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Source: https://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/sentiment/oyajiblog_134.html Zoukei-Mura 1/32nd projects for the coming years. Guess the types. P-51A/B Mustang or A-36 Apache and T-28 Trojan? V.P.

Zoukei-Mura is to release a 1/32nd Kawasaki Ki-100-I Otsu Type 5 kit - ref. Sources: https://twitter.com/volks_hobbydept/status/1507608459570991105 https://www.facebook.com/groups/215551215532252/posts/1442858899468138/ https://twitter.com/volks_hobbydept/status/1507608459570991105?fbclid=IwAR1jz8Q_ps8hS-FIPZQ1U5p2M2TcozieHicUYWnL5a5KM-ICYc60dQbsH7U V.P.

Figured I might as well start a thread to commit to a start of a build. What am I going to build...good question. Might as well throw my musings here instead of cluttering up the chat thread...and give you all a place to ridicule me. I've definitely got too many options...and the base kit for the HAF AUP conversion showed up today as well (still waiting for release of the conversion kit, so that one is out of the running). Leading pack...4 schemes, 3 types, 3 kits, 3 manufacturers, and 3 countries. Lots of diversity. And yes, I would love to build them all.....but sadly I will not even remotely come close to having time to build them all. I've got a few days before I have to have my decision finalized, as I want to get the F-16s & F-100 off the bench first. I'll probably end up making sure I get any paints I need ordered this weekend so I'll be in a position to jump on any of these. Anyways, onto the contenders..... Option #1: JASDF F-EJ Kai - Oceanic Camo (8 Sqn) - Zoukei Mura Pros: Lovely scheme, and very unique. Modern kit. Excellent detail out of the box. Good chance it needs nothing...even the seats are pretty nice, A/A weapons. Decent size box, free up stash space for the E that arrived today. Cons: Stencils...lots of them. No A/G ordinance (though not a huge concern as this is planned to be built as a CAP bird for an anti-ship equipped F-2). Option #2: USN F-4J - Experimental Scheme (VF-194) - Eduard/Academy Pros: Cool, unique scheme (cross between Norm81 & Ferris). Modern kit. Very good detail out of the box. Eduard boxing comes w/ resin cans, seats & wheels (kit cans are pretty nice, would save to update another kit). Huge box, would free up the most stash space. Good mix of A/A & basic A/G weapons. No stencils! Cons: Detail not quite to Z-M level. A/G weapons are only plain jane Mk.82. Option #3: USN F-4J - Vandy-1 (VX-1) Pros: Classic scheme. Modern kit. Very good detail out of the box. Resin cans, seats & wheels. Huge box to free up maximum stash space. Minimal stencils. Single color, less time in paint. Cons: Detail not quite Z-M level (especially in the wheel wells). Need to do a bit more research on this scheme. If it has white stencils, I will need to track them down. Stencils (or new sheet w/ markings & stencils) needed. Despite single color finish, probably going to be the most difficult to have an "interesting" finish. Option #4: Luftwaffe F-4F (???) Pros: Cool scheme. Who doesn't love European F-4s? Nostalgia factor. Minimal stencils. Cons: Ok detail, would probably be looking at seats & cans...maybe Eduard/Quinta cockpit panels? Need to research if more stencils are needed, will need to acquire if so (box decals are old, so may be sound to source new stencils anyways). Largest number of exterior colors required (5). Raised panel lines on horizontal stabs & pylons (minimal rescribing). Sounds like there would be no reason to go with this kit, right? But nostalgia weighs in heavily, and even if I were to purchase cans & seats, with what I picked this kit up for at a show a couple years ago, it's still half the cost of the modern releases. Feel free to pitch in your likes and opinions...I'll make sure to take none of them into account.

…and we’re off and running for the NY….gosh where did the last one go! So to start the modelling year off with a real bang the newest and most gorgeous addition to the stash, the Zoukei-Mura F-4E Phantom. An RAAF F-4E has always been on the build list but this new ZM model made it a no brainer and a must build. I’ve been so looking forward to building this model (and its release), some much so I have another 5 of the long nose Phantoms on the must buy list. The RAAF had 24 F-4E Phantoms that were introduced into survive due to delays in the F-111C production. We had them for only around 3 years, these aircraft were fresh off the production line and most were converted to F-4G Wild Weasel aircraft on their return to the USAF, unfortunately one was lost in RAAF service. So this is the beast, ZM's early model F-4E….. ………. and she’s still in her plastic untouched by human/ape hands! Sprue shots will follow. For the scheme, being an Ex-6 Sqn person, it had to be a 6 Sqn aircraft, but marking wish you can’t tell the 2 squadrons (1 & 6) apart. The decals are from an Australian firm Hawkeye Models and are really nice. ..and that’s it for AM bits, so for the moment it’s an OOB…….. gosh how will I survive!!

