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Wumm

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Posts posted by Wumm

  1. ... plus Murphy's Law 

    IMG_20200313_173216.thumb.jpg.7a75bb681f99e12db84c0dce465c8f94.jpg

    Equals no coolant. Blown gasket or Turbo Hose or somesuch.

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    But I got to ride in a Truck my Father-in-Law helped build. So silver lining and all...

    Hope your day is going better than mine.

    S

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  2. IMG_20200313_085827.thumb.jpg.b1bc1c7388a0e726fbeb6a989cff1dc9.jpg

    Yes. But McLaren weren't. 

    The Victorian Premier says there won't be any spectators allowed if it does go ahead. FIA sources are telling News agencies that the race is going to be cancelled. Meanwhile, fans are lining up at the gates as I write this. A guy from my work has arranged his Honeymoon around the GP... Wonder what he'll be doing today?

    Hmmm...

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  3. Longer than a few weeks. The incubation period is considered to be two weeks, but may be three or even more in some cases. 

    A member of the McLaren Formula 1 team has now tested positive in Melbourne. According to the guidelines the whole team may be quarantined here in Australia for two weeks. If they do back-tracing and find he/she has been in contact with members from other teams, the same may apply to them. 

    I feel the problems are all about to compound very quickly now. 

     

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  4. 8 hours ago, Sir Desmond Glazebrook said:

    Also, this is Australia. There is no total world public policy. At least not yet. :D

     

    The Australian Government declared a pandemic on the 27th of February, a fortnight before the WHO. Might I add, to much sabre rattling by the Chinese authorities, who complained long and hard about Students being denied access to Australian Universities.

    https://7news-com-au.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/7news.com.au/travel/coronavirus/coronavirus-pandemic-inevitable-says-scott-morrison-c-719483.amp?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#aoh=15840383121733&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From %1%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2F7news.com.au%2Ftravel%2Fcoronavirus%2Fcoronavirus-pandemic-inevitable-says-scott-morrison-c-719483

    This is now largely a moot point, as the Universities are themselves starting to close here.

    The Company I work for finally implemented a Covid 19 plan yesterday. I first raised the question a week ago when I started showing symptoms, to be told "We're waiting for the Sydney branch to make a decision." I self-isolated until cleared; but once again, how many aren't going to because of the consequences of having no income?

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  5. 11 hours ago, Sir Desmond Glazebrook said:

    I too did what Hubert did and read the report at the WHO. It is always a good idea to go to the source. Ignore politicians, read the scientific reports.

     

    This is pertinent, but unfortunately Scientists don't make public policy. 

    I'm not entirely sure the scientists are at consensus yet either. Depending on the source; the Covid 19 is either transmissible by instantaneous contact, or from continuous close contact for 15 minutes or 2 hours in a confined space. This understandably leads to confusion, compounded by Media hype.

    27 cases now in Queensland, with 3,000 in self isolation.

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  6. At the moment, the consequences of merely having the virus far outweigh the risks to the majority who actually have it.

    Since the initial outbreak at the Wuhan fishmarket, where the mortality rate was quite high, subsequently patients confirmed as having the Covid 19 are in the vast majority of cases recovering well from the illness. High risk of Mortality seems to be mostly confined to the Elderly and Infirm. 

    Conversely, at least here in Au, merely having the virus or being exposed to a known patient means a 14 day quarantine period of isolation. This to some is far worse than a few days off with a mild Flu, it means no income for a fortnight. I was tested Monday and have come back as negative, but had I been positive my GP would have been required to inform the Health Department and my workplace would have been shut down, as I was in close contact with everyone there in the week previous. Unfortunately, you cannot rely on Human Beings to do the right thing and self-isolate for the greater good.

    Contradictions abound. Health authorities here say to avoid kissing and shaking hands, yet will also tell you that you're not at risk unless you've had 15 minutes of close personal contact with an infectious person. They are talking about starting the Football season here to empty crowds, when just last weekend there were nearly 90 thousand people crammed together in Melbourne for the Women's Cricket final. 

    To Gazza's question... I'm not sure about the August show here in Qld. We may have to see what the IPMS chapter do with the Aspley swap meet and show in early May as a guide. And also remember... As a group, we Modellers tend not to be the most hygienic bunch of Hobbyists.

    S

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  7. 22 hours ago, Sir Desmond Glazebrook said:

    Whilst science is the greatest invention of mankind, the second may be considered the invention of toilet paper. :thumbsup2:

    It's marvelous stuff really...

    Can be used as tissues in circumstances where there's a gathering and someone's standing down for whatever reason; or in the conventional manner when you're otherwise full of sh*t.

    Very handy to have.

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  8. What did I just get? Hopefully, not Coronavirus...

    I am off to the Doctor today to be tested. Two weeks ago, a University Student returned from China having quarantined for a fortnight in Dubai. He eventually fell ill and reported to Hospital, and was confirmed as having Coronavirus. During that week, I made 6 deliveries in that suburb to Students moving into flats to start University for the year. Neither Queensland Health nor the Australian Government will confirm his name or address due to privacy reasons. 

