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Now I know we've got another one of these started here recently, and that is the first one I've seen built, but in the spirit of public transport where nothing arrives for ages and then two come at once it's time to make a start on my Nissan March (or Micra as we call it in the UK). The recent warm weekend has told me that I need to have something else to paint as there's only one more set of spraying to do on the Alpine, so better start prepping the next one. But first, why a Micra. Well, my first car was a K10 Micra, in fact I think it was probably in the first shipload judging by the way it was badged as a Datsun rather than a Nissan. He she is, freshly washed in all her glory: Now ideally I would have been building one of these, but I couldn't see any evidence of a kit for one. So that left me with a choice of two from Fujimi, a K11 which (to my eyes at least) looks a bit out of proportion from the box art, or this K12 which will be the second of my 'models which share a name and not much else with cars I've owned' series. It's my first Fujimi kit and quite a simple kit so once I get started it should only be a matter of 3 or so months I predict. It's that getting to the start of assembly which will take the time... Looking at the kit, the body shape appears to me to be pretty good. Instead, what really narks me is the massive seam line which runs across the front of the bonnet just above the badge to make sanding it just that little but more tricky. Not to mention that there appears to be some roughness to the plastic around the badge too On a more positive note though , I've looked over the body and as far as I can tell there are very few sink marks, just a small depression next to the seam line on each of the rear corners, and more annoyingly one right around the badge on the bonnet. I've stuck some masking tape over the badge and added some filler to either side of the badge, but I will not get rid of the depression completely. At that point I left the filler to harden properly. And about 10 seconds later I realised I haven't rinsed the parts yet to remove any release agent. Ah well, something to remember after I've sanded the seam lines and filler. And that's my start on this. Thanks for looking.

My oldie from the stash is this Fujimi Phantom FG.1 from 1987. I bought it second hand 20 years ago and the sprues are still sealed. Intending to go out of the box with the 43 Squadron example from Greenham Common IAT in 1983 as https://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=195674 Pictures to follow when I start. (Won’t be next week because I’ve another Rhino on the bench and plans for another GB.) Chris

Having finished HMS Roberts, I decided to go both backwards and forwards in time. So here is my next build: IJN Fuso with the premium kit c.1944. Some mixed feelings about doing an IJN vessel, but the mix of photo-etch and modifications needed should be almost a halfway house between a Trumpeter kit (where photo etch is included) to doing a Pontos upgrade kit (which involves a lot of modifying pieces I think). But my Japanese will need to improve (or my usage of google translate is about to increase a lot). There are 4 photo-etch plates, with brass (?) gun barrels. First thoughts: the points of contact with the sprues seems so much more thought out in Fujimi than in Trumpeter, and looks like a lot less sanding is needed.

Just got an email from an online store promoting the Fujimi Ferrari kits (1/24 and 1/20) I thought the rumour was the license ran out?

Just finished this one eventually after having it half built on the shelf for months concentrating on the other WW2 diorama, Very happy with the end result though Fujimi garage accessories, and Aoshima 1/24 scale MGB

I thought my Hasegawa Intruder was the only old Japanese kit I had but then I found this. I built 3 back in the early 1990's to replace my old 1959 Airfix ones - two C's and one D and then somewhere along the line I seem to have bought another one. According to Scalemates Fujimi released a kit of the 110C in 1976 and another version with changed parts as a 110D. Later they merged the two in the 1987 boxing which this looks like, though the instructions are dated 1997, but that box was different supposedly! I presume it will be eligible in any case due to the original moulding date? Exactly which version I will build is still under consideration - it could be an OOB build of the D-1/R-1 from Luftflotte 5 with the large plywood ventral drop tank, or maybe a plain black night fighter version, but that would involve printing some grey markings. I know when I bought it I was playing with the latter idea or maybe one of the C-6 experimental versions with the ventral 30mm cannon reputedly used by 1.Staffel of Erprobungs Gruppe 210 or perhaps one of the more normal C-4/B "Jabo" versions used by their 2.Staffel. Pete