Due to complications with my move I will be stuck in my current location for the winter so looks like i'll be back at it for the meantime. My next kit will be this ridiculously detailed kit from Zoukei-Mura, their 1/48 scale Focke Wulf Ta 152. I have been modelling for about 13 years and amazingly I had never heard of these guys until recently and now I eagerly await what else they will make in 48 scale in the future. If you've ever built any Zoukei-Mura aircraft please feel free to share your experiences.

Hi all, I'm now able to show you the Zoukei-Mura 1/32 Ki-45 Toryu I recently built completely out-of-the-box for AMW magazine. It was painted in Tamiya acrylics and Mr Color lacquers were used for the freehanded reticulated camo pattern. First, a few walk around shots... ...followed by a few flyaround shots from the magazine article, some showing the cowlings removed... ...and a few in-progress shots showing the internal detail which in most cases is now hidden away forever... Cheers, Dean

Now that my 1:48 Hasegawa is well underway and approaching the final paint stage (primer is on, preparing the front cowling and spinner to have their colors), and I enjoyed this kit so much, I decided to add a larger scale Pony to my collection: the 1:32 Zoukei-Mura P51-D . An awesome kit with full interior. It really screams to be build. Ordered extra wheels, barrels and seatbelts. There are other sets available, but these together will more than double the kit price, so I will mak do with what is in the box and the 3 add ons. I hope I can finish it before the group build ends... Oh well, I'll see.

Hallo again This will be my fourth Phantom in 1/48 scale. The S version. My first one of the US Navy and even my last one. The next will be a RF-4E from the IAF. This a/c will be from VF-151. It will be in grey (4 different tones). To achieve a good effect, I will use a basic black paint, with lightning the panel center. In addition, to get repair panels in different pre-shades. The externals I reduce to the centerline tank only, to show this interesting wing! Here I use (not correct) the left over brasin seat from the USAF. I hope to get it that way that the differences will not be shown. The oxygen gauge at the seat cushion I will cover with the harness. In the kit, the floor is very difficult designed for the uniform plastic ejection seat (the same at all versions!). This understructure I had to remove for the brasin seat. I wanted to use etched parts, but I lose all the 3D effect. Not at all! I will paint it. Well, so let us see, what it will look like. Until next time. Happy modelling

#2/2018 Zoukei-Mura kit, painted with Gunze and Tamiya acrylics My dad thought it would be a shame to hide all the nice detail, so he decided to keep it naked and show a fictious not yet finished prototype. Besides that, the fit of the panels isn´t so good. Gonna do a clothed one with the old Dragon kit in the nearer future. Build thread here DSC_0001 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0004 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0005 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0006 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0007 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0008 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0009 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0010 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0011 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0012 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0013 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0014 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0015 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0016 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0017 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0018 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0019 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0021 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr

HI, Finally getting caught up with my to do list and wanted to get the completed build posted here. The kit was sent to me by ZM prior to the US NATS for a build and it is a fantastic kit. Alll but a couple of the F-4S mods were added to the J kit to make the new Phantom mark. The big change is an entirely new wing that is set up for not only the slats, but includes the belly strap and strengthening plates that the "S" carried. The even got the outer slat shape correct where as others have simply used the USAF profile slat. The other detail they got right is the inner slat lip that extends past the bottom of the wing when retracted. A neat feature is that the slats come in the extended position and ZM included parts to position the elevator and extend the nose gear to make a carrier launch scene if desired. For those wanting retracted slats that are the std position for resting aircraft, you simply remove the linkages from the appropriate parts, attache the inner slat, to the wing, and position the outer slats accordingly. I used the some photo etch parts and did some scratch building. F-4S VF-301 MIG Killer in Ferris Colors Accessories Used: Eduard PE Sets Master Models Metal Pitot tubes and AOA Sensor HWG Seat Belts Scratch Built items are: Main Gear retraction rods and small door linkages Slatted Elevator space opened up Scratch built Canopy sills, Breaker bar, and details Cockpit Side Sills modeling the Canopy Locking linkages Pilot Landing gear position lever and Tail Hook Lever Seat Ejection Pull Loops Detailed Exhaust Nozzles Sparrow Missile guidance sensor added to right nose under AC Intake Vents under rear fuselage opened and Drain added Here is the build link to see what was done: Now for the pics: Thx,

HI everyone, I am please to post my completed F-4S build. This is the new Zoukei-Mura kit and it is outstanding. I did a build thread here on ARC for those who want to see how it goes together. This is the 4th ZM Phantom I have built. Here is the link to the build thread: Thanks for looking.

