Have another Judy question

[maxmwill]

I've begun to research the Judy for a model project. I have models of the D4Y1 and the D4Y2, and would like to build either one with the cowl off, or at least some or most of the access panels off. I've been trying to find pictures, but have had no luck. I have the Maru Mechanic issue for the Judy(as well as the D3A, which might lead me in a further quest in that direction, but not for now), and it has no pictures of any of the variants "unbuttoned", other than wrecks "in the weeds". I'm expecting the issue of FAOW for the Judy, but that may not have any pics that I'm looking for.

This is interesting, because I never before gave any thought to building a model of a Japanese aircraft, and now I have several, a Pete, a Dinah(the III model), and now a Judy, with the possiblity of a Val sometime in the relative short future.

 

[Snautzer01]

from Bunrindo 69 Judy Suisei

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[maxmwill]

Thank. I appreciate those. What I have in mind is to show the engine. I've been trying to find pics of the Atsuta engine, after finding out through research(I just love wikipedia) that this was a copy of the DB601, and so found a resin model of the DB. I have a couple models of the Judy, one the D4Y1 and the other the D4Y2S nightfighter. These are the Fine Molds kits, and from what I've seen of the kits so far, are pretty nice. This is a project that'll be taking a bit of time and patience.

 

[beaupower32]

V-12, Aichi Atsuta 31, Ha 60 Model 31 Engine - Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

 

[maxmwill]

Is there an after market accessory which could be used as the radiator? While the oil cooler is given in the model, the radiator above it is nothing but a hole, and I'd like to be able to rectify this. If there isn't, then I'll have to look around to find somehing which would be appropriate. Did something like this with a Tamiya 1/35 kettenkrad(found a couple screens for pipes in a smoking shop which looked about right on the model. But, this was many years ago, long before there were such things as photo etch and resin parts available).

 

[maxmwill]

I think I've been able to figure something out that had been bothering me about this project. I want to have a resin engine with the panels off the cowl, possibly being worked on(never did figures before). Well, to me, the material of the cowl in the kit is far too think, in scale, to make it look even close to "right" looking.

So, I decided to take a page out of my experience as an A&P and see if I might not be able to make a cowl out of much thinner material, say .010 or .016 aluminum. A word of advice, never ask any of the younger clerks at Hobby Lobby where the maple blocks or 10 thousandths aluminum are, because they really don't know, even though it is there.

Anyway, if I'm need to replace one of the wingtip ribs on a 727, all that is needed is a soft faced mallet, a block of maple, rasps and files, and a large piece of .0625 soft aluminum. Shape the maple, then beat the heck out of the soft aluminum until it conforms to the maple block. You then send it out to be hardened to T6, and rivet it in place, paint with chromate, and go on to the next task.

Well, I'll be doing the same thing. I think that .016 thick aluminum will look scale enough, and if I like how it turns out, I can do it again for the D4Y2S Judy that I have in addition.

I'll still be using parts of the original cowl, such as the radiator intakes, but I plan on adding sub frames and then the receptacles for the cowl fasteners(I think they're quarter turn, or Dzus). After the cockpit then the engine, the cowl looks to be a fun part of the endeavor.

I do have a further question: what kind of primer did the Japanese use? I read somewhere that it is a kind of blue grey, but the Maru Mechanic issue I have shows either a kind of chromate, as well as a green similar to the British interior green. And someone told me a long time ago that the primer is actually a transparent blue green lacquer.