Kugisho E14Y 'Glen' in 1/72 scale by Christophe

Continuing Aviation of Japan's IJN floatplane season reader Christophe from Switzerland has kindly shared these images and details of his build of the Hobby 2000 boxing of the Fujimi 1/72 kit of the Kugisho E14Y 'Glen' - Type 0 Small Size Reconnaissance Seaplane (Rei Shiki Shou Gata Suijoh Teisatsu-ki - 零式小型水上偵察機) released in 2020 and finished as one of the very attractive 'early' kit options in the silver and red scheme as an aircraft from the submarine イ-7 (I-7). The other kit option is another silver and red aircraft コ-35 (Ko-35) from the Yokosuka Naval Technical Arsenal in September 1942. Hobby 2000 released a second re-boxing of the Fujimi 'Glen' with two camouflaged subjects , one of themイ-25 from the submarine I-25 as flown by WO Nobuo Fujita and CPO Shoji Okuda in their September 1942 incursions over the USA. The other camouflaged option  is '671-05' of the 6th Fleet Reconnaissance Corps at Kure naval base in November 1942. Jim Anderson built an excellent model of a stable mate 671-10 from the original Fujimi kit which was featured here in February 2021. 

The Hobby 2000 kits are distinguished by their inclusion of Cartograf decal sheets, a step up in quality from the Fujimi decals.  The Fujimi kit was first released in two versions in 1997 with コ-35 presented in an orange-yellow finish, a neat little injection moulded kit and it came with a submarine catapult launching rail for display. It has been released in different guises several times including a special edition with a metal engine in 1998. MPM had also released 'Glen' as a 1/72 short-run injected moulded kit in the early 1990s and earlier resin models were released by Eurokit, Airmodel (Frank-Modellbau), Miyazawa and RS Models, with vacform examples by The Eagle's Talon, Wings and Airframe.  There was also a 1/72 kit by WK Models which I think was short-run injection moulded. No shortage of kits but Fujimi's was the first main stream injection moulded and builder friendly kit. 

Christophe chose this model because he likes Japanese seaplanes of WW2, had just completed the Tamiya Seiran and wished to add another submarine carried floatplane to his collection. He added to the basic interior with some scratchbuilt details, as well as cutting the kit canopy apart and replacing the moving sections with vacuum formed replacements.

Assembly was straightforward and Christophe then primed the whole model in black before applying the silver finish using Vallejo acrylic metal color. He applied the decals after a varnish coat and then completed the model with some light weathering.

The I-7 and I-8 were large, long range scouting submarines of the J3 type, the largest built before the Pacific war and intended to serve as flagships for squadron commanders. The I-7 was laid down at Kure in September 1934  and completed in March 1937. After supporting the attack on Pearl Harbor under the command of Kiichi Koizumi and on 17 December launching its 'Glen' to survey the effects of the attack, the I-7 became the flagship of the 2nd Submarine Squadron under Capt Tomejirô Tamaki in the 6th Fleet's submarine force with the tender Santos Maru serving submarines I-1 to I-7.  In October and November it launched its 'Glen' to conduct reconnaissance flights over Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides and Vanikoro in the Solomon Islands. By January 1943 it had become part of the 7th Submarine Division. On 21 June 1943 I-7 was damaged at night by gunfire from the USS Monoghan (DD 354) and run aground at Vega Bay, Kiska in the Aleutians.

With special thanks to Christophe for sharing these images and details, and for his patience in waiting for them to feature here.

Image credits: All model photos © 2023 Christophe