Hi, Just finished this F-4B in VF-51 Screaming Eagles CAG Colors. This jet Killed one MIG and displayed the 4 MIG kills the squadron scored on its last Vietnam cruise. The kit is the new Zoukei-Mura F-4J kit with the following additions: Accessories used: Eduard Brassin F-4B wheels Master Metal Pitot tubes and AOA Sensor Eduard Brassin Seats w/ PE Furball Decals - They Fit Perfect! Scratch Built items are: Chin Pod Fin Cap Thin wing including the wheel well and speed brakes Non-Slatted Plain Elevator F-4B WSO left side panel F-4B WSO Upper and Mid forward Instrument Panel Scratch built Canopy sills, Breaker bar Short Exhaust Nozzle, Trim, Exhaust tube, and burner assembly Intake fans. (The Kit supplied full engines were not used)

After the success of its 1/32nd and 1/48th kits, Zoukei-Mura is working on a 1/72nd Horten Ho.229 kit - ref. 72-01 Release is expected in late 2017. Source: http://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/en/sentiment/oyajiblog_093.html V.P.

Source: http://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/en/sentiment/oyajiblog_088.html The already announced as "in development" 1/32nd Fw.190A and 190D? http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234965337-132-focke-wulf-fw190a-345678-d-9-by-zoukei-mura-in-development Wait and see. Update 05/11/2016: The first of the new 1/32nd models to be announced at Telford SMW 2016 is a Henschel HS 129 see herebelow The second one is a 1/32nd Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu "Nick" see thread: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235011594-132-kawasaki-ki-45-toryu-nick-by-zoukei-mura-release-in-2017/ V.P.

Good evening all I have finally completed this years Christmas build, so I present to you the Zoukei-Mura 1/32nd scale A-1J Skyraider. I decided to finish it as the 602nd SOS boss bird as I thought it looks better with a black underside finish (also, another reason was I didn't have any 36622 grey paint, but don't tell anyone). The WIP can be found here. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234993609-christmas-build-2015-zoukei-mura-a-1j-skyraider/ Not much extra has been done, in fact all I did was replace the gun barrels with brass tube as the originals were broken early in the build. The build wasn't a challenging build, but as is the way with Z-M there are a lot of details that can no longer be seen. Onto the pics. Comments of any sort are welcome, especially constructive criticism. Thanks for looking. Ted

My very first 1/32 and I'm going to build straight from the box... Cockpit, primer TAMIYA FINE and Gunze H416 (RLM66)... Engine Junkers Jumo213E, real beauty... Of course, work in progres on cockpit and engine...

After the 1/48th and 1/32nd Ta.152H-1 kits ( http://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/en/products/sws02_ta152.html& http://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/en/products/sws48_02_ta152.html ), Zoukei-Mura's next 1/32nd Focke-Wulf will be the Ta.152H-0 (new variant and new mold) - ref. SWS.11 Source: http://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/en/sentiment/oyajiblog_065.html V.P.

