1/72 Mojo restorer - Pacific Edition

[Dazzio]

 

  Evening one and all,

 

  I'll be honest, I haven't finished an model of any description for probably over a year... I'm a serial kit-starter!  I've got a few non-finished GB kits sitting on my shelf of doom but I just do not have the energy to finish them.  I know it's bad but I am in a massive CBA mood with models right now.  I think a large part of that was the fact my man cave was pretty much unusable during the spring/summer/autumn months.  I have also moved house which has taken alot of my energy, but I have moved to a new house with my partner and we have a spare bedroom, so now I actually have room to make some models and she has space to do her crafty bits as well... it's a win win!  Best of all we actually have a driveway now!  No more parking in the street for me, or worrying if I will be able to get a parking spot when I got home from work.  Now, my unfinished kits are in my man cave, however that is at my parents house so I can't really do much with them for the time being.  So sitting here in the evenings I have pretty much been reading and getting ideas on stuff to build.  That is where this post/thread comes in, I've decided to do a few simple builds to get my motivation up.  I have decided to do the following kits because I want to get them built. 

 

 

  I have got two kits of the Zero to do and only one of the Hawk.  I have built the Hawk before (the 112 Sqn edition) so that shouldn't present me with any troubles.  The two Zero's will not be painted in the scheme depicted on the box.  I purchased a decal set a while ago with the intention of using the Chinese Nationalist Air Forces roundel for the Hawk.  That was before I bought two Zero's.  So they will be done in the below schemes...

 

 

and...

 

 

  Please excuse the poor pictures, the lighting in here is pretty poor, I need to get some better bulbs in the spare room.  The CNAF version is a quick simple colour on top and bottom, it also ties in nicely with the Hawk.  The 261-Kokutai version is an interesting one that caught my eye a while ago, I don't think I had ever seen a camouflaged Zero before I saw that sheet. It looks simple and easy enough to do - famous last words I bet!  These builds will not be the fastest in the world, I was meant to start these at the start of the holidays - however family trips/visits put a stop to that (yay!).  If I get these three done within any decent time frame (about 5 years) then I have the following to add...

 

 

  I haven't started on these kits yet, I just wanted to get the thread up to give me a KUTA to start them.  I haven't included the sprue shots as I am sure we all know what these kits look like now.  More to follow soon I hope!

 

  Kind Regards,

 

  Dazz

 

  P.S.... I can not actually find the designation of "A6M2b" anywhere... I am assuming that it is the Type 21 "version" with the folded wing tips?  I know it says "A6M2b-21" on the back of the box, but I am not too sure if I can trust that.

 

 

[Smudge]

That Techmod camouflage scheme looks interesting. What colours are they?

[Dazzio]

  

3 minutes ago, Smudge said:

That Techmod camouflage scheme looks interesting. What colours are they?

  To be perfectly honest smudge, I haven't even looked into the colours yet... lol

 

  According to the sheet, they are Humbrol codes 195 - Dark Green and 131 Mid-Green for the 261-Kokutai machine and Humbrol 195 - Dark Green all over for the CNAF machine.

 

  Not sure if those colours are correct, I will have to do some research into this.

 

  Kind Regards,

 

  Dazz

[Dazzio]

 

  So it's been just over two weeks and I haven't posted a single thing.  I have been working on these two in the background just not had the energy to post anything.  Gotta love the New Year enthusiasm huh?!

 

  So first picture.

 

 

Both cockpits look like this, I know the green is the wrong "shade" but no one will see into the cockpit so I can live with it.  This build is about enjoying building not getting bogged down in the details which I sometimes do.

 

 

With both halfs closed.  I have decided to name these Azaka - 阿座化 and  Kamidake - 火美猛 no particular reason why, I just like the names and thought they'd fit until they are finished.   Never realised how much would be visable behind the cockpit.  Oh well if I build another one...  As you can see I have cut the wing tips off Azaka so they can be shown in the stowed posistion.  Never understood why the fold was so far down, surely that only saved a maximum of 5 foot per plane? 

 

 

I also got bored while waiting for the paint to dry on the cockpits for Kamidake and Azaka so I pulled out the Mustang (F-51) and the Hurrican Mk.I.  I know the colours are wrong for the Hurricane, I had left over paint in the air brush and used it as a printer of sorts.  It's all metallic now.  You can also see my C-West RX-7 FD-3S, might finish that one day.

 

Sorry it's not much of an update or many pictures. More to come.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Dazz

 

 

[Dazzio]

 

  Afternoon All,

 

  Been a while since I updated this thread eh? I have been working Azaka and Kamidake.  Azaka has been painted with the top camo and Kamidake has been glossed ready for decals.  In the meantime I started two Mustangs, one a P-51D and the other a F-51.  Also have an Hurricane on the go as well (I will post pictures later).

 

  So last time you saw Azaka and Kamidake they where just coming together.  I painted their engines (shown below) - I am very happy with the way these have come out.

 

 

 

  I'm very happy with the ways these came out, just a shame about the blooming photo... I shouldn've used my DSLR.  Like I said earlier, I have painted the camo on Azaka.  According to my research and resreach, the differences between the two greens used on it where not too noticeable.  So I found a build online of a chap who built this model and followed/stole his suggestions (link here - build by Scott Van Aken) - that link will take you to a website called "Modellingmadness.com" if this isn't allowed I will remove.  I followed the paint mixature, but with Tamiya paints instead and my results came out a little different to his... hope it will brighten up under gloss.

 

 

I like the differences in the paint, but still not 100% sold on them at this time.  And below is where I left Azaka to dry after his third glossing.  You can see my Horsa which is also getting finished off.

 

 

Hopefully I can make a start on the decals for that soon... while doing this I felt something crawling up my arm - turns out I made a friend!

 

 

  I named this little bugger Katy after a nasty piece of work I knew at school... this thing was trying to attack my phone as I shooing it into the pot.  Scared the living daylights out of me when I saw it on my arm however.

 

  That is me done for this minor update.

 

  Kind Regards,

 

  Dazz

[Dazzio]

 

  Evening All,

 

  Done a bit more work on Kamidake (See below).  I'm having a bit of problems with the Techmod decals not conforming to the dips and bumps.  Even though I have caked the decals in MicroSet/Sol... Has anyone else had any problems with those decals?

 

 

 

I have painted the bottom JN Grey on Azaka and am just waiting for that to set before I do anything else to that one.   That's it for this update.

 

 Kind Regards,

 

Dazz

[Dazzio]

 

  Wow I really need to update my posts huh?

 

  So I have been working on Azaka - 阿座化 and Kamidake - 火美猛 over the last few months.  Azaka has been finished more or less and Kamidake is getting there.  Pictures below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  I had bit of a fight with Kamidake.  I put the decals in the wrong place, specifically the yellow/white fuselage bands.  I need to tidy a few things up yet on Kamidake but I am getting there.

 

  Thinking I will start a Val/Wildcat next.