Whilst going through my stash for another GB I came across another few that are eligible for this one, though I will only be building one. Back in I think 1961 Airfix released their first Tank kit - the Sherman. I remember being on holiday visiting relatives in Scotland, and walking into Woolworths in Alloa and seeing it, so that was the first of a string of Airfix military vehicles I built. Generally they went for the better known ones - Sherman, Tiger, Panther, Panzer IV, Stug III, T34 and so on, so there were plenty of gaps, and I was therefore pleased when one day in the early 1970's I saw a batch of Fujimi tanks in my LMS which filled some of them. Over a few years they built up quite a range, together with diorama sets, 88mm AT gun and so on and with the smaller kits they included extras such as motor bikes, Kubelwagen/Schwimmwagen/Jeep etc. Below is a copy of the relevant pages in there 1976 catalogue. By that stage they had released everything shown up to the Panzer Jager I and seemed about to release a Japanese Ha Go, and on another page they had another half dozen " future releases" shown in silhouette which comprised a Befehlswagen I, Gigant, Panzer II, Marder II, SiG 33 and Wespe, but for some reason none of those 7 were ever released and they went into a sort of hiatus. Then, about 10 years later more kits began to appear though mostly the more "commercial" ones such as Panzer II, II, IV, V(Panther) and Panzer VI(Tiger). and subsequently they have released a few more including some post war Japanese Defence Force ones and an IS-2. According to Scalemates, most if not all of the second batch were formerly Nitto kits if I am reading it correctly. I have built all of the first batch, some more than once, and also a few of the second batch. In my stash I still have a few of the first batch, mostly Valentines, which I bought many years ago with a view to converting them into early British A9 and A10 Cruiser tanks, but then I discovered the Millicast range of resin models which already had those, so the Fujimi ones never got built. If anybody fancies building one please send me a PM. The original Fujimi King Tiger (WA1) was of the late production version with the so called " Porsche" turret, but the one I intend to build now is an early one with the so called "Henschel turret" - in fact both turrets were designed by Krupp but more on that another time. It was first released sometime in the 1980's so I guess it qualifies. This is my build of the original Fujimi "King Tiger" with the "Porsche" Turret. It will be interesting to see what differences there are between that original Fujimi moulding and this later presumably ex Nitto one. Pete

Here's my entry for the GB It's a large box and fairlt deep as well Full to the brim with plastic Contents shots Instructions and (thankfully) window masks 😌 Nice shiny decals The body bits Glazing and pre-coloured marker/indicator lights Tyres, chrome sproes and other bits'n'bobs White sprues Grey sprues Seats (a lot of seats). There are 2 each of those sprues And cabin crew I thought there were 2 figures, but it's just one, with 2 poses I'm looking forward to building this although it will have to wait until a couple of my other GB entries are completed It's been in the stash for a while so it can sit a little longer I bought it in the days when shipping from Japan didn't cost an arm and a leg More soon(ish) /P

Hi everyone, This is a Japanese plane from Fujimi. So all the boxes are indeed ticked. This is another Christmas treat from Scottish Santa, aka @JOCKNEY. May an endless shower of cherry blossoms rain on this holy man. I will finish this post a bit later as a bush patrol beckons..... Damn. JR

Hi everybody, This will be my first contribution to the "Ready for Inspection - Aircraft" topic and to the Britmodeller forum at all since I joined in 2021... 😳 But, it's never too late to start with something so here it is. It is my interpretation of the Fujimi Alouette III kit in 1/48, which is actually 1/50. It is a depiction of an Alouette III in the colours of the "Grasshoppers RNLAF Helicopter Display Team", which was a well known guest at airshows during thje 70's, 80's and 90's. A little background on how I got to built this kit. Actually I built it for someone else: when I was working with the Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht - KLu) some 15 years ago, we had a lieutenant that was a former crewchief with The Grasshoppers Display Team. One day he had this kit on his desk and he told me he was looking for somebody to build it in the colourscheme of The Grasshoppers. I (me and my big mouth) told him that I would do that for him. But as things go, he retired and I left the Air Force and the kit remained unfinished. Until May 2021... I managed to contact him through Facebook and arranged a meeting at the "Alouette Museum Barneveld" where he is a volunteer. There I handed him the model, after a long time. As said: the kit is rather "off scale" (1:50 in stead of 1:48 as stated on the box). I built it OOB and especially the colourscheme was very fun to do. There were no decals to be found for this scale, so I printed them myself. I hope you like it and looking forward to posting more of my work. Cheers, Remco.

