PaperModelers.com

Go Back   PaperModelers.com > Contests, Competitions, and Challenges > Old Toddlea's Did Anyone Ever Actually Build That Contest

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 02-01-2009, 03:29 PM
Don Boose's Avatar
Don Boose Don Boose is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Posts: 20,702
Total Downloaded: 424.90 MB
OTDAEABT 2 - Maly Modelarz 3/99 Shiden

Herewith begins Boose’s OTDAEABT Shiden build thread.

The kit is Mały No. 3/99 and is by Ryszard Maj, who seems mostly to have designed armored fighting vehicles, although he did also design the Mały Grumman J2F-5.

The aircraft depicted is a Kawanishi N1K1-Ja Shiden [Violet Lightning]. The N1K1-Ja was the early model of the land-based fighter version of the Kawanishi Kyofu floatplane fighter, with the mid-wing configuration and long undercarriage. The later, improved, N1K2-J Shiden Kai had a low-wing configuration and other changes.

The difference between the N1K1-J and the N1K1-Ja is that the "a" model had no 7.7mm machine guns in the nose, but was armed with four 20mm long-barreled Type 99 Mark 2 Model 3 cannon; two in the wings and two in gondolas under the wings. The model is consistent with this configuration.

The upper surfaces of the model are printed in a very dark green that is roughly consistent with the "black green" associated with the Shiden. The undersurfaces are gray. The interior is also gray and probably should be a shade of green.

The only markings are the red Hinomaru national markings, outlined in white on the fuselage and with no white outlines on the wings; bright orange leading wing inner leading edges; and the katakana character “tsu” [] dash seven [-7] on the vertical stabilizer. This would indicate that the model represents Aircraft No. 7 of the Tsukuba Kokutai [Tsukuba Naval Air Group], an operational training unit located at Tsukuba Air Base in Ibaraki Prefecture near Tokyo.

The model description includes the sentence, “Model samolotu został opracowany w skali 1:33 w barwach japońskiej grupy szturmowej marynarki wojennej ‘Tsukuba’.”

I make this out to mean something like “The model aircraft was designed in the scale of 1:33 in the colors of the Japanese naval assault group "Tsukuba". All the references I can find to the Tsukuba Air Group indicate that it was an OTU, but perhaps Shrike, Charlie C, Mike Krol, or one of the other markings mavens can provide more info.

The kit consists of four pages of thin glossy stock on which the cover, instructions, and Mały advertisements are printed; four pages of thin matt stock on which the three-view drawing, assembly drawings, and the keel, formers, spars, and ribs are printed; and four pages of .009” (0.23mm) stock on which the colored parts are printed.

The .009/0.23mm stock is of a slightly soft consistency, but does not contain mineral impurities and is nothing like the 1980s-era Mały paper. It is certainly superior to that of my Horrid Hampden. It can be rolled (carefully) without cracking and will take a compound curve, especially if dampened slightly.

As I have said elsewhere, my current printer is adequate for printing out downloaded models, but does not seem capable of accurately scanning the colors of this kit, so I have ordered a couple of spares (I actually had two kits, but one of them had the framework parts out of register, so I scanned that sheet – black and white scans are okay). I also scanned some of the parts, such as the cowl, for test fittings, in the course of which I found that the parts do not actually match up well – it is a pre-2000 Mały after all – so I can blame all of my poor craftsmanship on the kit!

More later, when I get the szkieletowej of the kadłub assembled.

Don
Attached Thumbnails
OTDAEABT 2 - Maly Modelarz 3/99 Shiden-shiden-001a.jpg   OTDAEABT 2 - Maly Modelarz 3/99 Shiden-shiden-001b.jpg   OTDAEABT 2 - Maly Modelarz 3/99 Shiden-shiden-001c.jpg  
Reply With Quote
Google Adsense
  #2  
Old 02-01-2009, 03:37 PM
GreMir GreMir is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Sunshine State
Posts: 2,483
Total Downloaded: 587.2 KB
Don,
Tsukuba Naval Air Group was a training unit, but in May 1945 it became an operational combat unit flying Shiden fighters.
It looks like everything is as it should be.

I will be watching your build closely since I have this one in my 100%-to-do list :D
__________________
Constructive criticism of my builds is welcome - if I messed up and allowed others to see it, I certainly deserve it
Michael Krol
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 02-01-2009, 04:53 PM
CharlieC's Avatar
CharlieC CharlieC is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 2,225
Total Downloaded: 16.12 MB
Quote:
Originally Posted by boosed View Post

As I have said elsewhere, my current printer is adequate for printing out downloaded models, but does not seem capable of accurately scanning the colors of this kit, so I have ordered a couple of spares (I actually had two kits, but one of them had the framework parts out of register, so I scanned that sheet – black and white scans are okay).

