Marek Marathon: Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Tony) 1:50 - Page 4

**Yu Gyokubun** · #31 05-30-2009, 03:18 AM

Shiji,

No drama but neatly built tail wheel, tubular(great) unknown tubular part are enjoyable enough

Yu

**Don Boose** · #32 05-30-2009, 05:15 AM

As Yu-sama says, that's a neatly-built tailwheel. It's a real pleasure to watch this build. Many of the techniques you have used (thinning the tail wheel parts, for example) will be of direct application to my Shoki, on which I hope to resume work tomorrow, after I return from a trip.

You are an excellent craftsman, Shinji, and I very much enjoy watching you build this model and seeing how you deal with the various challenges.

Don

**ruf0us** · #33 05-30-2009, 01:49 PM

Thank you Don and Yu-san for your kind words. It's really motivating for me to hear nice comments from great modelers like you.

Don, I'm looking forward to see your Shoki take shape. I hope that the mistakes I made would help yours built better.

Although we never had conversations before, Yu-san, I always watch your build threads and your blog, too. You are like Ichiro Suzuki in card modeling world to me. Good luck with your Bronco and Hiei!

About the fuel cooler, I forgot to mention that I did not use the glue tab. I rolled the tube using a 1mm steel rod and but-jointed the edges. Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue works great for this kind of task.

Thanks,
Shinji

**Yu Gyokubun** · #34 05-31-2009, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruf0us

You are like Ichiro Suzuki in card modeling world to me. Shinji

Shinji-san,
Thank you for your kind word but sorry to say I can't live up to your expectation because it's a virtually impossible task for me to build 200 models every season

**poppasmurf** · #35 06-02-2009, 09:43 PM

Great build Shinji, and I wouldn't worry about winning this contest as I believe we have a runaway winner already,(Nothing-(Trent)), no matter how long it went for.

Regards poppasmurf AKA Shane

**ruf0us** · #36 06-03-2009, 01:33 AM

Thanks Shane. My goal is to finish this model in time so that no one can call me a thief

Now let's move on to the propeller. I'm not good at building a propeller because this is the second airplane with a prop that I build. The first one was the P-51D Mustang. Other airplanes I built were F-86E, F-15DJ, F-16, F-117, all jets.

First, I cut out the parts. I also use 0.5mm music wire (or piano wire).

When I started rolling the root of the blade, I noticed that it would be too thick and it wouldn't fit in the hole on the spinner. So I cut the part at the blue line in the picture and paint the double gray stripes in black. The original design was to create two-tier ring (I don't know how to call it) at the root of the blade, but on the real airplane that part is not visible. Besides, the back part of the blade does not have the gray rings. So I had to paint it in black.

The finished blades along with the spinner. I'm not too happy about the blades, but this is how they turn out.

When you attach the blades to the spinner, the angle between each blade is very important. So I created a simple tool using a draw software to make sure the blades are perfectly aligned.

It's very simple to use. First, attach the spinner to the tool by sticking the axle into the hole on the center of the tool. Then attach the blade to the spinner and carefully align it with the spoke line.

Now the propeller is attached to the engine. I just punched a 1mm hole in the center of the former. The axle is a 1mm music wire. It rotates without wobbling, but it still seems to have too much friction.

Now she is almost ready to fly:D

That's it for today!

Thanks,
Shinji

**member_3** · #37 06-03-2009, 02:05 AM

That is a good-looking model - well done!

**Yu Gyokubun** · #38 06-03-2009, 02:14 AM

It looks high-efficiency airplane! Let me hop in and fly away

**Don Boose** · #39 06-03-2009, 05:12 AM

Thanks for the step-by-step propellor tutorial, Shinji. I will definitely appropriate your technique, including the alignment template. That petalled spinner is exceptionally smooth!

Everything is perfectly aligned in the almost-finished model.

I hope I can get a little time in on the Shoki over the next couple of days so I can follow your example.

Don

**ruf0us** · #40 06-03-2009, 10:42 AM

Thanks guys.

Yu-san, I have to pilot this bird, so if you don't mind, on the wing please:D

I could say this model is finished, but I have yet to build the drop tanks. If I wasn't building this for the sample pictures, I wouldn't attach the drop tanks to her because the 244th Sentai was an interceptor unit and they didn't use drop tanks to intercept the incoming B-29s. Drop tanks were used only when they were on ferry missions or special attacking (Kamikaze) missions in Okinawa. And those are not the missions they are famous for.

Anyways, I will follow my "out of the box, build all options" policy and build anything that's left.

Thanks,
Shinji