Horten Ho.229 Accessories 1:32 Zoukei-Mura Zoukei-Mura's new wünderkit of the Horten Ho.229 has now reached us in quantity, and a batch of the aftermarket that ZM themselves have created is available from the Volks website to improve on the already superb detail, as well as add extras to assist in creating a diorama, or add a little human interest. Each set arrives in a clear acetate box with the instructions folded around three sides to create the cover. The instructions are predominantly in Japanese, but you can download an English version from their website by following the link at the bottom of the sheets. Each item is bagged within, sometimes double-bagged to give extra protection during shipping and storage. Pilot Figure (SWS08-F01) The pilot figure is a three part casting and is depicted wearing an advanced pressure-suit type garb, which includes a glazed helmet and chest-piece. The helmet is cast in resin, with raised framework, so you will need to paint it a shiny chrome colour, and his arms are poseable, the left one joining at the elbow to allow it to be placed accurately on the controls. Fit of the parts in the socket is superb, with a friction-like precision. The legs have mould seams along their lengths where they have been cut to remove the figure, but these should be relatively easy to sand flush. A photo of a finished figure is included in the instructions to guide you whilst painting. Ground Crew Set (SWS08-F02) This consists of three members of the ground crew, each of who is kneeling in different poses, whilst pulling or inserting a chock under each wheel of the 229. Each crew member has separate arms, and two have separate heads to allow you to pose them individually. One chap also sports a handgun holster on his waistband. The separate heads have a 5mm long tube attached to the ends of their chins, which is a moulding aid to ensure no bubbles in the vulnerable chin area. Just cut them off, and sand back the resulting wart! Casting is first rate in a matt finished grey resin, with very small casting lugs that will need minimal clean-up. The figures are each allocated a number, which is engraved on each pouring stub, so keep them together after you have removed them. Metal Struts (SWS08-M01) These white metal replacement gear legs will give your Horten a little extra strength, which may come in handy if you are loading it up with extras, or taking it from show to show. The nose gear leg is a single part, and you just tweak the yoke and then close it back up around the wheel, while the main gear legs have separate metal oleo scissor-links. You will need to clean up the parts with files and sanding sticks to remove the moulding seams, plus the little tags that are left overs from the moulding process, but as the metal is relatively soft, this can be accomplished by using a pair of small nippers, or even the blade of a scalpel. You will of course need to use super-glue (CA) or two-part epoxy to secure the parts together, and testing fit and alignment are important due to the slightly flexible nature of white metal. A spot of metal primer would be advisable, after washing the parts to remove any traces of mould-release agent from them. Weighed Tyres (SWS08-M02) These resin tyres are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, leaving you with no central seam to sand, and a minimum of clean-up on the contact patch to remove the casting stub. The maker's mark and tyre specification are moulded in light relief on the sides, and a subtle weighting of the tyres adds a little extra realism to your model. Turned Metal Machine Gun & Pitot Probe Set (SWS08-M03) Beautifully turned cannon barrels and sintered metal muzzle-brakes have been crafted by partners Master Barrels, along with a fine pitot probe to replace the kit parts. The muzzle-brakes are incredibly light, and have a line of holes down each side to vent the escaping gases from each round, much finer than could be achieved by styrene. These drop-in replacements add extra realism as well as strength to the delicate parts of this model, which are always at risk from careless touches during handling. Conclusion These aftermarket parts are the icing on a very nice cake, with superb resin and metal masters created for them by MDC and Master Barrels, which further indicates the quality of the products. I would have liked to have seen an alternative head for the pilot figure, perhaps with his helmet off, but aside from that wish, it's just a great bunch of sets. There is also a decal set containing a full set of panels in wood-grain that will be released soon, as well as a small Photo-Etched set for the interior and the air-brake area. Finally, the Concept Note book is already available. You should note that these items are very popular, and quite often go out of stock. If you have to wait, make sure you pick them up as soon as they are back in stock to avoid disappointment. Extremely highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Horton Ho.229 1:32 Zoukei-Mura The Horten brothers were a pair of visionary siblings that designed a series of flying wing gliders in pre-WWII during the period when Germany was prohibited from having an air force. Each design improved on the last, and once the Luftwaffe broke cover in the expansionist phase before WWII, development began in earnest. The requirement for a light bomber capable of the 3x1000 by the RLM, which was for an aircraft capable of carrying 1,000kg 1,000km at 1,000kph in 1943 set the wheels in motion that resulted in the Horten.IX, which is better known as the Ho.229, and sometimes referred to as the Go.229 due to the fact that the Gothaer factory had been chosen for production examples. The flying wing had a low drag form, and the addition of two jet engines gave it the potential to fulfil the requirement, although it suffered a little from lateral instability due to its shape. The first prototype flew un-powered and with fixed landing gear in 1944, with results that bore plenty of promise before crashing due to a pilot error. Gotha altered the design in practical ways to ease production and increase longevity, as well as adding an ejector seat that was probably as much of a danger to the pilot as being shot down. Another prototype was lost due to an engine fire, but this did not deter the RLM from striving to reach production, despite the worsening situation for Germany in Europe. The third prototype was enlarged, and it was this that fell into the hands of the advancing US troops, and subsequently the Operation Paperclip boys, who took it back to America with plenty of other advanced designs. It remains there to this day, in the restoration area of the Smithsonian's NASM, and you can see some stunning photos and interesting text on their mini-site here. The Kit By heck, but there's been some hype about this kit, and a lot of people queued patiently at the recent SMW to receive the first batch that was available to the public. Thanks to the patience of one of our review team we have one on hand, and it is an amazing example of injection moulding technology that borders on art! With typical ZM style, the kit arrives in sleek box in the "house style" that fits in nicely with their other offerings such as the He.219 (another beautiful kit!). On the cover is a CGI rendering of a 229 shooting down a Lancaster, and in all honesty, it's not the most realistic or detailed painting, but is perfectly adequate for the job. No effort has been spared on the inside of the box though, which has an inner fold-back lid and a card divider within to help keep everything where it should be. If you've been following the buzz about this kit you'll already know that there is a substantial amount of clear plastic in the box, as the model is designed to be able to built with semi-transparent skin that shows the detail packed in underneath. Of course, you can always paint over that, and many of us