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1/72 Airfix Grumman Wildcat and Nakajima Kate 'Dogfight Double'


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Had to look Cullen Skink up Stew but sounds like great comfort food :winkgrin: Enjoy yourself :yahoo:

Mmm it was good... only the Baxters canned stuff, it wasn't made by my doughty grandma or some fisherman's widow or anything but it was just what the doctor ordered. It is one of the many things I have fallen in love with since I moved up here.

Great paint work on the little people - I'm looking forward to your continued endeavors on these smallish planes.

John

Thanks very much John :)

Well having made the same mistake as you Stew, tonight I felt compelled to carefully remove the photo etched bits and dismantled key parts to respray my Devastator cockpit from US Interior Green to Bronze Green #9. I could have done without the set-back, but so far, so good.

Very tidy Jamie, not sure how I would feel if I had to remove PE parts but yours looks like it went okay - and it will be worth the effort so that in future when you look at that finished model you won't have that little internal voice whisper "but you knew that probably wasn't the right cockpit colour... and you just left it, didn't you?" Everybody else does have that inner voice, right? :huh:

I'll be off to pick up the new paints from the Arkley Street Post Office when they open so I hope I will have time to quickly re-spray the interior of the Wildcat before I go to work; if not then hopefully later, in any case the weekend approaches and I am not able/too idle to get to Telford so I hope to get some 'work' done then.

Cheers,

Stew

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Phew that's a relief, for a moment I though I might have admitted to something I ought to keep quiet on a public forum...

Hell-o!

DSCN4227.jpg

Well, one thing leads to another and...

DSCN4229.jpg

... so I can crack on now... thanks very much Jamie :)

Cheers,

Stew

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I am by now extremely curious to see the correct colour of the Japanese aircraft light grey. :hmmm:

The first thing to bear in mind is that it isn't really a light grey per se. It has been described as olive grey, amber grey, ameiro (which means amber or yellowish-brown colour) even khaki. But it was never officially just ameiro. That comes from a 1942 IJN report which described the current factory paint of the Zero as "J3 Haiiro (ash or gray colour) leaning slightly toward ameiro (amber colour, the colour of candy or toffee). Somewhat similar in appearance to both the RAF's Hemp and the Luftwaffe's RLM 02 - a warm yellowish or slightly brownish grey with a slight greenish undertone. When new it was glossy but over time it gradually chalked and dulled to a more neutral dove grey. The slight greenish undertone was fugitive, caused by the mixture of black and yellow ochre pigments in the paint and easily overdone on a model, but the subtlety of the colour is very prone to both observer and illuminant metamerism. People who see the real paint describe it in different ways depending on their colour acuity.

Recent Zero models posted at my blog show the colour quite well:-

http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2015/10/more-zeros-danilo-renzullis-172-a6m2.html

http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2015/09/zbyszek-malickis-172-a6m2.html

http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2015/09/mark-smiths-172-a6m2.html

http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2015/09/zeros-galore.html

The paint applied by Nakajima to the B5N2 and to their own A6M2 production was even slightly more yellowish and towards a golden tan than the Mitsubishi paint, shown here to advantage on Ernest Pazmany's 1/48th B5N2 model which used the Colourcoats Nakajima Amber Grey (Ameiro) ACJ17:-

http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2011/11/ernest-pazmanys-pearl-harbor-b5n2-kate.html

It's easy to envisage how such aircraft, seen banking in the early morning light, gave rise to ideas of 'yellow' Kates.

Nick

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The first thing to bear in mind is that it isn't really a light grey per se. It has been described as olive grey, amber grey, ameiro (which means amber or yellowish-brown colour) even khaki. But it was never officially just ameiro. That comes from a 1942 IJN report which described the current factory paint of the Zero as "J3 Haiiro (ash or gray colour) leaning slightly toward ameiro (amber colour, the colour of candy or toffee). Somewhat similar in appearance to both the RAF's Hemp and the Luftwaffe's RLM 02 - a warm yellowish or slightly brownish grey with a slight greenish undertone. When new it was glossy but over time it gradually chalked and dulled to a more neutral dove grey. The slight greenish undertone was fugitive, caused by the mixture of black and yellow ochre pigments in the paint and easily overdone on a model, but the subtlety of the colour is very prone to both observer and illuminant metamerism. People who see the real paint describe it in different ways depending on their colour acuity.

Recent Zero models posted at my blog show the colour quite well:-

http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2015/10/more-zeros-danilo-renzullis-172-a6m2.html

http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2015/09/zbyszek-malickis-172-a6m2.html

http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2015/09/mark-smiths-172-a6m2.html

http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2015/09/zeros-galore.html

The paint applied by Nakajima to the B5N2 and to their own A6M2 production was even slightly more yellowish and towards a golden tan than the Mitsubishi paint, shown here to advantage on Ernest Pazmany's 1/48th B5N2 model which used the Colourcoats Nakajima Amber Grey (Ameiro) ACJ17:-

http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2011/11/ernest-pazmanys-pearl-harbor-b5n2-kate.html

It's easy to envisage how such aircraft, seen banking in the early morning light, gave rise to ideas of 'yellow' Kates.

