A Reminder

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A Long Standing Idea Turned Into Reality by John Haas

John Haas weaves his special magic again, but this time not with a scratch build in wood but by converting a 1/48 scale DC-3 kit into a Shōwa L2D3-L (Type 0 Freighter Model 22 - 零式荷物輸送機22型 - Reishiki Nimotsu-Yusōki 22-gata) 'Tabby' in plastic!  Over to John then:

'In the past I built four Monogram 1/48 models. I like the looks of the plane and the kit was easy to convert into different versions. I even converted one into a DC-2. I had an old idea to build a Japanese 'Tabby' variant, but I could not find another Monogram kit, so I turned to the only available other one - a Trumpeter kit. First I gathered all the info I could find on the Internet and my books.

'I chose the L2D3-L version, it seems to me the easiest way to convert the C-47 into a nice 'Tabby'. Well I should have known better! A 'Tabby' was way more different then a simple modified Douglas DC-3 as I found out along the way.

'The first step was building a new loading door. Next came the cockpit with the distinct additional windows.  Here I had to improvise because there is not much information about what the cockpit interior was like. I kept the interior simple, only retaining the floor, because you can hardly see anything inside with those tiny widows. By the way, I had to make 14 new windows because the 'Tabby' had no holes in them.

'When the fuselage  was ready, I had to make two new engines. Luckily in the spare parts box I found some old engines and cowlings from an old Revell B-25B Mitchell. It was possible with some modification to transform them into Mitsubishi Kinsei engines.  The most difficult challenge were the inlet scoops as I had to fabricate a wooden master and vacuform them. 

'The undercarriage also needed some modification, though it was more or less based on the DC-2, which was different from a  DC-3 (C-47).  The upper part of the legs had more struts.

'The last step was the replacement of the underwing stiffeners. They were simple straight ones instead of the sawtooth American versions. 

'After all the construction work, it was time for some painting. Because I like to use the Revell Aqua Paints I had to mix the JNAF green.  I tried to match Nick's recipe as closely as possible.:-)

'When I arrived at the decals, I had to print the large Hinomaru on white decal paper; they are quite large, I also liked to have some markings on the rudder.  Unfortunately I could not find the right size number decals in the spares box, so I had to draw and print them with the Paint program on my PC. The last step was the yellow wing identification markings and I made those by painting white decal paper in yellow and clipping them in the right size. 

'After fixing the antenna masts and stretched sprue wiring, the 'Tabby' was ready for roll-out for its maiden flight!'

With very special thanks to John for sharing these images and notes of his excellent conversion to create a 'Tabby' in quarter scale..

Image credit: All photos © 2024 John Haas

Clear Prop Ki-51 in 1/72 Scale by Danilo Renzulli

Following on from the New Kits Plus blog post and the comments regarding the ex-Mania Hasegawa kit of the Ki-51 here are images and notes of the Clear Prop kit as built by Danilo Renzulli. I must admit that on opening the Clear Prop box my heart sank a little when I saw the three part fuselage with separate top decking. However, Danilo's notes and images of the dry fit reassured me, although he does report an issue getting the cockpit assembly to fit. 

The Clear Prop kit has so far been released in three versions. In 2019, the first, CP72011, as the assault plane variant. That was followed in 2021 by CP72013 featuring aircraft operated post war by the Chinese Nationalist and Communist air forces, by Manchukuo and by the French in Indo-China. The first was an 'advanced' kit with photo-etch, etc., and the second a 'starter' kit. The third 'advanced' kit CP72012 was released in 2022 as the reconnaissance variant. the kit numbers being out of sequence. More on these kits and Ki-51 detail differences in due course, to include a retrospective on the ex-Mania Hasegawa kit.