will, but the option is there. There are seven sprues in clear styrene, and another twelve in grey styrene. There is another small sprue that was loose in my bag for the landing gear covers, but your box should have this inside. You should also note that ZM have noticed a mistake in the numbering of sprue R, which you can find out about here. All you need to do is re-number the parts on the sprues and everything will be ok. The package is rounded off with a set of canopy masks in a green material, a relatively large decal sheet, and of course the instruction booklet. If you haven't yet had the pleasure of perusing one of ZM's kits, the instruction booklet is a very handsome affair, with 3D drawings of the parts and plenty of accompanying hints, tips and explanations of what you're building. It is broken down into several episodes, and there are pictures of the completed article interspersed with the instructions, so you can compare your work against theirs. Whoever built the example kit did a lovely job of it, so we have a high standard to live up to! You can of course treat yourself to some of the extras that are available from ZM, which includes pilot figures, ground crew, metal landing gear, resin wheels, brass barrels and an additional PE set to improve the detail still more! There is also a forthcoming conversion set that will let you build a two-seater, a set of Vallejo colours specifically formulated for the kit, plus a Concept Note book that should help with the build. Construction begins unusually with the two Jumo 004 engines, which have a full suite of eight compressor blades along the central shaft just like the real thing, which is trapped between the forward engine housing after adding the half-moon static blades within the shell first. Each pair is different, so much be installed in strict order, and care will be absolutely imperative if you hope to install the turbine shaft, as the cut-outs in the static blades match the shape of the hubs. The intake bullet is a two-part assembly with the front compressor face added to the rear, which is then trapped between a pair of cowling parts split vertically, plus another pair split horizontally in front of those, forming the inner intake lip. The exhaust has two final phase rotors attached to a spacer, which is in turn glued to a set of stator blades, and finally the rear bullet is put in place. The engine shell is then completed by adding a ring to the back of the compressor phase, linking the exhaust assembly to the rear of the turbine shaft, and lastly enclosing the shaft and part of the exhaust assembly in more cowling that joins horizontally. The outer casing can then be painted up as per the photo instructions. A lot of ancillary equipment comes with a jet engine, and ZM have not skimped on parts here. There are a heap of parts utilised in completing the engine, and painting call-outs accompany them throughout. The final part of the first act is to add the lower heat shields to the aft portion of the engine, which prevented the heat from damaging the relatively delicate wooden skin. These are provided in crystal clear styrene, so that your work with the engines can be seen from the gear bays. As an option, you can cut some square sectioned parts from the sprue runners, and build them up into a trestle for one or both engines either to display them away from the aircraft, or to keep them safe while you finish off the build. Quite a clever use of the otherwise wasted plastic of a sprue! Act two sees the building of the fuselage, which comprises a tubular framework that is very well depicted. The lower frame is built up first to act as the base on which the rest of the fuselage is built, and again you should paint this up as you go, due to the complexity of the finished article. The wing root formers are added to the extreme left & right of the fuselage frame, at which point it starts to look a bit like a Ho.229 for the first time. Various linkages and controls are added, reaching the forward fuselage to be integrated with the cockpit, which is built up later. The cannons and their ammunition feeds are added inboard of the wing joint, after which the engines are added into the lower fuselage assembly and held in place by the addition of the upper framework, so again – keep painting as you go along, or you'll regret it. Fitting this part properly is crucial, and takes up two pages of the instructions, showing where it should locate a number of times from different angles. Another page is devoted to showing the finished article in picture form, which should give you the feeling that if you screw it up, you will have trouble fitting the outer skin, so take care, test-fit and do it right the first time. The third act deals with the cockpit, the framework for which is painted RLM66, although the instructions suggest black, while the photos and general RLM practice says otherwise. The side frames are added first, which makes you realise just how close to the pilot the engines are, and how deaf he would probably get. The pilot's instrument panel is supplied as either a one-piece grey styrene, or a clear part, giving you the choice of how to achieve your desired effect. The styrene part is simply painted up and the supplied individual instrument decals added or the full panel decal, with a dot of gloss varnish added after to give the illusion of glass fronts. The clear part needs to be masked to retain the clear instrument faces, painted and then the decals are placed behind the panel with the use of either decal softening solutions as per the instructions, or a small quantity of clear acrylic varnish to improve adhesion of the wrong side of the decals to the clear plastic. Either should do the job, and a coat of white laid over the back of the panel, then a covering coat of grey/black will hide them from view. The panel is attached to the fuselage via a series of tubular frames, after which you install the control column, with the control linkages below the cockpit floor attaching to the bottom of the stick and latching onto pegs in the outer fuselage area. The ejector seat is made up later, and consists of only four parts due to the simplicity of its design, but it looks good nonetheless. You can use alternative seat bucket parts with moulded in belts, or a blank part if you are using aftermarket belts or installing a pilot figure. Other than the forward roll-over bar within the windscreen area and a piece of nose armour, that's all the creature comforts the pilot had, sitting exposed at the front of the flying wing, and deafened by the sound of his own engines. After the fixed landing gear of the first prototype was lost along with the airframe, retractable gear was installed in subsequent prototypes, with a huge balloon tyre at the front, and two more reasonably sized main gear legs toward the rear. These are the subject of section 4, and it begins with the build-up of the main gear legs, which have a one-piece main leg, separate oleo-scissor links, separate hubs, and two part tyres that have manufacturers' details and spec in raised lettering on the sidewalls. They install into sockets in the underside of the fuselage framework, and are joined with two retraction linkages, and brake hoses moulded in styrene, the location of which is noted in two scrap drawings to the side. The big nose gear leg is moulded in two halves, separated vertically, and its yoke surrounds the two-part tyre with separate hubs, with the mudguard and bracing hoop added after the wheel is installed. The substantial top of the leg is inserted into a large receiver in the nose, and a three-part retraction mechanism is added to the rear. This is also well documented with various views in scrap diagrams around the main construction stage. A final page shows everything installed and painted, then shows the correct angles for the assemblies once they are mated together. Measuring