Don
I think we need a scanning guru to write a tutorial on scanning and rebalancing colour images - this turns up fairly often as a problem.

Regards,

Charlie
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 02-01-2009, 05:29 PM
Don Boose's Avatar
Don Boose Don Boose is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Posts: 20,702
Total Downloaded: 424.90 MB
Good point, Charlie.

Meanwhile, I have cut out the wzdłużnicy (keel, parts A and B), along with wręgi G through D.

I like this form of construction, which is reminiscent of stick-and-tissue modeling and may help a duffer like me when it comes time to attach the fuselage skins. I do not recall ever seeing this construction method before.

The orange peels next to the agari cup are a test shot for the cowling.

Time to call it quits for today, but as Porgy says at the end of the opera, “I’m on my way!” (私はそちらに行きます!)

Don
Attached Thumbnails
OTDAEABT 2 - Maly Modelarz 3/99 Shiden-shiden-002.jpg  
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 02-01-2009, 05:40 PM
Gharbad's Avatar
Gharbad Gharbad is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 938
Total Downloaded: 21.91 MB
That's interesting, what kind of plane construction are you used to?
Me having mostly MM kits, this is really common for me. The other being cylindrical sections with formers on both ends. Personally I prefer this style better, because you don't get the potential gaps between sections.
This kit always looked relatively nice and I've been eyeing it for years.
__________________
- Kuba
Reply With Quote
Google Adsense
  #6  
Old 02-01-2009, 05:40 PM
B-Manic's Avatar
B-Manic B-Manic is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Shangri La
Posts: 4,321
Total Downloaded: 19.54 MB
A Japanese fighter Don? I'm surprised, not, the sheets look like this will build up to a fair sized model. Sorry about the scanner problems. That complicates things.

guddorakku!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 02-01-2009, 05:57 PM
Don Boose's Avatar
Don Boose Don Boose is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Posts: 20,702
Total Downloaded: 424.90 MB
Kuba -- Most of the kits I have, including most of the Małys are of the kind with cylindrical sections with formers on both ends, with (preferably) or without joining strips. And, of course, most of the Fiddlers Green and DGA models have no formers at all in the smaller scales. I am more comofrtable with this approach.

Douglas -- Eventually, I'll get the printer problem sorted out. For now, I have some back-ups in case I make any drastic errors, so the inabilty to use scans is not a show stopper.

I've had this kit for a long time and built it in my head repeatedly. I have been wanting to start on another 1/33 model of a Japanese fighter ever since I finished the Hampden and this one intrigued me. If I succesfully complete it, I hope to start on a line of GreMir and other Nakajima fighters.

Now, LIl has cooked up some Ramyun and I we are going to settle down to noodles, kimchi, and the Superbowl.

Don

Don
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-02-2009, 01:31 PM
birder's Avatar
birder birder is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Eastern Washington
Posts: 4,979
Total Downloaded: 86.00 MB
Very cool Don, love this airplane, MM version may not be perfect, but will look forward to seeing this plane!
__________________
regards Glen
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 02-02-2009, 01:43 PM
Don Boose's Avatar
Don Boose Don Boose is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Posts: 20,702
Total Downloaded: 424.90 MB
Thanks, Glen. I've had my eye on it for a long time. It is my favorite Japanese Navy fighter -- I think the seaplane version is one of the most beautiful airplanes ever built. The extended landing gear of the N1K1-J is fascinating. And the model appears to be reasonably well engineered. I'll soon find out how the fit of the parts is, but it didn't take a second for me to jump in on this contest. Don
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 02-02-2009, 01:44 PM
dansls1's Avatar
dansls1 dansls1 is offline
Aviation Moderator
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Mt. Prospect, IL
Posts: 3,271
Total Downloaded: 0
Send a message via Yahoo to dansls1
The 'covered framework lattice' method of the planes is prevalent in most of the newer computer-drawn aircraft kits. You can think of this one as your 'intruduction to Halinski's' :D
__________________
-Dan
Reply With Quote
Google Adsense
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:31 PM.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

Parts of this site powered by vBulletin Mods & Addons from DragonByte Technologies Ltd. (Details)
Copyright © 2007-2023, PaperModelers.com