My Salty Sea Dog will be Fujimi's 1/72 Grumman A-6E Intruder finished as VA-65's 161675, the CAG bird for CVW-8 while flying off the USS Theodore Roosevelt during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Here's my subject, looking very much the salty sea dog, loaded with Mk 82 Snake Eyes, en route to a target in February 1991: (Attribution: U.S. Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons) During Desert Storm the jet wore short-lived nose art featuring the comic strip character Garfield wearing a flight helmet and wielding a baseball bat inscribed with "The Big Stick", a reference to US President Teddy Roosevelt's invocation to "speak softly and carry a big stick". Pic here: https://www.dstorm.eu/pictures/nose-arts/a-6/161675_4.jpg My kit is Fujimi's A-6E TRAM Intruder boxing, a 30 Aussie dollar bargain on that online auction website a few months back. Fujimi's are still deemed, by no lesser authority than a number of threads here on Britmodeller, the best 1/72 Intruder kits available (although apparently Trumpeter is about to release a 1/72 Intruder?). I'm looking forward to seeing what @Pappy does with his EA-6A build - that will really show what this kit is capable of, and hopefully give me a few pointers along the way. This kit dates to 1987, according to Scalemates. Mine looks in excellent condition, with all the sprues still in their plastic bags. Interestingly it actually included two sets of decals, and the box has a 'Bye Bye Midway Anniversary' sticker on the side and what looks to be a bonus decal sheet and decal/paint callout sheet. What I assume to be the original boxing's decals (top right) - as it features decals for the box art aircraft and the callouts are incorporated with the kit assembly instructions booklet - are in much better condition. But I have a set of AOA decals' "Punchers & Tigers, USN A-6E Intruders in the Cold War & Desert Storm" decal sheet on its way to me, so I can build the VA-65 CAG jet. I have a few bits of aftermarket already - masks, plus probes and resin wheels which I mainly bought as they were cheap and may or may not use, plus PE harnesses on the way. I also have some excellent reference material. Speaking of refernce material, I've also downloaded as an ebook Osprey's excellent "A-6 Intruder Units 1974-96", which has a chapter detailing A-6 Desert Storm ops, which has been very useful to learn about load-outs. Based on that, and for extra Salty Sea Dog GB cred, I'll configure my Intruder for an "Armed Surface Reconnaissance" mission, hunting for Iraqi naval vessels in the Northern Arabian Gulf with a pair of Mk 20 Rockeye cluster bomb dispensers and a single AGM-123 Skipper anti-shlp weapon (a GBU-16 with a rocket motor - apparently it proved a bit of a dud due to propellent issues). The kit comes with Mk 82s, so I'll have to order a couple of Hasegawa weapons sets for the Rockeyes and Skipper. I'm really looking forward to getting this one underway, eventually, once my two other current builds are done. At least I have some great reading material, plus the many fascinating build threads in this GB to follow once it kicks off to keep me enthused on the subject in the meantime! Cheers, Gerard

