1/32 Hasegawa N1K2-J Shiden Kai

[BlackSheep214]

Now she’s starting to look like a beater airplane. Well done, John!

[jkim]

I really don’t like to just show up here and leave a one word response. I’m still back on how good the engine looks in the low angle viewpoint. The last few images of your salt fade technique are quite beautiful. I think this is an extremely good technique for any aircraft in the Pacific Theater in particular (your Corsair, Mama Mia). I am really grateful you are here, John. It was a long day and reading these last two posts really took me someplace special.

Beyond words.

Thanks very much for all you do!

Just doing what I enjoy! Which is model building and sharing information via internet message boards. I don't think my modeling would be where it is at without access to the internet. It's given me valuable contact with the modeling community even though I have no personal contact with scale modelers. I don't think I've ever even met one!

John, it’s really a shame that we were not in any of the same model clubs in So.Cal. when I was living there. I would love to see your work in person. The camera catches so much, but seeing them in real life and merely by moving one’s head a few inches allowing the light to come in from a different angle shows of all the subtlety of your finishing techniques like this to maximum effect.
Bravo!

An expansion of my reply to Bruce... yeah, it's a bit of a shame but it's all I've ever known. I've never been to a model club meeting or show. Like I said, I've never even met another scale modeler in person. So the thought of interacting with other modelers and sharing my work personally is scary, exciting, and also fear inducing. Will I ever? Dunno. Not super closed to it but I would need significant motivation to push me out of my comfort zone. Like maybe if Bruce said he'd join me?

Now she’s starting to look like a beater airplane. Well done, John!

Yes, it is becoming a bit of a beater, which was my intention going into this build. And I'm not quite finished with the beating yet. I'm going to let this stage sit for a while, evaluate the salt fading and make some minor adjustments, maybe add some stencil-based stains up top and also do more chipping with the sponge and pencil. And since all of the major spray work is done, I can start adding the external bits like landing gear, etc.

[Floki]

Very beautiful John! Thank you for going into detail on your process. I don't know of a better way to achieve a random wear pattern.

[jkim]

You're welcome Clint! I wish that the salt fade results were a little more visible outside of the engine cowling. But that's how it goes with this technique. A whole lotta work and sometimes not much to show for it. But I am glad that it was not overdone.

[Floki]

I think it's well worth the effort even if you don't see much of the results from it. It added all together with the rest of the weathering starting all the way back to the preshading makes this one perfectly weathered aircraft.

[jkim]

Onward we fly... now it's time to start adding all of the external bits and pieces that were painted and weathered previously. The tail wheel slots in positively via two slot/tab connections on an interior bulkhead within the fuselage. Since I can't access the glue joint from the outside, this is a good time to bust out the old school Testors tube glue.


A look at the bottom before fitting the main landing gear. I may do some minor on the bottom staining and wear.


The main landing gear legs are glued into their slots, again using tube glue. I have to make sure that the flat spot on the tires are in the correct orientation so I have to tackle this one component at a time.


The landing gear actuators are glued into place at this time as they help to ensure that the landing gear legs are at the correct angle. After I let the glue securing the tail wheel and landing gear legs dry, I glue on the tires minus the wheel hubs. While the glue has not yet hardened, the tire flat spot is aligned with the ground surface.


The landing gear covers are glued into place. We can verify that the wheel flat spots are flat on the ground.


The wheel hubs are then glued into the correct orientation.


Next I glued the engine assembly into place using, once again, a big blob of tube glue to ensure a good bond.


The engine cowling fits more snugly with the engine glued into place, which is a good thing. I've left it unglued, therefore removable.


The combat flaps are also a tight friction fit so I'll leave them removable as well. This will simply the packing procedure as this model gets shipped. The inner landing gear doors and actuators are glued in as well.


On its own legs for the first time, the Shiden Kai is fast approaching the finish line.

[Floki]

Seeing her off the jig and standing on her own legs it's really something. It's got to be so hard to part with these builds when finished after pouring so much time and work into them. I know I couldn't do it.

[mustang1989]

Good goin' on a strong bond with that engine. It'd be ashamed to do all that work only to have the engine fall from the aircraft during handling. Did the same trick with my D-9.

[Stikpusher]

Looking very sharp John! I can’t wait to see the canopy masks come off

[Stuart]

Man the Japanese knew how to make a pretty aircraft, even beaten up that looks beautiful! Very nice work sir!