**** DONE: GB-63 1/72 Kyūshū J7W Shinden - Stormy Weather

[PlasticHero]

Username: PlasticHero
First Name: Alan
Category: Intermediate
Scale: 1/72
Model: J7W Shinden 震電, "Magnificent Lightning"
Manufacturer: Hasegawa open box
Extras: None

This one's for you Shinpachi

This kit was "started" but there are only a few painted bits and the seat has added plastic seat belts. I have not done an inventory of what parts I have to ensure that it is complete. There is a guided bomb and parts to make a jet engine conversion. I am no aerodynamicist but the jet intakes look about half the size they should be. It did not come with a compete decal sheet, but I have 2 sheets of Zero decals so mostly covered there. I will attempt to show one of the profiles from the digital build and will probably end up using the simplest one.

 

[Wurger]

 

[rochie]

very nice !

 

[Crimea_River]

Good one Alan.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

I like this one, very unusual subject.

 

[Ralph Haus]

The 1:72 is a good size choice. The 1:48 sucks up a bunch of space. Looks good, but like some, they were fairly large in real life. Be interesting to see how this kit finishes out.

 

[N4521U]

I like the "different" entries. Looks a nice easy build.
Germany had a pusher. Always thought it looked like an old watering trough with a prop stuck on the back.

 

[fubar57]

Beauty

 

[rochie]

Always liked the look of this one

 

[PlasticHero]

Ralph Haus , all 1/48 suck up a bunch of space. Did a survey of the parts and I am only missing one, a V shaped brace in the cockpit, but I can replace it with sprue. Maybe, I'll call it out when I get to that step.

 

[T Bolt]

Nice one Alan. I have this one from group build 34 in 1/48 scale sitting on the shelf 95% complete. Need to pull it out and finish it someday.

 

[PlasticHero]

Took some time with the family to spend a week around Nashville and the progress progressed to a point there was enough to make a post. There were only 2 prototypes built at the last days of WWII, one was scraped and the other is in pieces at NASM. There is conflicting photos on the web (as usual) so I'm going mostly with Shinpachi for colors. I used Interior Green with a touch of blue for cockpit and gear bays. Used an instrument decal cut up to fit. The one bit that was missing was the brace behind the seat which I made from stretched sprue. There is more detail to be done on the wheels and prop.

There is some differences between the kit and other info. The kit has a bundle of 4 gas cylinders, and one on the aft bulkhead. Most other sources show fewer cylinders and a squarish tank behind the seat. I guess the advantages of a canard prop fighter are a concentrated gun armament and hopefully less drag; but there always seem to be cooling and stability issues. I found a youtube vid about aerodynamic theory, that is explaining a number of concepts about wing lift, drag and shape. Formulas are included!! I have watched it once, but I have to stop and think about what is being presented so not quite ready to comment on it. One thing mentioned is the theory about elliptical wings. I will post more info soon.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Great start Alan.

 

[Gnomey]

Nicely done so far!

 

[Crimea_River]

Good start.

 

[N4521U]

You gonna match that Weathering????????????

 

[fubar57]

Very nice

 

[PlasticHero]

Here is the cockpit all together. There will be no weathering on this build because this aircraft only flew a few times right at the end of the war. I think that this represents the first flying example, not the captured second that National Air & Space have. I went with Tamiya XF-21 Sky with a touch of blue for the interior bits. The instructions call for 3 grams of weight in the nose. A dime is 2.2 grams, so I'll put about 2 dimes of bird shot and glue in the nose.

I have a rough spot from a glue drop that will be addressed today.

 

[Wurger]