1/72 Airfix B5N2 Kate WIP

[Modelcrazy]

Thanks Speed, Borg and Bs Yamato. I will be building the Hasde kit right after this, but this kit is already winning.
Continuing on with the Kate. I attached the fuselage to the wings and vert stabilizers to the fuse. The only complaint I have with the kit, which is easily remedied with a little trimming and sanding, is the attachment point of the wings and stabilizers to the parts tree. The attachment points are big and invade on the surfaces. But like I said these are easily remedied.


If you decide to build this kit, be aware of the gauge at the bombardier's position. The panel it is attached to came loose while installing the fuselage because the gauge slips into a slot on the fuse. This was easily fixed bit reinstalling the panel after the fuse was on.


The gaps at the wings and stabilizers are very small and the fit is tremendous IMO.


I really like this kit. Good on ya Airfix!

[Stikpusher]

Yes, the Airfix plastic makes the attachment point clean up easy to sand away. Much better than leaving a divot needing to be filled like some companies plastics. That looks great. And, unless Hasegawa retooled their Kate molds, that kit will be a step down/back. It's a 70's vintage kit.

[Modelcrazy]

Yeah Stick. I was looking at the Hase kit this weekend. I should have that thing done in a weekend minus the paint job...and that's waiting on the drying time. I wanted to show both together as stowed but loaded and ready to attack, and place them both on the Coastal Kits 1/72 IJN carried deck. Even though the Airfix is off the Shokaku and the Hase will be off the Kaga I don't think that will make much difference in the dio. The point will be to show both configurations.
I noticed that the Hase kit only has a torpedo for armament so I will use one of the large bombs used in the Pearl Harbor raid from the Airfix kit and attach it to the Hase kit. I may just use the torpado from the Hase kit and have it coming out of the torpedo tube on my 1/72 Type IX U-boat LOL. That would add some interest to that build.....My 9yo grandson came up with that idea.
Have you ever bought or seen a Coastal Kits display base? They are only $7.75 so I probably can't go wrong.

[Stikpusher]

No I have not seen those bases. But I would like to get some various bases for builds. I only recently started using bases myself.
I like the sound of how you plan to display the two. At Pearl Harbor, the Kates in the first wave were from Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu. Each had one portion armed with torpedoes and the rest with the 14" converted AP shells for high level bombing of Battleship Row. Shokaku and Zuikaku launched their Kates in the second wave armed with multiple small bombs to hit various airfields around Oahu.

[speedgraflex]

intellectually I know this is 1/72 scale, but the quality of your work makes me think this is 1/48. Having struggled to keep details present working in 1/72 during the seam filling process, I am especially interested in any tips or suggestions you may have to fill even the small gaps without losing adjacent details. That part of working in 1/72 may be the greatest challenge I found so far. Your cockpit paint work is great! Thanks for posting in progress shots.

[Modelcrazy]

Stick, This great kit brings several ordnance options including what looks like the Type 91 modification 2 Torpedo and the Type 99 #80 Mark 5 High-altitude armor-piercing bomb The latter will be attached to the Kaga bird.
Man I love researching this stuff. I am just like my father was but like he use to say about himself "just more useless information taking up brain cells".


Bruce, I use Mr Dissolved Putty in the seams, which can be rubbed off with denatured alcohol. I also use 600 grit dipped in the denatured alcohol to sand the remaining putty. I can get a smooth seam and not destroy the panel lines. I go back over with an Xacto to clean the panel lines.

[Stikpusher]

Lol! Exactly! Those are some good load out options. Better than the 1/48 Nichimo Kate in my stash, which has most of those. The first option shown, the twin racks of small bombs, are the Pearl Harbor load out for 2nd wave Kates, IIRC.

[jkim]

The kit definitely looks like a good one. I like the load options too. Was the instrument panel a flat piece that you put a decal over? Does it come with a IP with molded details?

[speedgraflex]

Thanks so much for the information; I need to investigate the "Mister" line of products, but the surfacer really works; you're holding a lot of the details present on the kit. That was what got my attention from the start. Cheers!

[Modelcrazy]

I worked on the seams tonight, painted some grey to check for smoothness and sanded a little more. I then went over the panel lines to remove the Mr Dissolved Putty and I think that should do it.
Tomorrow night I'm spraying silver for a base for some chipping. Japanese aircraft weren't as worn out and chipped as they were at the end of the war but there was some. I also sanded and smoothed the torpedo. I'm not going with the Type 91 modification 2 Torpedo which was used at Pearl (adding the wooden fins) because I'm building this as a May 1942 time frame. The kit is awsome enough to include the wood fins for the Mod 2 torp, but dosn't seem to include instructions to add the modification to the kits torpedo.
Steve