#4/2023 After the Lotus 72 not that long ago, my dad now finished another legendary race car. Well, it didn´t turn out "perfect", but which model does? Fujimi kit which dates back to 1989, this is the 2000 edition. Thekit decals weren´t usable, bought aftermarket ones from Slotracing Werk in Germany. They applied fine but once when dry they became a bit brittle, had to do some touch-ups with white paint. Tire decals are from Indycals. They are printed on a full decal film, to say the tire shape had to be cut out. As far as I´ve seen on original cars, the letter style was a bit different and the decals show a newer style, but better than nothing. Didn´t install the rearview mirror. Micro Klear didn´t work out and plastic or CA glue would have been to dangerous for the windshield, which btw didn´t fit that good and also was slightly too small. Build thread here https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235119141-le-mans-legends124-ford-gt40-mkii-1966/ The model shows one of 13! GT40 used in the 1966 Le Mans race. It was driven by US Americans Dan Gurney and Jerry Grant. The car didn´t finish the race. DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0005 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0007 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0008 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0009 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0010 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0011 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0013 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0014 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0015 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0017 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0018 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

Hello all, I don’t often build vehicles - while I’ve done the Tamiya Eunos Roadster as I have one, I normally build aircraft. I do also have an Aoshima MX5 and Tamiya S2000 in the stash though, as I’ve had both. I imported a 1985 Honda C90 from Japan a few years ago. I love the little thing, to be honest I ride it more than any of my big bikes. Here it is. In researching kits I figured the best match I could get was A Fujimi Super Cub 110. It is a ‘Next’ series kit - meaning no glue and no paint, clip together. So like an Airfix click model, right? Last time I was in Japan I found one for 3300 yen, or about £20. A bit expensive for a click together kit, but I really want it in my garage near the 1/1 scale one, so so be it.

These days, what with computers, wind tunnels and the like it may seem relatively easy to design a halfway decent aircraft, though there are sometimes exceptions such as the F-35 (OK, I don't quite know why I am unimpressed with that particular plane though I doubt I am the only one), but it still takes a lot of money, skill, experience, hard work and sometimes a bit of luck I think. After all, powered heavier than air flight has only been around for not much over 100 years (depending on which book you read) and back in the late 1940's the arrival of the jet engine was an added complication to what was then far from a perfect science. Some of the early jets designed in the USSR, UK, and US were real lemons whilst many others were, at best near misses, partly from design failings, but also due to problems developing powerful jet engines that not only produced the designed thrust but were reliable. I have already touched on the engine problems in my thread on the F3H Demon and now I am going to build another less than perfect example of a jet fighter for the US Navy. Between April 1954 and November 1957 it seems to have served in up to 13 USN squadrons if the test/evaluation ones are included, but in several cases accidents and maintenance problems resulted in them spending most of their time operating from shore establishments. I don't know about you but growing up in the 1950's I heard mention of a number of US aircraft that sounded rather weird and interesting, but with no internet and very little in the way of other media information knew very little about them. The Cutlass was one, and when I had "grown up" a little and decided to build a kit of one, all I could find were vacforms by Airmodel and Rareplanes. I can't remember which I actually built but I remember I painted it blue! Back in 1987 Fujimi released their injection moulded kit of the F7U-3, followed by the F7U-3M with missiles and the F7U-3P with the extended photo nose, and in around 1990 I picked one up cheap at my then local branch of Beatties in Cardiff - now long gone sadly as I had a "Price Match" card which allowed me to buy anything at the lowest price I had seen it advertised anywhere in the UK, saving quite a bit over the years! It comes with makings for 2 NMF examples and one Gray/White one, but given its age and provenance I will give the decs a coat of MS Liquid Decal Film as a precaution. If that fails I may be somewhat stuffed. The Cutlass was a product at least in part of the German aircraft technical information that fell into the hands of the allies at the end of WWII, resulting in what might be termed the "Buck Rogers" period of design, ranging from the fairly basic swept wing to deltas with and without tails and flying wings, some of which were pushing the boundaries of known aerodynamics at the time, given the research/design tools currently available. I am not quite sure what type the Cutlass should be classed as - some sources say a tailless swept wing even though it did have two vertical fins! With its long nose wheel leg to give it a high angle of attack on take off like most delta winged aircraft, one of its nicknames was apparently the "Preying Mantis". It is often dismissed as an underpowered failure that had a habit of killing its pilots - some sources say that a study in 1957 by Vought found that with around a quarter of the airframes (288 plus prototypes) produced being involved in accidents (78), and 4 Test Pilots and 21 other USN pilots killed it had the worst safety record of any USN swept wing jet aircraft, which may have given rise to another nickname - "Widow Maker". I will fill in some more background as we go along. Pete