those angles yourself might be a bit tricky unless you hold your model up to the drawing and measure by eye. Act 5 sees the fuselage covered in those translucent outer panels that we mentioned earlier. You will need to make a decision of what to do about them around this stage, and choose whether to model it with a "ghost" skin, partially paint it, or go the whole hog and paint it completely. Of course, you could also go insane and depict your 229 unpainted using some of HGW's excellent wood effect decals. I'm finding that last option quite tempting as I write this, but I'm not paying for any therapy you might need if you go down that route! The first part of the fuselage to go in is an armoured panel that protects the pilot from frontal attacks, which sits inside the nose cone. The nose part itself is a work of styrene art, having been slide-moulded as one piece that incorporates the nose, engine intakes, forward cockpit sills and the outer fuselage leading edge. The lower fuselage skin is made up of three main parts, which fit onto attachment points moulded into the bottom of the fuselage framework, so care and careful gluing is the order of the day, especially if you are leaving any of the panels unpainted. The airbrakes and their actuating rams that cause them to slide out into the slipstream are added before the upper fuselage is closed up, and if you plan to depict them closed, you just nip off the jacks and clean up the stub, installing them flush with the outer skin. The upper fuselage is next, and this comprises a single large upper piece and separate crystal clear engine cowlings, to allow you to show off one or both of your engines. The metal jetwash panels are moulded in, and these are painted bare metal whenever you see fit, and would benefit from a bit of heat discolouration along the way. That's it – the fuselage is complete, but now you need wings. Section 6 deals with the wings, and by now you will know that ZM prefer to give you a distinctly engineering-style experience that involves building a simplified replica of the whole internals of the aircraft. As usual with the wings, there is a simplified version of the wooden internal structure in the shape of ribs and stringers that give the wing stiffness and allow the suspension of ancillary equipment within the framework. The main part is a single moulding, to which is added a more detailed inner end-profile. A set of four fuel tanks are added into the mid and leading edge of the inner two-thirds of the wing, and a single piece depicting the actuating mechanism for the outer flying surfaces. At this point you'd be forgiven for thinking that you should add the skin to the wing, but instead you attach the wing to the fuselage using a quartet of pegs for each one, each of which is attached to a small square of outer-skin. A couple of small parts glue directly to the lower wing skin before it is added, and then you fit the top wing, encasing the innards forever. All the control surfaces are poseable, with elevons along the trailing edge, the inner sections of which also act as flaps. On the top and bottom surface of the wing tips are the drag rudders, a set of paired spoilers than allow lateral direction change. Each one plugs into a slot in the underside of the wing skin, and can be posed closed by cutting off the actuators and gluing them flush with the outer skin. A number of scrap diagrams are there to help you get them sitting correctly, as well as a couple of photos of the finished article in the deployed position. The final phase involves adding all the small parts to the completed airframe. A pair of huge bay doors for the nose gear, two smaller captive doors each for the main gear plus tiny centrally mounted inner doors, and doors in the pen-nib tail for the drag-chute, all of which are best added after main painting is done. The Morane IFF antenna hangs down beneath the fuselage, slightly offset to port, and a DF loop is added to the rear spine, with pitot on the port wingtip. The 229's windscreen is extremely complex in shape, with compound curves on almost every surface, which appear to have been done well. It fits directly to the sill, and locates on a pair of pins in the roll-over bar, but be sure to install the one-piece gun-sight before you put it in place, as it will be a lot more difficult if you don't. The sliding canopy section has been well designed, and you are given two options for the outer skin. You can use the single piece clear canopy, or use a front clear section with a crystal clear aft section that has a central frame projecting from the front that fits along the top of the clear part in a slight recess. Either option then fits to a sub-frame to which the sliding mechanism is added on a cross-member – don't forget that there is a set of canopy masks to aid you with painting. The ejection seat and canopy are then added to the model without glue, the former sliding into place on two ejection rails. The canopy should be able to slide back and forth on its own rails too, giving you the option of open or closed canopy on a whim. Adding the gun barrel stubs to the holes in the leading edges of the wings outboard of the intakes and the clear wingtip lights means an end to construction. Markings There are two fanciful schemes included on the decal sheet, both based on the most likely A-0 series of airframes that were closest to reality. Both are in an RLM81/82 wavy camo scheme, with RLM76 on the undersides, differing only in their tail bands. Example A has a yellow/red band, while B has a blue/green chequer pattern. Anything other than the prototype schemes are mere speculation though, so the world is your oyster when it comes to markings choices. Note that there are no white outline swastika decals included, a pair of which can still be seen on the original airframe, but there are a pair of black ones split in half, to avoid issues when shipping the kits to Germany and other countries where the symbol is either banned or actively discouraged. The decals are well printed with good register, sharpness and colour density, although the instrument decals are a little dark with the needle and calibration details over-powered by the black, which may result in a rather drab panel. As well as the individual instrument decals, there is also a single decal with a full panel printed on it, so the modeller can apply it to the styrene panel and get it settled down with some decal solution. A few oblongs of yellow, blue and green are included for patching in of the tail bands if necessary, although there isn't any red supplied for example A. There are full sets of digits from 0 to 9 with two rows of white, yellow and red, and sections of the latter could be used to patch any gaps in the red tail bands if necessary. Masking and painting the bands is always an option though, as you have the decals to use as patterns for your masks. Conclusion This is another beautiful kit from Zoukei-Mura that just oozes quality from every part. Real care and attention has been lavished on the design of the kit, and the instruction booklet not only holds your hand through the build process, but also imparts quite a bit of knowledge during the process. I like to know what the name and function of the parts I'm gluing together are, and the instructions are more than happy to oblige. The instructions are almost unique (so far) in guiding you through the build as you would approach it from a modeller's perspective, which of course is their target market – these are not pocket-money kits by any stretch of the imagination. Superb in every way – I struggle to find suitable words to recommend it highly enough without sounding sycophantic. It is the dictionary definition of awesome before it became diluted by overuse. Buy at least one right now. Scratch that – get two, and put your name on the two-seat conversion set that's coming soon. Review sample courtesy of

