Timc Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Ok, at the request of a couple of friends, I am posting some WIP shots of the new Hasegawa 1/32 N1K2-J. You'll have to please excuse some of the photos that don't seem pertinent as I was originally intending to post this as a build review on another site but that's been nixed. It's really been an outstanding build and in my opinion, Hasegawa has stepped up their game somewhat with this release. So without further comment, on to the photos: This shot details the fuselage halves with the structural supports Hasegawa chose to include. Nice touch but not prototypically correct. The aft two can be seen after the fuselage is closed up. We'll see just how in a few photos. Cockpit shot showing the seat (minus the seat cushion which I forgot to install prior to the seatbelts (Eduard). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timc Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 More cockpit photos: 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timc Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 The shot below is of the cockpit with the side and aft walls in place, ready to be installed in the fuselage (after removing the tape of course). 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timc Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 Now for some construction notes and musings: The decals for the kit are somewhat suspect in that the Hinomaru coloration seems too bright/orange to my eye. I've contrasted them with a set of YellowHammer decals (long OOP). The YellowHammer decals look much more authentic to my eye. Your mileage may vary. Here's the photo that shows the maintenance window that was on the N1K2's. Unless you paint the inside black and install it, you'll be able to see the structural parts Hasegawa has you install to add rigidity to the fuselage. I'm sure clever modeler's will think up other solutions but I wasn't too concerned and hindsight is indeed 20/20. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timc Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 This image shows the life raft door. Hasegawa tells you to remove the door and rescribe the panel lines (eliminating the door). I chose the leave the door since every source I can find show's aircraft with the door. However, there's no right side images of the specific aircraft with the large chord tail (the first 100 N1K2-J's built) so I'm going with my gut instinct on this one, sorry Hasegawa. The image below is of the tail/fuselage joint. This is a God-send. No more panel lines to attempt to scribe over the glue joint! The seam is mid-panel and you can just fill and sand the seam away. Here's the best part: The fit is so good, you won't need more than a touch of filler at the most. In this shot, the tail has not been glued to the fuselage yet. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timc Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 You may have already noticed some nice work on the fabric control surfaces. Hasegawa has actually added rib stitching to the rib reinforcing tape. The image of the rudder above and the aileron below you can see it. This is something entirely new for Hasegawa as far as I'm aware. Good goin Hasegawa! Anyone who has built the Hasegawa J2M3 Raiden in 1/32 knows that the inserts in the wings don't fit very well and need to be shimmed to fit properly. Not here! The wing underside inserts fit extremely well, tight and flush. Not much cleanup on these and you're good to go. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timc Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 There are a couple of panel lines outboard of the cannon on each wing that I'm having trouble nailing down. Speicifically, the outermost panel line (to the right in the picture in the previous post) on the leading edge of the wing is suspect. I'm also having trouble verifying the panel line arrangement on top of the wing in the same area. These panel lines are fine for the N1K2-Ja but the drawings in my sources (done by Watanabe) show differing panel lines in this area for the large chord tail N1K2-J. I wish I could read Japanese sometimes. I may have to put this question to the guys at j-aircraft.com and see what they can determine. I don't have a photo uploaded of this area but I should in the next day or two. That's all for now. Hope you're enjoying my little slice of heaven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawman56 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Looks great so far! Can't understand why the review would have been nixed, unless it was your choice. The cockpit colors and weathering look very nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timc Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 Thanks for the compliments. Yes, the review was nixed by me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wumm Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Nice preliminary work Tim, And lovely cockpit as well. Was the omitted cushion of your own design, or included by Hasegawa? Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkranias Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Looking really good on this. I have this in my stash, after drooling over the parts and seeing your comments I truly feel Hasegawa has upped their game with this. I am planning to start mine around spring '14. Have several Luftwaffe builds on my bench as well as on deck. Further, I am waiting for Eduard PE and other AM stuff. Although from the looks the only PE enhancement needed might be the IP. I secured a set of the YellowHammer decals for this. I am also going to take a "walk around" of the Shiden at the NASM later this month. This was shot last spring so I need to get more detailed pics The pic above is focused on the A6M1. The Shiden is collateral image and unfortunately the right side is really dark so the Life Raft door is not visible. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timc Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 Nice preliminary work Tim, And lovely cockpit as well. Was the omitted cushion of your own design, or included by Hasegawa? Steve. Thanks a lot. The cushion is in the Hasegawa kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelR32 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Nice kit and build going here Tim. May I ask, what does the term "nixed" mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timc Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 Thanks Nige. The term nixed means stopped or quashed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougN Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Nice start Tim! Looking forward to more of this one as I also have one if the stash awaiting it's turn Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave J Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Fantastic Tim, I just ordered this kit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UFAG Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Miss the rivets... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timc Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 Small update tonight. The first photo is of a slightly modified Type 98 gunsight. Modified in the sense that the combining glass and the sun shade kit parts are too thick to resemble a passable Type 98 so I made new ones from 0.010" clear sheet styrene. The second shot is another plus that I've noticed in the Hasegawa kit. Notably, the ejector pin marks are on the flat, outer side of the main landing gear doors allowing them to be removed relatively easily instead of having to fill, sand and file between fine details on the inside of the gear doors. Another "WAY TO GO" Hasegawa! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timc Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 The next shot is of the incredibly detailed kit engine which is shown upside down in the below photo...an oversight on my part. It's still hollow on the back sides of the cylinders but the viewable details are outstanding! A sound basis for the super detailer. I omitted the obigatory plug wires as I wanted to show what the kit engine looks like without any additions. The next shot is somewhat of a let down for me and it seems that Hasegawa goofed in the design of the kit in the area of the exhaust/forward fuselage area. When the engine/cowl assembly is installed on the airframe, the exhaust stacks sit too far away from the fuselage from what I can tell from photographs in the Aero Detail book. The exhaust stacks should be in very close proximity to the side of the fuselage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timc Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 This last photo shows the Alclad aluminum on the underside of the airframe. The fabric control surfaces have been sprayed Floquil Silver to represent doped fabric, and if it's not readily apparent from the photo, I believe I got the look I was after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougN Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Looking good Tim! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timc Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 Thanks Doug. I appreciate the comments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave J Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Looking great Tim! I had the kit arrive the other day and it looks great! Very temped to start it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One-Oh-Four Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Nice progress Tim! Thanks for the heads-up un the exhaust stacks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Nice work on the radial pig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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