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Japanese UF-XS


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hi all,

 

Here's my latest model finished just in time for Telford. It is the AW Models resin kit of the Japanese UF-XS.

 

For those of you who don't know, it was a one-off test aircraft created from a Grumman Albatross and was used to trial the hull shape and hot air blowing system over the flaps for the proposed Shin Meiwa flying boats. The real plane can be seen in the Kakamigahara museum near to Gifu air base in Japan.

 

Apart from masking the white lines, this kit was a dream to put together.

 

UF-XS-4.jpg

 

UF-XS-3.jpg

 

UF-XS-1.jpg

 

UF-XS-2.jpg

 

Hope you like it

 

Andy

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1 hour ago, John_W said:

Interesting. Do you know why they used two bladed props for the outer engines?

Thanks for the nice comments from everyone. I don't know for certain but my guess regarding the two bladed props is that the outer engines were lifted straight from a couple of AT6 Harvards. The inner engines are the original Albatross ones

 

Andy

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That looks good Andy, although a bit of a masking headache! And the museum is another example of places I've not been to whilst being very close. I really could kick myself.

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25 minutes ago, Filler said:

That looks good Andy, although a bit of a masking headache! And the museum is another example of places I've not been to whilst being very close. I really could kick myself.

Sorry to rub salt in the wound but the museum is superb, with many one-off exhibits including the T-2 CCV and Asuka. It's just been revamped too.

 

Best of luck next time

andy

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No worries Andy. The good news is that unlike Hyakuri and its Phantoms, the museum won't be going anywhere soon, so I can still get there. Planning to be back in Japan in October next year for a couple of weeks. Thinking of trying for some fence time at Nyutabaru and Tsuiki as I'll be mainly staying in Oita. If I get some time further north I'll see if a Museum is in reach. I believe by then that Hyakuri will be down to just the recce Phantons, which are the best but I think there's just too higher risk of none flying days by then.

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1 hour ago, Britman said:

How does the museum compare others that you may be familiar with?  This is not intended to reopen any discussion on Hendon. 

 

Keith. 

hi Keith,

 

It is typically Japanese in that the exhibits are spotlessly clean and well laid out. There are about 15 planes inside and 4 outside including a US-1A. The unusual thing about it is that the vast majority of the planes all relate to the test centre at Gifu just up the road, so that makes some of them unique. Sadly, there was no English translation of the captions last time I went, but that may have changed now.

 

https://www.j-hangarspace.jp/gifu-kakamigahara-museum

 

This link shows the new layout and the Asuka seems to have gone, but of course it may be elsewhere in the building.

 

andy

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  • 1 year later...

Hi Andy, your model and our visit to the Kamigahara Museum inspired me to take part in the actual competition in the german www.Flugzeugforum.de. This year`'s subject is: Flying boats!

 

So, thnak you for the Motivation!

 

I acquired the actual A&W kit and there is even a trolley or beaching gear included!

 

cheers,

 

Norbert

 

 

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My pleasure Norbert. Make sure you get the white lines correctly placed as the museum aircraft is slightly different to period photos. I will be checking 😉

 

Andy

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Thanks for all the comments.

 

Actually, the masking wasn't too bad as the model is only a few inches long. The hardest part was choosing the correct operational scheme as old photos show variations in the stripes when compared to the museum aircraft.

 

Norbert, above, has also noticed this, in that the top of the tail is orange in the museum but it wasn't in service

 

Andy

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