After it's 1/32nd Ho-229 (http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234946931-zoukei-mura-next-kit/?hl=horten#entry1411325), Zoukei Mura is now working on the 1/48th kit from the Horten flying wing. Source: http://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/en/sentiment/oyajiblog_060.html V.P.

This arrived today right before lunch; the 1/32 Zoukei-Mura Horten Ho 229. Now my plan for lunch today was to tackle the nose parts of the Airfix Typhoon to see if I could get them to line up. Needless to say, I got distracted and just drooled over this kit. Here is a peek into what’s in the box. This cover goes over a plain cardboard box containing all the good stuff. It was packed quite well and not one single piece was off of its respective sprue. And, this is what they look like: I was very surprised at the contents. I knew the option to do the kit as a clear version was included, but I thought it would be like the 1/24 Trumpeter Bf 109 kit with alternative clear parts. Not quite, this is designed to be built as a clear version and then afterwards, if you want, you can paint it. The exterior parts are all clear; well sorta. Many of the exterior parts are canopy clear. The main parts, the fuselage and wings are this cloudy clear version. I am not sure of the reasoning why these parts are semi-clear as opposed to completely clear like the canopy parts. Very odd. The detail looks good and the framework that needs to be built up looks complicated and challenging. The decals are nice, but not exceptional. There is also one correction piece in the box for part F-3. It was quite prominently displayed so it would be hard to miss and use the incorrect piece on the F sprue. That is a nice touch. The manual is what can be expected from Zoukei-Mura as it is quite detailed and has examples of the built up parts. colour callouts are only for Vallejo paints. It looks like 45 pages of modeling fun. I am desperately trying to resist immediately starting on this kit. I have too many others that need to be finished. Hopefully, I can finish one or two prior to this weekend. If I do, this kit is jumping ahead on my to do list. So a WIP will be posted soon. If anyone has more questions or would like more detailed photos, please let me know. Now just how much Future do I have on stock? Probably need more!