Now that the Lotus 72C is almost finished, my dad started the next race car. DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0005 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0006 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

I was surprised when I opened the box to discover a Kubelwagen and BMW motorcycle with sidecar. ]

Hi all, with three builds nearly in the bag, the F6C will be next for some dirty attention, thought I'd get this going. This will be a Spitfire Mk XIV in 1/72 by Fujimi and will have the scheme of a 41 Sqn aircraft that reputably flew in the Kings Cup Race, Blackpool, 1946 (Scalemates) but according to Wiki, no Kings Cup Race happened in 1946... go figure. @Col. pointed me in the direction of a Mk XIV (RN201) that had this livery and many pics of her exist, thanks Col. Col says its legal, so onwards with the obligatory stuff... The box. The sprues, still in their bags. Instructions, glazing and decals. After completing the Kingcobra, I am now aware of stripping off the unnecessary on these warbird racers. Just wondering if they would've done this on this bird as the Kings Cup Race was a handicap race so... Stuart

Hi all, My early kits upon returning to the hobby were dog rough. This is the last of my ‘semi acceptable’ finished kits that I’ve got photos of, so this brings me up to date, from now on the posts will be glacial. This is a Fujimi 1/72 Aichi Val. I really like some of the old Fujimi kits. For sure they don’t have much cockpit detail, but they seem to go together really well, and I like the fact they’re a tiny bit leftfield. The decals were shot - this was an old kit I bought from an internet auction site. I didn’t find out how bad until I tried them, even despite using Microscale liquid decal film. As such I used Dead Designs masks for the Hinomaru and angle reference lines on the tailplane (although the masks for these were a little short, I think they should be the full width of the tailplane) The identification codes on the fin were just about good enough to use. Errors: I lost one of the exhausts to the carpet monster, so elected not to fit the other one, and painted the depression where they should affix. I snapped the centre bomb rack - this was extremely brittle and fiddly. I also managed to snap the telescopic sight - so that’s half the length it should be! Despite those sizeable errors, I learned a lot about painting on this, and really enjoyed the build. I found the results from painting markings rather than decals particularly good. Thank you.

Took about two hours, two gentle stress-free and enjoyable hours. Not a “proper” kit - but as a palate cleanser, and to replicate my own bike, excellent. A little gem with impressive engineering.

Committing to this Fujimi kit, which I commented in the chat thread. My third favourite racing car. Long time resident of my stash, I hadn't appreciated the history of that race. . . . . . until I watched this DVD, and read the book. Knowing the true story of the finish of the 1966 Le Mans race, rendered ending of the the film a huge Hollywood anti-climax for me. Showing the politics of Ford at the time, it acknowledging the massive efforts of driver Ken Miles, and raises Carroll Shelby to legendary status. With hindsight, I'd prefer to build Miles' car, but this is the kit I've got. Please, no suggestions for after market decals - I'll build the kit as it is.

Here is my recently completed build of a Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XIV in 1/72 using the Fujimi kit for the 'Prototypes, Racers, Research...GB'. Build thread here: Stuart

