a bit to show the aluminum underneath, before a coat of Future, decals, washes, and weathering.
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