**** DONE: GB-41 1/48 Mitsubishi A5M4 Claude - PTO from 1937

Wayne Little · Feb 2, 2019

Username : Wayne Little
First name : Wayne
Category : Judge – Non competing
Scale : 1/48
Manufacturer / Model : Fine Molds Mitsubishi A5M4 Claude
Extras : Eduard Cockpit & Seatbelt Set and canopy Masks.

This subject will depict the A5M4 Claude flown by Buntaicho Lieutenant Tamotsu Yokoyama from the IJN Carrier SORYU.
The 2 reference Photo's of W-101 were taken sometime in 1939, after Soryu had returned to Japanese home waters , from earlier operations in the South China Sea.
Some references state the photo's were taken in November 1938, but other sources claim 1939 as W-101 along with W-102 and W-103, all Houkoku marked presentation aircraft, were all donated in early 1939.

Photo reference : Samourai Sur porte-Avions Part 1 Michael Ledet

fubar57 · Feb 2, 2019

Great choice Wayne. Love the looks of this one. I've got a the same photo as your last one, without all the writing on it and the caption says, "A5M4 "W-101" piloted by Lt. Tomatsu Yokoyama takes off from the Soryu while on operations in the East China Sea, November 1938"

Wurger · Feb 2, 2019

Micdrow · Feb 2, 2019

Sweet Wayne

Crimea_River · Feb 2, 2019

Sure is.

Luftace43 · Feb 2, 2019

That's going to look sharp.

Wayne Little · Feb 2, 2019

fubar57 said:
Great choice Wayne. Love the looks of this one. I've got a the same photo as your last one, without all the writing on it and the caption says, "A5M4 "W-101" piloted by Lt. Tomatsu Yokoyama takes off from the Soryu while on operations in the East China Sea, November 1938"

The take off photo definitely has Houkoku presentation markings, there are some 15 different references for the 2 photo's almost split evenly on the November 38 or 39, I side with the November 1939 as one of the references claims evidence that the donated aircraft occurred in 1939, I tend to believe this source.

Onto the first pics, have had a bit of time on this, this weekend, so went for it, prepped the wings and cockpit parts and some assembly. Even the painting...later on the pics.