At first glance the kit had a great number of small parts sufficient to achieve a very detailed model so that aftermarket sets should be unnecessary. Danilo noted that the kit includes a small fret of photo-etched parts and the interior is packed with details almost never seen before in a plastic kit. This proved a little misleading as all the small details and the bigger parts were so well moulded Danilo thought the model had to be no less than perfect - this first impression being confirmed by a dry fit-test of all main components (fuselage/wings/canopy). 

So Danilo proceeded to assemble the interior with confidence - the assembly is composed of three parts, two sides and a floor, to which one adds the various details before cementing them together. Once this operation is carried out it is (or should be!) possible to insert the assembly into the two fuselage halves. And here the problems arose - the assembly, painted and finished, didn't want to fit into the fuselage. It was too wide! A session of hard and rough filing and sanding ambushed Danilo but after much work and several attempts the problem was overcome and it was possible to cement together the two fuselage halves.

Once past this stage Danilo found assembly progressed very smoothly with no fuss and very little putty required. The general fit of wings to fuselage, undercarriage, etc., proved perfect with very little adjustment needed to fix the very clear and fine canopy to the fuselage. The kit includes masks which were useful for the  Ki-51 type of canopy framing.

The model was finished in a typical tropical camouflage of a well known example (although the unit seems unidentified) with Danilo's own mix of colours using Mr. Color paints. He only added a new pitot tube made with a 0.3mm and 0.10 mm brass tube plus the antenna wire from fishing line. The kit also offers a choice of well reproduced ordnance which he chose not to fix under the wings. In Danilo's opinion the final result is very good and offers a convincing representation of a nice, little known aircraft.  Danilo's 'snake weave' camouflage is especially well done.

Danilo commented that he couldn't end his review of the kit and build without a few words of comparison with the old, venerable ex-Mania Hasegawa kit. In his opinion both kits capture well the general lines of this aeroplane, the Japanese kit also having very fine surface details. Although almost 50 years old he believes that it still holds up well compared to modern standards and just the addition of a few photo-etched details will make an excellent model. And at the end a bibliography - a bit scarce but good: the Maru Mechanic 'Mitsubishi Army Type 99 Assaulter/Tactical Reconaissancer (Ki-51)' (# 35 of July 1982 but re-published in subsequent editions) and the Arawasi Eagle Eye Series # 1 (if still available). Rather surprisingly there is no Bunrin-do FAOW title on the type. There is also some ambiguity about certain details, to be explored further.

With very special thanks to Danilo for sharing these images and notes on the Clear Prop kit and his excellent model.

Image credit:- All photos © 2024 Danilo Renzulli; Box art © 2019 Clear Prop Models

Arma Hobby's New Hayabusa II in 1/72 Scale

Zegeye has kindly shared these images of his test build of the new 1/72 scale Arma Hobby Ki-43-II Hayabusa kit.  He reports that the test sprues were almost ready but still lacked some details such as trim tabs and therefore production is delayed. Aftermarket decals were used on this model as Hiko Dai 24 Sentai is not a kit markings option. 

Zegeye applied Colourcoats Nakajima Army Green to the upper surfaces and Mr Color C8 Silver Metallic Gloss to the under surfaces. Aotake elements were from Gunze and Aeromaster Acrylics Warbirds Colors Nakajima Interior Green was used for the cockpit. Drop tanks are Gunze C128 IJA Grey Green.

One to look forward to. With special thanks to Zegeye for sharing these images of his excellent model.

Image credit: © 2024 Zegeye

New Kits Plus

Hannants are listing this Hasegawa limited edition 1/72 Mitsubishi Ki-51 'Sonia' with starter truck as a future release. It was first released in October 2023 so not sure if this one is late to stock or an intended re-release. The kit has one markings option for the unusual 'fried egg' camouflage of a Hiko Dai 27 Sentai aircraft operating over Malaya in 1942. Couldn't find it listed on the Hasegawa site or at HLJ.

It's an Ex-Mania kit almost 50 years old, last released by Hasegawa in this 27 Sentai guise in a combo kit in 2010. Detailed for its time but probably of limited appeal following release of the new tool Clear Prop kit of 2019. 

