Introduction:
From
the late 1930’s until 1942 pilots of the Imperial Japanese Navy reign supreme
in the skies of the South Pacific. Years of rigorous training and schooling
coupled with valuable combat experience in the War over China gave these pilots
over whelming superiority in the skies of the southern Pacific Ocean during the
Great Pacific War. Highly motivated and filled with the spirit of invincibility
these pilots of the Rising Sun were seemingly unbeatable!
The
Kit:
Produced
by Verlinden Products, this 1/5 scale bust captures the fighting spirit of
the fighter pilots of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the early part of
World War Two. The details in this kit are superb and really lend
themselves to the creativity of the modeler. The kit is cast in a resin
that is very easy to work with as well as paint. There were very few
pinholes in the cast and the ones that I found were simple to repair and
fill.
The figure comes in three pieces. The main body of the figure, the
left side flap of the flight helmet, and a nice base. All of the pieces
are easy to clean up and fit together rather well. |
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Prep
Work:
After
removing the flash from the flight helmet flap and sanding down the slightly
raised edges here and there, I washed the entire figure with a mild detergent
(dish liquid) and water. I let this dry over night. The next day I coated the
figure and the base with a primer coat. I used Model Master’s Olive Drab.
Looking carefully over the figure I found and repaired the few pinholes in the
cast with Elmer’s glue. Letting this dry over a 24-hour period I was ready to
begin the painting process.
Painting:
When
painting this figure I used various colors and mixes of colors from Model
Master’s Acrylic line. I had no problems blending and shading with this
product and was very pleased with the results. Most of the figure was painted
using a Paasche VL airbrush. All of
the detail work was done by hand. The details are my favorite part. For me the
fine details bring the figure to life.
Sources:
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1.
My friend and mentor in the field of Japanese Kaigun Aviators, Gary
Nila. Through many e-mails and several phone conversations. Thanks man
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2.
Japanese Naval Aviation Uniforms
and Equipment 1937-45. By
Gary Nila, Illustrated by Bill Younghusband. Osprey Publishing Elite Series
#86 2002.
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3.
Aviator
Uniforms and Equipment of IJN.
Model Art Magazine No. 655 All other text is in Japanese, but this
magazine/book is a valuable source none the less.
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4.
Imperial
Japanese Naval Aviator 1937-45.
By Osamu Tagaya. Illustrated by John White. Osprey Publishing Warrior Series
#55.
Conclusion:
Overall I am
very pleased with the outcome of this project and would highly recommend this
kit to both the beginner and the experienced modeler. There are no major flaws
or drawbacks to this kit. It fits well, painted nicely, and makes an attractive
addition to a good friend of mine’s collection!
Feel free to
send me your comments and questions at Mcjr30@aol.com
Happy
Modeling!
Bobby
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