Nick

Very informative Nick, thanks you. The colourcoats Nakajima amber grey is certainly reminiscent of the Hemp colour seen on Nimrods.

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Very tidy Jamie, not sure how I would feel if I had to remove PE parts but yours looks like it went okay - and it will be worth the effort so that in future when you look at that finished model you won't have that little internal voice whisper "but you knew that probably wasn't the right cockpit colour...

I'm not sure it was the most risk averse idea I ever had but I seem to have got away with it...

20151105_175542_zpsookutwdx.jpg

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Nick, thanks for the info and I've received the Zero Painting Guide - I had a quick flick through* last night, it looks like it will be an interesting read and I will absorb it more thoroughly over the weekend. Some of those colour shades look unlike anything I have in my paint vaults.

Jamie, no I guess a man with the spheroids to adopt an orphaned paint company has probably done enough worrying to be unfazed by removing a few bits of etched metal :lol:

Was on a late-ish shift last night so didn't make any progress, and I'm out with work colleagues to celebrate a birthday this evening... but I hope to make some progress tomorrow.

Cheers,

Stew

* a virtual flick through I suppose for a .pdf document.

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Nick, thanks for the info and I've received the Zero Painting Guide - I had a quick flick through* last night, it looks like it will be an interesting read and I will absorb it more thoroughly over the weekend. Some of those colour shades look unlike anything I have in my paint vaults.

Nick's Zero Painting Guide may just be a few pages, but the information and insight that it contains is invaluable to any modeller contemplating the build of a Zero. I heartily recommend it!

After a thorough read, I was compelled to introduce my Pactra Authentic International Color of "IJN Light Grey" to the bin. And I'd been saving it for 30 years! LOL - it was dried up anyway.

Cheers,

Bill

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I think what it really comes down to is that the PTO was America's war, whilst the ETO was Britain's. Plus this site is Britmodeller so any British subject will be received with a greater degree of interest than those that are from other countries.

You know, I don't necessarily agree with this. A decade or so ago, when I was trying (and failing) to get into graduate school, I wrote a lengthy paper as the basis for what I hoped would become my thesis, on the Indian Ocean Raid. The first allied aircraft to sight and attack the Japanese carriers were the Blenheim IVs of 11 Squadron on 9 April 1942; the first aircraft carrier sunk by carrier-based aircraft was HMS Hermes on the same day, and Ceylon-based Hurricanes were the first Allied aircraft to bounce Japanese Zeroes. There's a lot more British stuff in the war against Japan than I think many realize.

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Hey Stew this is where you got to post BofB. I've just had a catch up on your fantastic work, you're doing a cracking job and the figures look brilliant. I look forward to seeing more.

Hey John, thanks very much and yes, I've been led astray by Airfix and the Pacificists :winkgrin: - like your new avatar, is s/he yours? Not that there was anything wrong with Father Jack (or nothing that couldn't be cured by a "DRINK!")

Nick's Zero Painting Guide may just be a few pages, but the information and insight that it contains is invaluable to any modeller contemplating the build of a Zero. I heartily recommend it!

After a thorough read, I was compelled to introduce my Pactra Authentic International Color of "IJN Light Grey" to the bin. And I'd been saving it for 30 years! LOL - it was dried up anyway.

Cheers,

Bill

It's been a very informative read so far, I was aware I knew next to nothing about Imperial Japanese paint colours, and it turns out that the bit I thought I knew wasn't right anyway... who'd have thought the Matchbox Zero I dutifully painted white as per the instructions as a child wasn't really white?

You know, I don't necessarily agree with this. A decade or so ago, when I was trying (and failing) to get into graduate school, I wrote a lengthy paper as the basis for what I hoped would become my thesis, on the Indian Ocean Raid. The first allied aircraft to sight and attack the Japanese carriers were the Blenheim IVs of 11 Squadron on 9 April 1942; the first aircraft carrier sunk by carrier-based aircraft was HMS Hermes on the same day, and Ceylon-based Hurricanes were the first Allied aircraft to bounce Japanese Zeroes. There's a lot more British stuff in the war against Japan than I think many realize.

You make a good point regarding Commonwealth involvement in the Pacific War PC, but you might - or might not - be surprised how many Brits are unaware of our involvement in that theatre of operations, or at least unaware of the extent of our involvement - especially amongst those of us who have no living relatives who fought in WWII, for whom it is perhaps a more distant sort of history than for those of us with an interest in that era.