Image credit: © 2024 Hasegawa Corporation via Hannants.

They Flew Regardless

Something of a book review theme at AoJ recently. The Aviation Heritage Archive of the Japan Aeronautic Association's 'They Flew Regardless - Pictorial Mementos of Aviation in Japan 1909-1940' is an exceptional book. With only 124 pages it is nevertheless a substantial book of quality printing with a full page, sepia tinted and very clear photograph on every page. Detailed captions are indexed in a separate section at the rear of the book which is a little awkward but they are in Japanese and English, as is the forward by Hiroshi Fujiwara of the Aviation Heritage Archive. This method of captioning permits the photographic images to be reproduced to the largest size possible on each page.  The book is a rectangular 10.5 x 10.5 inches and the photographs are sized accordingly. The publication date is 2013 but it has only recently become available in the UK via the Aviation and Military Book Centre. It retails here at £44.90 but payment can be made in three interest-free instalments of £14.97, less than the current price of many kits. 

There are plenty of military related images of both aircraft and personnel, many showing fascinating details. For large scale modellers of early aeroplanes they will prove both informative and useful, for example the close-up image of a clear doped Nieuport 24 taken from its rear, showing clearly how the wings and tailplane appear, soaked and stained with castor oil but with the ribs starkly pale. The book perfectly compliments two other Aviation Heritage Archive books, in soft cover and 'Model Art' size with 192 and 208 pages respectively: 'Baron Miyahara His World of Aircraft - Civil Aircraft 1920-45 A Photographic Memoir' and 'Baron Miyahara His World of Aircraft - Civil and Military Aircraft 1910-70 A Photographic Memoir'. Also captioned in Japanese and English (Model Art take note!) both books are available from the Aviation and Military Book Centre at £32.90 each, again with the option to pay in three instalments. 

Wonderful, quality books, well worth the investment and highly recommended to all who are interested  in Japanese aviation history, civil and military.  

Image credit: All Aviation Heritage Archive, Japan Aeronautical Association © 2013, 2006, 2008

Five Down No Glory

OT for AoJ but the 2016 (edition) Naval Institute Press book 'Five Down No Glory' is an exceptionally well written and interesting account of 'Frank G. Tinker, Mercenary Ace in the Spanish Civil War' by Richard K. Smith and R.Cargill Hall. Tinker, (1909- 1939) a former US Navy and US Army officer, flew the Polikarpov I-15 and I-16 for the Republican cause in Spain, so perhaps a tenuous link to interests here are the insights to both machines that were also flown by Russian and Chinese pilots against the Japanese in China. 

Tinker flying I-16 CM-023 by Richard Goh

This hard cover book only came to my attention thanks to Ken Glass and consists of 402 pages with reference notes, appendices and index. It is no hagiography. The less attractive aspects of Tinker's personality are documented warts and all. There are numerous photographs throughout the book, printed on the page paper and not as separate glossy sections, plus seven maps illustrating the ground battles relevant to Tinker's sorties. There is a monochrome reproduction of a painting by Richard Groh of Tinker aloft in his I-16 'CM-023' (shown above) but some of the aircraft photographs are generic rather than specific to the ace. The book concludes with four Appendices, the first being a chronology of highlights of the Spanish Civil War. The second on Military Airplane Markings of the Spanish Civil War, which disappoints as just two brief paragraphs describing the identification markings displayed by each side. An opportunity was lost here to provide profiles of Tinker's aircraft, his I-15 was white '56', even as simple tone drawings. The third Appendix lists the various books and magazine articles Tinker wrote himself in 1938 and 1939 after returning to the USA. The final Appendix is a list of Tinker's official aerial victories, eight claims for Nationalist aircraft shot down plus one probable, consisting of five Fiat C.R.32, two Me 109B, one Heinkel 51 and a probable He 112. He claimed 19 victories in total but 11 were not officially confirmed.