    Their advice was I had no reason for concern, as I was not sick and had not been Overseas. Coincidentally, on Tuesday just gone I had my yearly Cancer procedure, so I also visited my GP, the Hospital, a Pathology centre and Pharmacy... All traditionally full of sick people. Then on Friday, I started showing sore throat and having sneezing fits, and experiencing a strong chemical taste/smell (such as if you've ever had an MRI for instance).

    The symptoms have lessened since, but I am still going to get tested. At work, I deliver to and am in close contact with up to 50 people daily. I work closely with 20 other Drivers who each do the same. The consequences of me infecting the public or fellow workers are staggering. 

    A Doctor in Melbourne last week went to work and even visited a Nursing Home while sick, and tested positive for the Virus. Part of being professional in your work is ensuring that you do all the right things. To me, what you do away from the Truck is just as important as securing the load and keeping to speed limits.

    Oh, but at least I'm sorted for toilet rolls!

    IMG_20200308_154525.thumb.jpg.9d3d61bee69b6343799b89f731b618cd.jpg

    Steve

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  9. 13 hours ago, smitty44 said:

     Who would ever think that a viral outbreak would give our huge stashes a bit of rationalization. I'm gonna buy more!!!

    A source told me that Zoukei Mura would be debuting the 75mm cannon-armed Hs-129 variant at the May Shizuoka show. With that show now not going ahead, and the ZM kit plastic being Chinese-sourced, that kit is going to be delayed a somewhat I suspect.

    It's a time for rationalisation all round. Most of the larger items I deliver daily (beds, mattresses, coffee tables, outdoor settings etc) are going to be unavailable pretty soon; as they're Chinese manufactured and a lot of the Factories have closed down. It's an ideal time for local companies to step into the void, drop their prices a little, and claw back a little of the lost ground that's been given up over the last decade or so.

    S

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  10. The TS-83 is not that old, released maybe 3 or 4 years ago with a gold, and then a little later on also some titanium versions of same.

    The AS-12 is perhaps 2 decades old now, is part of their Aircraft specific range, and goes down much smoother than their silver leaf spray can; which is a better choice if you're attempting to impart weathering or a wash into the surface colour.

    S

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  11. Addendum

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    Subsequent to the 2018 long nose Ki-45 kit, Zoukei Mura have since released a derivative kit containing parts specific to the early short nosed Ko and Hei variants. This new SWS 14 kit shares most of it's sprues with the SWS 13 release; ommitting 2 of these and replacing them with 3 others, a couple of which are grey and clear duplicates of the same sprue. This raises the sprue count to 26, with 517 parts in total. The kit also features new markings and amended instructions, and interestingly all of the runners in this new kit are marked as "SWS 13" on the reverse.

    This post is intended as a short guide featuring the new additions required to assemble the Ki-45 Ko and Hei variants, while relying on Jim's excellent review of the earlier release for the parts common to both kits.

    Sprue H (1 x grey, 1 x clear)

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    A small sprue with only 6 parts, containing the 2 different short nose options, removable panels for the twin 12.7mm gun option nose, landing light lens and instrument panel with recessed dials specific to the initial Ko variant.

    IMG_20200209_161420.thumb.jpg.a27aa9618c9642feb89a043f7be13ea7.jpg

    IMG_20200209_161250.thumb.jpg.99d305b2c6a3c6fb5d0d265a2b17dacc.jpg

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    The nose cone parts feature fine panel lines and subtle rivet detail, and are moulded as 1 piece items to eliminate the need for removing what would otherwise be a very prominent seam. The cooling louvres on the 37mm Hei nose are moulded solid, but are well represented; as are the internal details of the removable panel parts for the earlier Ko nose option. The landing light lens cover is also on this grey sprue, but is not meant to be used.

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    Time for that lens part to shine now, as it's also included on the clear duplicate Sprue H provided here. Any or all of the other clear parts can also be used instead of their opaque counterparts; to show the internal weapons details if so desired, or perhaps to allow the more talented among us to find a way to backlight the instrument panel to maximum effect. 

    These sprues largely replace Sprue S from the original release, which is omitted from this kit.

    Sprue R

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    The final amended runner for the short nose version, Sprue R contains mostly parts specific to the initial Ko variant. The twin Ho-103 Type 1 fixed 12.7mm machine guns are here; along with their associated ammunition bins, and the necessary bulkheads and support structures to mount them inside the nose. The gun barrels, like those in the SWS 13 kit, are hollowed at the ends and exhibit subtle perforations along the length of the barrels. There are 2 small injection marks on the inside of the gun bodies, but these will mostly be hidden by smaller parts that are to be placed inbetween once assembled. Also present on this sprue are; the landing light body, specific control column and hydraulic control panel for the cockpit, and an early variant instrument panel with the dials moulded in relief.