So, after a couple of easy builds I will start on a few more complicated ones. About 10 years ago I got as far as priming it and joining up the hull and axles, but to comply with the 25% rule I have dismantled the latter so it is now back to as in the box other than the primer. I started building small scale kits after I bought the Airfix Sherman in Woolworths in Alloa just after it came out - I thought it was 1960 but Scalemates say 1961. I worked through their following issues - Panther, Tiger, Crusader etc but in the early 1970's Fujimi started releasing their 1/76 range which filled a lot of gaps. I bought 2 Sd Kfz 222 kits. As you can see I did one in the old and rather orange Humbrol Authentic Afrika Korps sand and one in late war colours. They are very nice kits to my mind, the only weakness being the "solid" wire mesh grenade screen on the top of the turret. I suppose it would be possible to replace it with some etched mesh but I can't be bothered. I did the same with a couple of Sd Kfz 251 kits and so a while back I picked up a third of each with a view to a Panzer Grey finish, and that is what I will be doing here. Cheers Pete

As I mentioned in the intro to my Sd Kfz 222 build, back in the early 1970's I bought a couple of Fujimi 251 kits and here they are in Afrika Korps and late war colours together with what I think is the Fujimi ex Nitto Sd Kfz 250 released somewhat later. A few years back I bought another 251 intending to finish it in grey, but only got as far as priming it and painting/joining the tracks. The Germans probably built more different types of half track than anybody else using them as artillery tractors, recovery vehicles, mobile AA guns, personnel carriers etc. and it is the latter use I am interested in here. Back in around 1935 they decided that an armoured infantry carrier would be a good idea to support their planned armoured divisions and Hanomag were asked to design one based on the Sd Kfz 11 chassis with a body designed by Bussing-Nag. The result was initially called the Mittlere Gepanzerte Mannschaftskraftwagen though later this was changed to Mittlere Schutzenpanzerwagen Sd Kfz 251. It was eventually built in around 25 different variants depending on the purpose - personnel carrier, ambulance engineers vehicle etc, each type designated in the form Sd Kfz 251/1, Sd Kfz /10 etc, and with 4 different body variants ranging from the initial Ausfuhrung (Ausf) A to the late and simplified Ausf D which made up most of the production. As an infantry carrier the "medium" 251 could carry up to 12 men but a need was seen for a lighter version and the smaller "light" Sd Kfz 250 which was introduced in 1941 held 6 men. Although we tend to think of the Wehrmacht as being highly motorized that was far from the case and in fact most of the infantry had to walk or if they were lucky were carried in trucks - only 15250 Sd Kfz 251 and 4250 Sd Kfz 250 of all types were built by the end of the war and many did not carry infantry. Initially the 251 was issued to the "Panzer Grenadier" regiments so they could hopefully keep up with the tanks but in the battles both in France and later in Russia there were many instances of the tanks having to wait hours if not days for the bulk of the infantry and support to catch up thus rather spoiling the effect of the Blitzkreig tactics. This compares with about 15000 basic M3 carriers and another 38000 variants built if I am reading Wiki correctly, or 57000 Universal (Bren Gun) carriers of all types by 1945. The Fujimi kit appears to have the bodywork of the Ausf B, production of which ended in 1940, and comes with the option of the normal 251/1 with 12 crew and 2 MG 34, later MG 42, and the 251/10 which was issued to platoon leaders and replaced the forward MG with a 37mm Pak 35/36 (L45) A/T gun and a reduced crew of 5. I suppose it was intended to provide a degree of support if they ran into anything heavy without their tanks close to hand. Pete

Hi all, This is my first time posting on this forum, and I'm not sure I'm quite up to snuff yet to wow any of you seasoned old dogs, but here goes. I started this model in July 2022 and just finished. I like to write about the process in some depth, but understand this is not the place for that. If anyone is interested in reading more about how this model came together (probably only of interest to beginner types like me), please check out my blog: https://meatchicken.wordpress.com/ Thanks for looking and for any comments/suggestions! Cheers.

So, now the next model. This time a J.A.S.D.F. RF-86F, flown with the Air Defense Command, Headquarters Flight Squadron. The kit is from 1986 and therefore quite old. However, I find it quite good and the decals still worked very well. It was mostly painted with colors from MRP. I also used an Eduard PE kit (SS139), masks from Montex (SM72105) and beautiful wheels from ResKit (72-0078).