Tinker attempted to return to Spain, unsuccessfully, and when found dead in his hotel room in June 1939 a letter of acceptance from the Chinese Air Force was in his possession. His death was deemed to be suicide but there were several odd aspects about it, including the absence of any note.  

Another tenuous link to the war in China is Ajax Baumler (Maj Albert John 'Ajax' Baumler 1914-1973), fellow Republican pilot and friend of Tinker, who later flew with the American Volunteer Group (AVG - 'Flying Tigers') in its later days as a seconded USAAF pilot and subsequently with the China Air Task Force (CATF). Their relationship and some of Baumler's own experiences are described, as are those of other American pilots flying for the Republic such as Harold E. 'Whitey' Dahl (1909-1956). One of the interesting features of the book is an Epilogue which records the subsequent lives and fates of many of the personalities mentioned in the text, including the Russian pilots, as well as locations and even buildings. Both Tinker and Baumler came to rather sad ends. The book is full of other interesting real life characters including pilot José Sellés, nicknamed 'Chang', with a Spanish father and Japanese mother, who was eventually shot as a Japanese spy for the Nationalists.  

It is always a challenge to breathe life into a sequence of air combats but the authors manage that admirably, creating a flowing and interesting account, inclusive of the Spanish and Russian ground crew and even the Spanish women who cooked and cleaned for the pilots, which is both revelatory and a pleasure to read. Recommended to all aviation enthusiasts.

Image credit: Book Cover © 2016 Naval Institute Press; Painting © Richard Goh via Encyclopedia of Arkansas 2023       

New Kits

Several new kits of Japanese subjects have been announced for release this year or early next year. Platz in Japan are releasing the Eduard 1/48 A6M2 in Pearl Harbor guise (above) with images suggesting they are following the latest fad/theory in terms of Zero colour, of which more anon. The kit subject is BII-120 and I have enjoyed the privilege of examining and analysing actual extant paint strata on parts from BII-124 (courtesy of Bob Alford) so will have something to say about that. The side image of the model (below) looks a little odd too.

Another A6M2 Zero kit, this time in ground pounding 1/35 scale by Border Models, is due for release in January and will feature impressive interior cockpit and engine detail together with bomb armament. The box art (above) depicts a bomb carrying A6M2 special attacker of the 5th Shichisei-tai, Kyushu, April 1945 with Genzan Ku tail code ケ-113 (the subject of one of the profiles featured in Desperate Sunset), but another of the decal subjects in the kit appears to be Tainan Ku 'V-103' shown in 'grey green' finish, of which also more anon.

   

FineMolds are re-releasing both their 1/48 Sam kits - A7M1 and A7M2 - whilst in December Hasegawa are re-releasing their 1/72 Mitsubishi G3M2/G3M3 'Nell'. Ordinance in the kit includes torpedoes, eight 60kg bombs, and two 250kg bombs. New decals are included for Miyazaki Ku  'Miya-302', and Hsintake Ku 'Shin-307'. Also from Hasegawa a re-release of their 1/48 scale Kawasaki Ki-61-Tei kit in Major Kobayashi garb - again - this time 'Blue 24' and 'Blue-62'.

From Mikro-Mir a 1/32 scale kit of the Yokosuka MXY7-K1 Ohka (shown above) is due which should attract interest. And finally from Kora and already available this month something more arcane in the form of 1/72 scale injection moulded kits of the Nakajima Ki-6 with Bristol Jupiter engine and Nakajima C2N1 with Kotobuki engine, but not cheap at more than £40 each.

Not new but worth mentioning here is the Ushi 1/72 resin and 3D printed kit of the IJN Experimental Interceptor Nakajima J5N Tenrai as shown below. The kit offers optional 1st to 4th prototype configurations. Basic airframe components are resin with other details 3D printed and a vacform canopy. Again not cheap at over £40.

Image credits: All © 2024 per manufacturers listed.