Zoukei Mura is developing a series of 1/32nd Focke-Wulf Fw.190A & Fw.190D kits. Source: https://www.facebook.com/cybermodeller?hc_location=timeline V.P.

OK everyone, after about 8 months work, I give you Zoukei-Mura's wonderful (and complex!) Heinkel Uhu, featuring none of the pain of the Revell version (Hi Iain), but on the other hand featuring a host of other 'features'. But really, I'm not complaining - it is hard to fault when you take the whole thing in the round... 8 month's entertainment? Seems like excellent value to me. WIP is here: http://www.britmodeller.om/forums/index.php?/topic/234945361-oh-lordy-its-only-a-zoukei-mura-uhu (This editor, in IE 11, is *really* doing my head in... cut and paste is all screwy, the link dialog appears to be a work of Satan and doesn't go away when you click any of 'OK', 'Cancel' or the 'Close [x]' box. Getting the URLs in from PhotoBucket is a NIGHTMARE!!! But I digress, on with the show... 1. A few general overviews: 2. Close ups on the nose: 3. The pit: 4. Some engine close-ups: 5. The fuel tanks and DF equipment: 6. An extremely murky view of Schrage Music system (not easy taking internal pictures!): 7. Wiring gubbins: 8. A wheel well: Hope you like! Mike

ZM's latest 'Old Man's Blog' asked for requests for what the community would like to see next. I asked for a Whirlwind and a Bronco. Here is the reply from Z-M's president... "Mr. Mike Hislop Thank you very much for your nice suggestion. 1/32 Westland Whirlwind!! If I just think about it I get excited!! One day it might really become one of our kits. So please keep supporting our SWS kits! Well, The OV-10 Bronco sounds good too!! Hideyuki Shigeta President of Zoukei-Mura Inc." So there you are... A cast iron guarantee from the President himself that we'll be seeing a 1/32 Whirlwind before the end of the year. Well, we can dream, can't we? Does anybody out there have anything to do with the Whirlwind Project? Mike

Airframe Constructor No1. The P-51 Mustang Valiant Wings This is the first in what I imagine will be a great series of books from Valiant Wings, that take one particular model and describe the processes and challenges throughout a build. In this case it’s of the Zoukei-Mura 1:32 P-51D Mustang. Inside the glossy cover there are sixty four pages of information, starting with the preface, which covers the history of the P-51. The rest of the book is on the build itself. The pages are very well printed and the photography of each stage of build is superb. Rather than an out of the box build the author, Daniel Zambaride Suarez has taken the standard kit and modified it with some fairly simple scratchbuilt items to build a post war aircraft of the Guatemalan Air Force. The author has written and interesting build narrative which precedes the build pictures and explains his reasoning behind the build, how certain effects were achieved and how he painted and weathered the completed model. After this there are thirty six pages of photographs showing each stage of the build. Each picture is annotated stating the process of building, painting and weathering each assembly, plus any additions which were scratchbuilt. Even if you weren’t building the ZM kit the book is still a very useful reference of the various techniques that can be used on any model. After the build section there is a small section on how to paint a bare metal scheme including weathering, which some may not agree with, but it may be somewhat exaggerated, but could still be useful. After this there are five pages of colour profiles, each page with five different schemes, all nicely drawn by Richard Caruana. The profiles are followed by a six page walkround of P-51D in the markings of Ser No. 413704 along with diagrams taken from the pilots manual. The last couple of pages consist of lists for all the aftermarket items available for 1:32 scale P-51’s plus the ones available from Zoukei-Mura themselves specifically for their first P-51D release. Conclusion[/size] Considering this is the first book in the series I think Valiant Wings have done very well indeed. It feels like a quality book which also really shows in the photography. The brief history at the front along with the period photos is a nice touch, as are the side views and walkround, all of which will come in very handy to anyone wishing to build a P-51. The build section itself is an absolute mine of information and I hope to use some of the techniques in my future builds. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of