Japanese Pilot Figures 1/48

[Tcoat]

I have scoured the internet and can come up with very few available Japanese pilot figures. All I am after is a couple of pilots that are standing and not getting ready for a Kamikaze mission (seems this is the predominant theme)! 

The Hasegawa set has a couple but they look a little stumpy and I would have to take out a second mortgage to pay for the set anyway.

 

I figure if I have to pay upward of $50 anyway I may as well just get an aircraft as well.  The Tamiya ones look decent and are in the casual sort of pose I was looking for. Anybody build these up?  Any other decent sources I may not know about? 

 

[Tcoat]

Nobody?

 

Well I ordered the Zero with the standing pilots so I will update how the figures are in about 4 weeks when it gets here. 

[Ratch]

I have that set in 1/72 

[jeff72]

What about these?

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/modelkasten-f-05-rabaul-zero-fighter-pilots-7pcs--1142707

[Tcoat]

3 hours ago, jeff72 said:

What about these?

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/modelkasten-f-05-rabaul-zero-fighter-pilots-7pcs--1142707

Oh these are nice. I hadn't seen them before. Unfortunately even though the site says "in stock" when you try to order them they are out of stock and they will let you know when they will enter your personal "warehouse". Since they are from 2013 it could be a while before (or if ) they are ever redone.

 

I ran into this over and over.

 

"Perfect"

Out of stock

 

"Nice"

Sorry no longer in production.

 

"Beautiful"

That will be $1,999.99 please. When we make them again.

 

I could probably wait it out on Ebay but then they will probably be grossly overpriced since they are rare.

 

The Tamiya ones at least come with a plane and the whole works was a very reasonably priced.

 

 

[f111guru]

@TcoatI don't generally put figures in the aircraft I build. Pilots anyway. I make maintenance diorama's and only twice have I put pilots in for commission builds. So, that said I'll go through my parts boxes and see if I have any Japanese figures for you.

All The Best,

Ron VanDerwarker

[f111guru]

Found these two in my WW2 stash of figures.

They are completely different from the German and US aircrew. Seem similar to those in your pictures. Have not seen any more. I did look in a Hasegawa Zero kit but no figure in it.

All The Best,

Ron VanDerwarker

[Tcoat]

2 hours ago, f111guru said:

@TcoatI don't generally put figures in the aircraft I build. Pilots anyway. I make maintenance diorama's and only twice have I put pilots in for commission builds. So, that said I'll go through my parts boxes and see if I have any Japanese figures for you.

All The Best,

Ron VanDerwarker

Thanks! In the diorama I have planed it will be the sub deck crew removing a Seiran from the hanger. I wanted two standing pilots wait for them to finish. I will be using some of the old Monogram figures from the bomber sets for the deck crew.  

[Tcoat]

11 minutes ago, f111guru said:

Found these two in my WW2 stash of figures.

 

They are completely different from the German and US aircrew. Seem similar to those in your pictures. Have not seen any more. I did look in a Hasegawa Zero kit but no figure in it.

All The Best,

Ron VanDerwarker

Oh those are certainly Japanese. Nice casual and relaxed pose as well. 

 

 

Edited March 19, 2021 by Tcoat

[f111guru]

Good luck with your diorama. Quite extensive in detail and an interesting subject.

I don't foresee using those two crewmen and their yours if you want them. Also have a great many ww2 crewmen from Monogram and the like. PM your address or email.

 

All The Best

Ron VanDerwarker

[Tcoat]

2 hours ago, f111guru said:

Good luck with your diorama. Quite extensive in detail and an interesting subject.

I don't foresee using those two crewmen and their yours if you want them. Also have a great many ww2 crewmen from Monogram and the like. PM your address or email.

 

All The Best

Ron VanDerwarker

Very much appreciated! PM sent.

 

So far for ground crew I will be using the really really old Monogram/Revell molds that come with pretty much every US bomber kit. Of course they will by altered to be Japanese.

Let me introduce you to the ground crew that will be prepping the Seiran.

 

From left to right we have:

 

Let's have a toast even though my beer mug has disappeared man.

Ripped my shirt off and am going to use my freakishly long and skinny arms to cut you with this box cutter dude.

And ...

