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Mitsubishi J8M1


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Heh heh,...didn't have to look too far before I pounced upon this contraption! :P Should be easy to keep this one under my 2-week attention span? ;) Also gives me a chance to get imaginative with the camo scheme....oh, my. Except for the canopy, this is very similar to the Me-163. I understand they made a few, but the only test flight ended up with a take-off....and a big boom. Hmmmm.

I was given this kit because it didn't have any decals, so I bought a non-desript 1/48th Ki-43 sheet that looked to have some insignia about the right size.(in a clearance pile no less) Probably have this built before I go to bed tonight, so I'll have the week-end to ponder how it'll be painted. Looks to be a hoot, eh?! Here's what I'm starting with. Got one sheet of line drawings....a clearance rack decal sheet...and an ancient Hasegawa Me-163.

 

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Here's all I have for reference. It'll do in a pinch. I'm lining up a pilot for the pit, and thinking this will be a 'special attack' somethin or other....so it might have a diving eagle/arrow type insignia? Dunno yet. More pics as things progress!

 

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Interesting move Russ. I built exactly that boxing of that kit last year, kit decals and all. The worst part is the weak undercarriage dolly extension framework - I broke mine countless times and ended up closing it up after seeing some photos of it like that. The damn thing lists to port now, but I can live with it.

 

I have no idea to what extent the J8M1 differs from the Me 163, but it probably doesn't matter much. Once you get the Japanese markings on it, it'll pass for whatever you tell people it is!

 

Kev

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Howdy Azgaron! ;) Always glad to see you buddy. Ooooh, be careful what you ask for,....I've got lots of piccies tonight to show ya! :P

Whoahhh, see what yuh mean about the 'landing gear' Kev. :huh: May have to add some "made in Japan' modifications to beef it up a bit? Hmmm. In the meantime, I've been diddling around with some sub-assemblies and looking at what differences there are between the Me-163 and the J8M1 in a bit more detail. Here's what I've been up to! :)

Hacked up a pilot from the Hasegawa Ki-43, using the basic body as a 'base'. Not going to show any 'before' pics, as he was in a politically incorrect pose.(eh, Matt? ;) ) So here he is with some extra arms/head/ I had from a previous MasterDetails pilot build, and some putty shaped around the opening of his neck to mimic my version of a Japanese 'protective suit'. (guess the fuels they used had a propensity to melt the pilots if they leaked. Niiiiice.) Just had to 'showboat' around and melt the kit supplied oxygen hose into a shape that actually reached hs mask! :P heh heh.

 

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Ahhh yes, so it begins. Here's a shot of the famous(infamous) wobbly landing gear. Gotta love it when there isn't even any wheel-wells to detail,....or pesky brake lines to put on. Whoohoo!

 

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Whoakay, moving on to something else....I took a styrene tube and put a 'collar' around it to use for an exhaust. Not going to use the kit supplied engine, cuz methinks it'll look grand on the tail of a future Me-262 build I'm doodling around with. Think that'll make it an Me-262C, or sumthin? But I digress; I did this....(ignore the skull, I'm still playing around with markings ;) ).....

 

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To get this.

 

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Hmmmm....noticed my first 'differences' whilst assembling the wing. The flaps are smaller, and the wing fillet is a different 'sweep' shape. More putty, OH BOY, OH BOY! ;) Got the new fillet shape marked in pencil here, and my flaps changed out. Had to do the same on the bottom, and also make the spoilers a bit smaller.

 

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Also noticed that this AC has some cannon barrels that stick outta the front of the wing. Guess they didn't have Mk.108 30mm cannons, so they used some 20's? Sooo....I took some more tubing and sliced it to shape, backing it up with some more card. This will give me something to glue my new barrels to when the time comes to install them.

 

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Because I'm 1/2-way done,....it's time for figuring out how I'm going to paint this darn thing. Been working on some digital schemes in a flight-sim I've got,...and seeing as how it's 1/2 time 'intermission' I think I'll show ya'll what I've been working on. Hey, I think I'll even throw in a 'typical Russ mission against flocks of B-29's over the homeland' series of pics whilst showing ya'll some of the schemes I've been working on. (yeah, I can hear the groans already. ;) )

 

Here we GO!!! Typical airbase; Japanese home islands...waiting at alert.

 

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BANZAIIII !!!!

 

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This is the first scheme I came up with. Cuz there's not much fuse to put a hinomaru(?) onto, I put it on the tail...and this just seemed a natural for this tail-marking.

Climbing out,....and dropping the dolly.

 

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Various attack pics using this scheme. Hmm,...dunno about this one.

 

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Whuh oh, got tagged by the lower rear turret gunner....and it's not supposed to be emitting black smoke. Very volatile situation.

 

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Pilot is encased by very caustic and explosive fuels in this bird,...so it's time to pop the canopy;

 

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And get the heck outta there. Not quite quick enough, as it exploded seconds later and took me out in the fireball. Alas.

 

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