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    IMG_20200216_122525.thumb.jpg.35092eba82a032c34be742c50a4ff871.jpg

    IMG_20200216_123001.thumb.jpg.5f8d9e40e647da7e5f9aeaedea4f0a69.jpg

    This sprue largely replace Sprue T from the original release, which is omitted from this kit. All of the other parts necessary for completing the SWS 14 short nose variants of the Ki-45, are otherwise included in the initial release kit as reviewed by Jim at the start of this thread.

    Some mention was made earlier about the possibility of sourcing extra sprues from Zoukei Mura, in order to make use of the included duplicate clear parts and assemble a second Toryu in this manner. However a cursory glance at the parts breakdown shows that as many as 14 of the 26 sprues will be required to do this, allowing for 2 extra engine sprues and the single part Sprue O. Your talents at scratch-building and how much internal detail you can live without may lower the number of runners required.

    Decals

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    Similar to the initial release, Zoukei Mura have provided a single markings option for each variant represented in the kit, and have included the large white Home Defence bands and chrome yellow leading edge ID strips as decal options. The decals are once again supplied by Cartograf. The 2 schemes supplied are:

    *Ki-45 Kai Ko (initial production)

    1st Lt. Isamu Kashiide

    2nd Chutai, 4th Hiko-Sentai

    IMG_20200218_073601.thumb.jpg.84c9ca2e4d561e42e7b44a1cd1922514.jpg

    *Ki-45 Kai Hei (Army Aerial Arsenal)

    2nd Lt. Sadamitsu Kimura

    2nd Chutai, 4th Hiko-Sentai

    IMG_20200218_074623.thumb.jpg.454c5113a0f767e7bcf22e3b816b6850.jpg

    Zoukei Mura, in their now familiar fashion, have provided the first markings option in the instructions as a photo of a built-up example, with the second shown as an illustration. 

    Instructions

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    The comprehensive instructions booklet comes in a lovely plum colour, so as not to be confused with the one from the long nose kit should you happen to have both and not be able to read the Japanese cover. Everything that Jim has stated above as regards the instructions of course applies here. One thing I will add, is that green and orange colours are used to highlight the specific parts used for the each variant in the kit, and to help differentiate between the them when added to the common assemblies. Light blue is used to highlight areas to apply adhesive. Hints and tips abound throughout.

    IMG_20200213_200537.thumb.jpg.71a7a7493288ff9cfed9639fa889be03.jpg

    Section 3.3 H... Compare to Jim's review and section 3.3 G; same parts highlighted, but the whole illustration at a slightly different angle to fit the page.

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    And a place now for those missing fuel tanks!

    Supplemental

    As noted elsewhere, there is an anomaly with the original SWS 13 release; most likely concerning only those kits available at the Initial unveiling of the kit at the 2018 Telford show. In these kits, the part M-4 bulkhead is missing 2 lugs that the tail wheel assembly attaches to. It is possible that an earlier test shot sprue may have been substituted in error for the final one intended. The part shown from Jim's review...

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    And the correct part that matches the assembly instructions, with the 2 lugs highlighed. 

    IMG_20200303_163310.thumb.jpg.c5dc990e8e55e2a87319656440aa5eb1.jpg

    My recommendation would be to contact Zoukei Mura using the parts guide information provided in the next to last page of the Instructions Booklet, should you be among those with the incorrect part in your kit.

    Conclusion

    An impressive release; even if only unstarted and still in the box, and made even more so after a couple of reads-through of the instructions to whet the appetite. I imagine it's true worth will gradually be revealed once construction starts and it's potential is gradually realised. The short nosed Toryu was perhaps not as elegant as the later variants; but was still an important type, and saw action in Rabaul, the Philippines and many other different locales as well as in the Defence of the Home Islands. So a welcome counterpart to Zoukei Mura's late Nick release, and a comprehensively detailed large scale kit that certainly does the subject justice.

    Highly recommended

    (Kit courtesy of Steve's Stash Fund)

     

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  12. Dale,

    You have helped so many by simply prevailing. Where others faced with your situation might have given in to darkness and doubt, you have been a shining light to others. Where others might have retreated into themselves, you have given freely of your time and your talents.

    Long may you prevail Mate!

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  13. 1 hour ago, [CAT]CplSlade said:

    The problem I have with that theory is that I can access several other Chinese sites. Why shut off Trumpeter but not the others if you're trying to stem the flow of information?

    Trumpeter may have an employee with the virus. Dragon may not. 

    The memes have started already...

    IMG_20200212_085213.thumb.jpg.18a9db29aa2636dfcfe4977151e41779.jpg

    Hysterics could be just one reason. There's enough Trumpeter-bashing in the Hobby, without the usual suspects telling us they caught Coronavirus from one of their kits. Better to just shut the site down for a month.

    • Like 1
  14. 20 hours ago, [CAT]CplSlade said:

    Not sure how a flu virus can affect a web site.

    If their production or distribution is affected by the Coronavirus, the website may have been shut to limit the spread of not only a virus, but information as well. This often happens in an authoritarian regime. 

    Facebook pages will stay up, as it's an independently-run hosting site, but if there's no one in the Trumpeter or Hobby Boss office to fix a glitch, it will stay unfixed.

    S

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