 

The ever popular I am far to drunk to walk I am crawling back to barracks guy

 

 

 

 

[redcap]

These are perfect for a kamikaze mission - I had them years ago and they were very nice but these are now long out of production (I think).

 

Why not place a "want" here on BM or check on eBay for a set. 

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/legend-productions-lf4807-kamikaze-last-flight-ceremony--220494

 

Gary

[Tcoat]

30 minutes ago, redcap said:

These are perfect for a kamikaze mission - I had them years ago and they were very nice but these are now long out of production (I think).

 

Why not place a "want" here on BM or check on eBay for a set. 

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/legend-productions-lf4807-kamikaze-last-flight-ceremony--220494

 

Gary

Thanks but I was looking for some NOT on a Kamikaze mission. Seems to be all they make now. Pretty much anything else is not available.

Edited March 21, 2021 by Tcoat

[f111guru]

I did notice on Hannats website that 3 companies have some figure in stock. CMK, PJ Productions and Reskit have pilots and maintenance figures. Might have a look see what other figures you could file sand and apply putty to modify to your needs. Most are resin and not cheap. The other direction I go is to hit up model railroad site for O gauge figures and structures. I've used these mixed with 48th scale the same as some mix 1/32nd and 1/35th scale. So not to have a uniformed scene.

 

Ron

[Tcoat]

19 minutes ago, f111guru said:

I did notice on Hannats website that 3 companies have some figure in stock. CMK, PJ Productions and Reskit have pilots and maintenance figures. Might have a look see what other figures you could file sand and apply putty to modify to your needs. Most are resin and not cheap. The other direction I go is to hit up model railroad site for O gauge figures and structures. I've used these mixed with 48th scale the same as some mix 1/32nd and 1/35th scale. So not to have a uniformed scene.

 

Ron

Yep. I checked through there and really didn't see much. They did have a nice looking Vietnam set on the watch list that I may spring for. I am far from cheap or broke but to get stuff into Canada means that many of the items that show for $10 on international site can cost $30+ by the time they get here. Exchange, shipping and duty on this sort of stuff kill us up here. I wouldn't mind paying that for something I knew I would use but it is an expensive gamble to have a bunch of guys I may never use in a box.

At least with ordering the Zero kit that includes the figures I gain another aircraft.

Although that could lead to me deciding to do another dio and I am back to square one! It is a vicious circle. 

[f111guru]

Yep, that is the game I play. Why I have collected near or over 500 figures in plastic and resin. This company Preiser Models does all scales and for the most part fits the bill. However, most websites that carry that line are out of stock for the scale I use. I'm 48th scale primarily but have done the other scales too. Another website I use is

https://www.hobbyeasy.com/

I find most times things I'm hunting for on sale, somewhat anyway. Generally speaking as far as US prices go and before the covid thingy. May be worth while to see how Canadian prices compare to other websites. The other thing is shipping.

 

Ron

[Tcoat]

1 hour ago, f111guru said:

Yep, that is the game I play. Why I have collected near or over 500 figures in plastic and resin. This company Preiser Models does all scales and for the most part fits the bill. However, most websites that carry that line are out of stock for the scale I use. I'm 48th scale primarily but have done the other scales too. Another website I use is

https://www.hobbyeasy.com/

I find most times things I'm hunting for on sale, somewhat anyway. Generally speaking as far as US prices go and before the covid thingy. May be worth while to see how Canadian prices compare to other websites. The other thing is shipping.

 

Ron

I primarily do 1/35 Vietnam era vehicles and armour so have a couple of hundred or so figures on standby waiting for deployment. They are easy though since it is a poplar era and even most armour kits come with a few. 

The 1/48 figures are easy if you want US or eastern Europe (most of the new figure companies are Eastern European by the looks of things) but anything else is hard to find or just over priced for here. This is the first time I went looking for IJN figures and was surprised at just how few are out there. 

 

Preiser is very nice in that they have some very unusual subjects but again I run into the "no longer available" notice about90% of the time. I guess my timing is just off and everything is old when I decide I want it.

 

Some of the old Monogram/Revell figures can be realy good.

 

I had a great revelation on just how good one time with a commissioned build.

I grabbed a random figure out of a box and painted it up to go with a model of Richard Bong's Lightning. It was just supposed to show scale and was just a quickie paint job.

