Raiden and Tenzan Accelerated up the incline---Nope doesn't sing try, this... Jack and Jill race up to Attack! J2M3 and B6N2 Twofer!

[LorenSharp]

I know the title so cheesy Wallace and Grommet wouldn't touch it with  30 ft cattle prod, But never the less for my next e-ticket excursion ride a twofer. Namely  Otaki's J2M3 Raiden code named Jack

 

 

But wait! There's MORE!

 

Included at no extra charge Hasagawa's Nakajima B6N2 Carrier Attack Bomber Tenzan Type 12 Code named Jill

 

Both in my preferred scale of 1/48.

All comments, suggestions or musing of my sanity are always welcome. Let's go down the rabbit hole and see what we can see , shall we?

 

[PeterB]

Hi Loren,

 

Looks good. Strange how you have to open the box and look at the instructions to find out which actual Raiden variant it is ( or is that a tiny "Model 21" I see on the box)!

 

Pete

[LorenSharp]

It is an itty-bitty tiny 21 alright, but thats all I could tell you. But the instructions are of no help either. no translations, all Japanese.

[LorenSharp]

Speaking of which, yes the instructions are entirely in Japanese. I don't think Google Translate is going to help me in this instance. But as Mel Brooks would say" 'stuctions? we doan need no stinkin; structions" But just in case I did locate a set of Tamiya Raiden instructions that is translated(at least partially) so I can get a good idea of what colours are to be used. Although the tamiya parts breakdown looks suspiciously like Otaki's..... 

But no matter, first thing was to give the interior and wheel wells a coat of aluminum followed by a coat of a mixture of Tamiya transparent blue and transparent green for the Aotake Blue.

I followed that with a dark wash to bring out what detail there is.

i will say there is a lot of space in this cockpit.

[LorenSharp]

The instrument cluster Got the blue treatment in addition to painting the dials black and following thata up with a silver pencil to highlight the dials

Switches on he consoles I used a toothpick dipped in aluminum.

[LorenSharp]

The fit though of the fuselage halves leaves much to be desired. I ended up cutting all the locator pins off. they didn't want to match up properly. Which means, you guessed it... filler.

So 15 min later and a lot of masking tape I used my white auto body filler to fill the seams. This build surprisingly has very fine engraved panel lines and rivets. so the masking tape hopefully will cut down on any re-scribing.

I'll let these dry overnight and sand down and prep for painting. One Thing I'll have to scratch build is a pilot seat. Seems like one has decided to go on walkabout in the never-never.

[CliffB]

Looking good and a nice tip to mask prior to filling 

[LorenSharp]

Lets see if I can do a decent update. with both kits now in build.

A little fuzzy but beginning on the Jill The cockpit got a base of RLM 04(the closest I had to the Nakajima interior color.) Picking out the various instruments with black followed by a dark wash to bring out what little detail will be seen once it's all buttoned up.

Did the same with the interior areas

Decided to go with the lower gunner station deployed.

 

[LorenSharp]

After getting the tub all assembled I added sear belt harnesses using 1mm masking tape. I didn't have buckles in the stash but once everything is closed up they'd be hard to see anyway.

Adding the wings and tail, there is a small gap between the wing roots and the fuselage. I mean miniscule, but still there and will need a touch of filler.

 

 

[LorenSharp]

The kit give you the option of either having the wings in the folded or extended positions. I didn't want to go the folded route and my record for getting the wing extended and looking decent is spotty at best. I did find a review build where the author had the same problem, He suggested that if you go the extended way, don't add the interior ends. The kit is really designed to have the wings folded and doing anything else will make for a big mess. So that's what I did. Only problem then is there is nothing to attach the outer portion to except to make a butt joint. Not much hold strength there, So I did it the old fashioned way like you would do for a Vac kit. I made a small spar to hold the two pieces together.

Didn't need much just a little strip of 40 thou card to keep everything tight and level.

Worked like a charm.

[LorenSharp]

Now to mask the gaps for the filler to keep everything nice nd neat.

Followed by some filler. I let these dry overnight.

I didn't add filler at the wing fold that gap was fairly tight. and nice and neat

[LorenSharp]

Another issue I had was the cockpit glass is all closed up I wanted at least the pilots canopy opened

So I used my razor saw and cut the forward canopy away from the rest then added a little bit of square rod to replace the canopy frame I cut away

[LorenSharp]

Going back to the Jack I corrected a colour issue with the interior. I found better references to the interior. instead of the metallic blue green it should be closer to a gray green but not quite a Nakajima green or RLM 04. So I used some Mig-Ammo Resada Green Close as could get to Mitsubishi Green. I keep going with the Japanese planes I'm going to have to get the Interior colour set.

I found a replacement seat in my spares so I didn't have to print one out and used masking tape again for the harness' and some black beading wire for the radio wiring.

also cut some clear plastic to make a bullet proof shield attached with some plastic rod.

