**** DONE: 1/48 Ki-45 Toryu Kai Tei - Night War of WWII
Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Nice !
Crimea_River
Marshal
A nice effect.
Good stuff !
- Thread starter
- #26
JKim
Senior Master Sergeant
Still plodding along on the interior. After doing a little bit of research, I think I've selected a specific aircraft to model.
According to the book, 'Japanese Army Air Force Aces 1937-1945' by Henry Sakaida,
Anyone have any small white "18" decals handy? The closest I can get with my decal spares is from a Sky Model sheet for Italian 109s. The "1" and "8" in approximately the right size but the "8" has cut-outs as a stenciled marking. I am planning the use the kit decals for the 53rd Sentai markings on the tail but I'll have to proceed with caution. The instrument decals cracked upon application, which is pretty rare for such small decals. I've ordered a compass cutter to cut hinomaru masks as a backup for the kit decals.
According to the book, 'Japanese Army Air Force Aces 1937-1945' by Henry Sakaida,
Anyone have any small white "18" decals handy? The closest I can get with my decal spares is from a Sky Model sheet for Italian 109s. The "1" and "8" in approximately the right size but the "8" has cut-outs as a stenciled marking. I am planning the use the kit decals for the 53rd Sentai markings on the tail but I'll have to proceed with caution. The instrument decals cracked upon application, which is pretty rare for such small decals. I've ordered a compass cutter to cut hinomaru masks as a backup for the kit decals.
fubar57
General
Sorry John, went through my limited supply of Japanese decals and nothing matched. The white 8 was too wide and the closest was yellow. Aviaeology does a white tail code sheet but I'm not sure if the size would be correct.
Aviaeology Decals 1 48 Japanese Tail Codes White | eBay
Geo
Aviaeology Decals 1 48 Japanese Tail Codes White | eBay
Geo
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Looks great John!
Crimea_River
Marshal
I'll take a look John, but, you know, it might be relatively easy to mask. The 1 is easy. The 8 can be punched into masking tape.
- Thread starter
- #31
JKim
Senior Master Sergeant
Thanks guys! The cockpit painting is going in fits and spurts. I feel obligated to do a decent job and to the resin upgrades some justice. But detail painting of cockpits is not my favorite thing to do. Here is my first attempt at the radio unit.
I didn't like it so I wiped it clean and started over. I used spare decals punched out individually to spruce it up. A flat coat was used to seal the decals and then I touched each instrument face with a drop of Future to simulate glass lenses like I did the cockpit IP.
Some more cockpit details that have been painted.
Here is the rear seat with the photoetched seatbelts attached.
The pilot's seat. I tried to simulate a leather pad by drybrushing various shades of brown and sand.
It all gets covered up by the seatbelts though. The bulkhead is finished but needs to be shot with a flat coat.
I didn't like it so I wiped it clean and started over. I used spare decals punched out individually to spruce it up. A flat coat was used to seal the decals and then I touched each instrument face with a drop of Future to simulate glass lenses like I did the cockpit IP.
Some more cockpit details that have been painted.
Here is the rear seat with the photoetched seatbelts attached.
The pilot's seat. I tried to simulate a leather pad by drybrushing various shades of brown and sand.
It all gets covered up by the seatbelts though. The bulkhead is finished but needs to be shot with a flat coat.
fubar57
General
Brilliant for a guy that doesn't like detail painting.
Geo
Geo
Will look through what i have John, and details look good
Last edited:
Done good mate!
- Thread starter
- #36
JKim
Senior Master Sergeant
Thanks Geo! That Aviaeology (can never spell that without double checking) decal sheet is an option but I'm trying to do this as "economically efficient" as possible.
Thanks Andy! Haven't thought of masking it myself... would need a larger punch set though as mine only goes to 2mm. Hmmm... there HAVE been times that I've needed a larger set of punches. I could maybe even cut it with an x-acto? Will test that out.
The Toryu continues with some small details. The nose cannon is hollow but I thought it could use some additional drilling. This piece is sandwiched between the two nose cone halves and with the gun in place, the seam at the gun opening may be hard to deal with.
The kit comes with two different types of exhausts. The archive photos and profiles of the mottled 53rd Sentai Toryus show the collective, single exhaust type so I am going with those. The pipes are molded in two pieces and fit is very good.
The cockpit tub and fuselage sides have been painted and weathered. I used some spare decals to dress up some of the black panels and instrument dials.
Double checking fit into the fuselage sides... looks good so far!
The various components of the interior are added to the cockpit tub.
Another check of the cockpit fit is performed with all of the pieces in place. If you notice, there is one major component missing... the instrument panel. It didn't fit. When mounted in position, the fuselage halves wouldn't close properly.
The easy fix is to simply reduce the height of the fuselage panel. So I sawed off a portion of the bottom of the IP. I used a Dremel with a wheel cutter to get through the two layers of photoetch. Once I get the correct height/position dialed in, the messy cut will be cleaned up.
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Looks good, will be home in about an hour or so and will look at my stuff for you John
- Thread starter
- #38
JKim
Senior Master Sergeant
Here is a little piece of useless work that I performed a few days ago and forgot to report on. The Hasegawa kit gives the option of posing both the pilot canopy and gunner canopy in the open position. I wondered why the pilot canopy was molded in two parts since the whole canopy hinges outward.
So I busted out the razor saw and sawed off the windscreen from the closed version so that I'd have a one-piece canopy to show in the open position.
Brilliant eh? I thought so until I found the REASON why Hasegawa molded that canopy in two parts. It's actually hinged and folds inward ever so slightly when the canopy is opened.
So I busted out the razor saw and sawed off the windscreen from the closed version so that I'd have a one-piece canopy to show in the open position.
Brilliant eh? I thought so until I found the REASON why Hasegawa molded that canopy in two parts. It's actually hinged and folds inward ever so slightly when the canopy is opened.
Doh !!!
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Good stuff John, despite the slight glitch with the canopy.