 

 

A few months later he sends me some pictures of the display and one of Bong. I had never really noticed the similarities with the figure but in the picture it really come out. If that figure wasn't based on Bong it is one huge coincidence it looks just like him!

 

 

[Tcoat]

On 3/19/2021 at 2:11 PM, f111guru said:

Good luck with your diorama. Quite extensive in detail and an interesting subject.

I don't foresee using those two crewmen and their yours if you want them. Also have a great many ww2 crewmen from Monogram and the like. PM your address or email.

 

All The Best

Ron VanDerwarker

They arrived! Thank you very much. 

Some are the same as what I have in an old Revell P-61 kit but the ones you sent are molded much much better. The ones in the P-51 are just sort of human shaped lumps. 

Going to use three of them for ground crew. Just need to remove pockets and such and paint them right.

I will probably use one of the aircrew but swap for a Tamiya head. I like the casual pose.

 

Hard to get a decent picture.

 

The Zero kit with figures that I ordered also arrived yesterday. The figures look really nice.

 

 

These two that you sent me are exciting as I have a F-4 with ground equipment that I have had built on a shelf for a while. Want to do a Vietnam dio but had no figures to populate it.

 

Like this

 

 

These will work with a couple of Hasegawa  navy types I can rework.

I shall call them 

"Whoa back off man I didn't mean it" guy and mister "I wear my sunglasses at night"

Edited March 31, 2021 by Tcoat

[f111guru]

Glad you got them unbroken. Speaking of F-4 diorama, I have started quite a while back a section of Udorn RTAFB Thailand(in circle) were I was stationed in the fall of 1972.

I have built up using polystyrene from evergreen products the revetment walls. The next picture is the layout on our dining room table.

The walls have yet to be painted as I'm still working to get my workshop finished. The other diorama's that are planned are of a B-52D 7thBomb Wing, FB-111A 509th BW, F-4D 48th Tactical Fighter Wing RAF Lakenheath and F-111D 27th Fighter Wing. That sums up my 22 years in the USAF. Other dioramas planned are history based on those wings I served with from WW2. Also planned is a diorama from WW2 with a control tower.

Lastly a section of wall under construction.

Good luck on your float plane - submarine diorama. I'll have to search for you build.

 

All The Best,

Ron

[Tcoat]

5 minutes ago, f111guru said:

Glad you got them unbroken. Speaking of F-4 diorama, I have started quite a while back a section of Udorn RTAFB Thailand(in circle) were I was stationed in the fall of 1972.

 

I have built up using polystyrene from evergreen products the revetment walls. The next picture is the layout on our dining room table.

 

The walls have yet to be painted as I'm still working to get my workshop finished. The other diorama's that are planned are of a B-52D 7thBomb Wing, FB-111A 509th BW, F-4D 48th Tactical Fighter Wing RAF Lakenheath and F-111D 27th Fighter Wing. That sums up my 22 years in the USAF. Other dioramas planned are history based on those wings I served with from WW2. Also planned is a diorama from WW2 with a control tower.

Lastly a section of wall under construction.

 

Good luck on your float plane - submarine diorama. I'll have to search for you build.

 

All The Best,

Ron

Haven't started the 1/48 sub portion yet but the aircraft is here 

 

 

 

and the inspiration for the diorama is here

I built the F-4 Academy kit a few years back with the intent  of doing the same walls you did. I will only have two sides enclosed though.

 

I have the equipment from the Hasegawa set but not the figures since I bought it second hand.

 

[f111guru]

A few months back I finally got the remaining F-4D Phantoms from https://www.hobbyeasy.com/

Every other web site I checked did not have them in stock. All so have a couple Aires early F-4D and 1 late F-4D cockpit sets. Have collected the Italeri and Hasegawa ground equipment sets over the last 10 to 15 years or so, One of the reasons I have so many figures. This is probably the last diorama I did and was a retirement present for an Air Force Major I had worked for.

This is the 1/72ns scale Hasegaea FB-111A, F-111D/F and the equipment and weapons loading sets. 1995 was when he retired. So if Italeri comes out with their ground equipment set I'll buy more. I also purchased in the last couple years is the Skunkworks NATO munitions trailer. It is a modified MHU-141 trailer which hold the AIM-9 and AIM-7 missiles. My plans are to demodify two of them to make AGM-69 SRAM missile trailers for the 509th BW diorama.

 

Ron