Cheers,

Stew

Edit: nearly forgot, the Peewit mask sets for the Wildcat and the Kate are available at Hannants now, have ordered one of each...

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Hey John, thanks very much and yes, I've been led astray by Airfix and the Pacificists :winkgrin: - like your new avatar, is s/he yours? Not that there was anything wrong with Father Jack (or nothing that couldn't be cured by a "DRINK!")

Yes she is Stew, meet Roxy a Heinz57 cross breed that we rescued from Manchester Dogs Home 81/2 years ago and she is a little cracker.

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She is a little beauty John :heart:

I got the various instrument and console transfers applied, the detail painting of the cockpit parts done and Mini-John Thach installed, though I found it prudent to amputate his feet to avoid fouling the rudder pedals:

DSCN4232.jpg

I did a test-fit of the interior to the fuselage, the fit was so tight it very nearly became permanent but I managed to prise them apart again without causing any breakages:

DSCN4235.jpg

I've since scraped the paint off the mating surface of the interior parts which I hope will ease the fit when I do install it... I almost forgot to install the lower fuselage windows before joining the two halves together, which would have resulted in some wailing and gnashing of teeth as you can't fit them from the outside - fortunately 'almost forgot' was the operative phrase here, and the windows were fixed with Gator's Grip:

DSCN4236.jpg

I'll leave them a while to set then get the fuselage closed up...

Cheers,

Stew

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Nice work stew!! :)

Thanks Noah :)

Looking good Stew :)

Poor John - first boots > shoes and now footless... why don't these guys fit? :(

Aye it's been a bad week for John and no mistake :lol: - I think I probably could have got him to fit with a bit of wiggling, but I just went for the quick option as I had already applied some superglue gel to his hinder and was keen to get him fitted without any undue delay. That said, from the instructions it does appear that the Kate's rear gunner might have to have his legs removed at the knees; I presume that the figures use a basic standard shape and sometimes you have to modify them to fit, but I don't remember that being the case in the old days - then again the interiors were much less detailed in the old days so perhaps it simply wasn't necessary.

In short Ced, I dunno :shrug:

I joined the fuselage halves together and have now noticed that I should have installed a couple of undercarriage parts before I did this... you ignore the instructions at your peril. I have only the excuse that I am building them wheels-up so didn't worry too much about the undercarriage at this stage; on the plus side I think I can fit the relevant parts from the outside... :hmmm:

Cheers,

Stew

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Thanks very much Rob :D

My run of bad luck has not yet run out, apparently. I got the undercarriage parts fitted but while fitting it pushed one of the lower fuselage windows into the interior of the aircraft, so I had to prise the fuselage halves apart, retrieve and re-fix the errant window and rejoin the fuselage halves, I suspect I got a less than optimal join as a result of this and needed a smear of filler to tidy things up on the underneath:

DSCN4238.jpg

... and the topside:

DSCN4239.jpg

Hopefully that will not notice once it is painted. I assembled, painted and fitted the engine:

DSCN4241.jpg

... and the cowling:

DSCN4244.jpg

According to the instructions the empennage and wings are next... *rubs hands together*

Cheers,

Stew

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I've pushed windows inside joined fuselage halves so many times I can't remember! I think you recovered nicely.

Sometimes I'll take a larger piece of thin clear styrene sheet (if it will fit) and glue it over the window on the inside. This allows you to have a combined bond that is stronger. But you have to be careful that you can't see it when you're done. The technique probably works better on fuselage side windows, rather than those in the cockpit floor.

Cheers,

Bill

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I've pushed windows inside joined fuselage halves so many times I can't remember! I think you recovered nicely.

Sometimes I'll take a larger piece of thin clear styrene sheet (if it will fit) and glue it over the window on the inside. This allows you to have a combined bond that is stronger. But you have to be careful that you can't see it when you're done. The technique probably works better on fuselage side windows, rather than those in the cockpit floor.

Cheers,

Bill

Thanks - that's a good idea Bill, I've got another Wildcat on the way so will try it out on that one - I really made my own bad luck there, I could just have easily have used poly cement which I think would have held better but there's always the fear of fogging with that stuff but if I had paid attention to the instructions I could have avoided having to manhandle the model in the first place...

Great progress and lovely work on those crews.

Dermot

Thanks very much Dermot :D

Love the work you've done so far!

Hey MG, long time no hear, hope you are well?

This evening I got the tailfeathers fitted:

DSCN4246.jpg

The wings slot perfectly into place with a satisfying little clicky feeling:

DSCN4248.jpg

... so why the rubber band to hold them in place? There is an Albanian proverb: "God watches over your donkey... but tie him up as well."

So just a few little bits and bobs to attach, mask and fit the canopy and then I can get the primer on...

Cheers,

Stew

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