[LorenSharp]

Joined everything together and filled the seams. along with giving the wheel wells a dark wash to bring out the detail

I let this dry over night than sanded smooth. I temporarily added to cowling for the next bit.

[LorenSharp]

I wanted to try something different this time with the weathering. normally I use a fine tip brush and aluminum paint to do my chipping effect. But I've been reading about a different method using 

hairspray.

I don't know if this will work but hey, no guts, no glory. Besides I ain't never not done it so it should work.... in theory.

First I did my usual panel line pre shading. Not sure if this is needed but better safe than sorry.

Then gave both a coating of AlcladII Duraluminum.

I let them dry then gave both a liberal coating of hairspray. I don't know if this will work. This hairspray's not like my mother used. Which was more akin to the lacquer I use to put a gloss coat on everything with. At least it doesn't smell as bad.

[LorenSharp]

I'll let this dry tonight and then tomorrow 'speriment with painting and pealing. So until then Stay safe, stay healthy and it its like it is here right now definitely stay COOL!

[trickyrich]

wow no messing around here!!! 

 

The old Jack is a bit of an old Jack by the looks of it, the first sprue shoots looked like it had raised details, but you can tell it's nice and normal in the later ones.

 

The Jill looks to be a nice model, and well detailed too. I have had to do similar things with plastic sheet as well to keep wing profiles looking right among other things.

 

Both the cockpits look really nice, well done! 

 

If I ignore the title it might go away!!!  

 

good luck with these builds, should be fun one to follow.

[PeterB]

I was wondering about the cockpit colour in the Jack - as I said in one of my builds the blue/green lacquer was often overpainted in areas that would be visible in combat so I think you have made the right choice Loren. As ever the builds ate looking very good, and your Jill/Tenzan clearly has more detail than my old 1/72 version - I presume the strange object behind the cockpit is the underside gun position which Fujimi moulded closed?

 

Pete

[LorenSharp]

Thanks Peter. It is a lower gun port I had to take the door off. it kept wanting to come loose. I can't read Japanese, so I downloaded a set of instructions for Tamiya's 1/48 Raiden. It said on color callouts for blue green which I thought was odd, but being a Japanese company they would tend to be more accurate on the subject. Wrong, or at least not quite kosher. Although when you look at some of the part break down Tamiya's and Otaki's kits are nearly Identical

 

[PeterB]

Hi Loren,

 

Yes, as I said elsewhere in this GB, the manufacturers do seem to have gone a bit over the top with the so called Aotake - it certainly was used but not perhaps quite as much as they suggest and it was only a protective coating and could be over-painted. I suppose it is a bit like the Japanese kit manufacturer's insistence that all Starboard navigation lights should be clear blue - they could be right, but maybe not - it seemed to become a sort of habit with them for quite a few years.

 

Pete

[LorenSharp]

Wellp, Sometimes I just shock the heck outta myself.

The hairspray trick worked like a charm. I may not go back to my old way of chipping after this.

 

[LorenSharp]

Since neither kit has the decals for the leading edge yellow striping, I masked off both gave them a coat of white then a coat of RAF trainer yellow. The closest yellow I had to either a chrome yellow or as the instructions say "Orange-yellow"

Went ahead and mounted the powerplants to both. 

I'll give everything  a little more weathering with a little bit of dark wash to finish bringing out the panel lines. Before I can finish up the landing gear on the Jill, I'll have to make a new set of wheels. I've managed to lose one set. but not a biggie. Have a set in time to continue on in the morning. then finish adding all the little bits, before I lose them too Stay tuned for more tomorrow.

[LorenSharp]

Kinda a tomorrow, well sort of anyways, but in any event this build is pretty much in the bag,

After getting the cowling and prop on i gave the wing and fuselage areas a coat of clear gloss and let this dry over night.

[LorenSharp]

Once these were dry it's time to add the decals, though they're not many.

Last thing to do once everything has set is to give everything a matte coat, a touch of weathering and exhaust stains ,remove the canopy masking, and this will be ofitchally done.

Any luck and this will be in the Gallery for inspection along with his mate JillSo stay tuned!

[LorenSharp]

Nope it's not tomorrow, I forgot(Duh) that there are TWO aircraft in this build. Foolish mortal. So to continue on.... The Jill.

After getting he leading edges painted yellow Mounted the engine and added the Cowling.

And the Prop. Gee It almost looks like a real airplane.

Like the Jack, I did do some dark wash weathering, though it's hard to see. then added the Fowler Flaps 

Other little bits like the landing hook, various glass bits, painting the navigation lights on, and re-attaching the lower gunners position. Also like the Jack I gave the wings, fuselage and tail a little bit of gloss varnish in preparation of the Jill's decals.