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Revell J2M3 Raiden


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Okay I'm in. One more kit to start and not finish and leave languishing in the box on a shelf till interest strikes me again. Besides, if I can finish it it will kill two birds with one stone as one of my clubs has a Revell night coming up for a show and tell theme.

 

I got the kit last year at the Butch O'Hare show, the last major modeling event in Northern IL, USA for the year. It was a builder's special, started, for $25. The engine is assembled partially along with the cockpit and some paint on the interior fuselage. No biggy as I am going to go to town with it. Thanks in advance to Bob at MDC for selling me the Mushroom book and Charles Metz for some additional information. The seat needs rebuild, the cockpit needs a lot of work, wheel wells need to be scratched. I'm not sure but I might even try to correct the nose profile problems.

 

I'll get some pictures up soon of the kit as I got it but I need some info right now. The instructions would have me paint all interior surfaces metallic blue, such as was used at the Nakajima plant. I know Nakajima built some Zeros and used the metallic blue paint but all references I have show only Mitsubishi green for the Raiden cockpit interior. The plan to built the orange J2M3 prototype so I think the green interior would be the way to go but any advise regarding the wheel wells and gun bays? My references show light gray for the wheel wells but the directions would use Metallic blue (translated green for a Mitsubishi bird). With limited references I'm at a loss because the gray in the Mushroom book could be a restored paint job and inaccurate. Thanks!

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Welcome to the GB mate. Most wheel wells on Mitsubishi-built Zeros were painted the underside colour, so I'd be tempted to do the same for your Raiden in the absence of anything more definitive.

 

Kev

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Kevin,

 

Thanks for the Welcome! I think I'll take your advise and go gray. I've been reading about the other Jack builds in the GB and it seems to be the consensus. Hey, while your here, could you do an idiot a favor and change the A to a J in my post title? People will be wondering what the heck I am building!

 

Thanks,

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Kevin,

 

Thanks for the Welcome! I think I'll take your advise and go gray. I've been reading about the other Jack builds in the GB and it seems to be the consensus. Hey, while your here, could you do an idiot a favor and change the A to a J in my post title? People will be wondering what the heck I am building!

 

Thanks,

 

Done!

 

Kev

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  • 2 weeks later...

Finally underway. Got the parts examined and I've scanned the image of the nose and blown it up to 1/32nd. It doesn't look bad enough to warrant the effort it would take to fix. The nose would have to be fixed and the cowling and then the engine would have to be re-aligned. Depending on the angle, and without the wing root attached it's hard to say, it might not be far off at all. Again too much effort for a minor fix. Okay, mister anal here might have to cut a hole in the paper to stick the wing through and check again. I have pictures of the previous owner's effort and will post as soon as Photobucket is back up.

 

I wanna ask if anyone has a listing of paint conversions. I've seen massive online charts listing the equivalents across many brands of paint but for the life of me now that I need one I can't find it. I've also started a Hasegawa Hayate and need to find the Testor's (or even Tamiya) equivalent of Mr. Color 127, Nakajima interior green. Much appreciated. This time I will bookmark. Wonder if I do have it bookmarked and have forgotten? 45 is a hell of an early age to start getting senile.

 

Thanks guys!

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Wheeew, can't wait to see some pics dude! If ya get the chance, I for one would love to see some pics of the kit pieces laid over some plans to see the profile differences. Heard there were a few shape issues, but don't really know what they are? Raidens are too cool, can't wait to see some progress piccies! :) Later, Russ

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Thanks for the chart, James. I had already found that one and it doesn't list the colors I need. I did find one of the others I need so I'm good but thanks anyways!

 

Here are the pics of what I got and I've included a profile shot up against the profile from the Mushroom book, Russ. You can see the spine and belly line up perfectly but the slope of the nose is wrong and the cockpit is off slightly. But like I said, fixing it will be a total pain with the cowling and engine and all.

 

j2m3_boxing1.jpg

j2m3_engine_b1.jpg

j2m3_cockpit_b1.jpg

profile.jpg

 

The previous owner was going with metallic blue for the cockpit, which I thought was only used by Nakajima when they built Mitsubishi birds. Oddly, the instructions call for this but none of my references show anything other than Mitsubishi green. I need to strip, paint and plumb the engine and scratchbuild most of the cockpit including that funky curved seat. Then I'll need to make a decision on fixing the profile or not. I wonder if the profile is accurate for the J2M2?

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Oooooh my, see what ya mean. :) Yeah, that would be a tough one to bump out into another profile. In a bad place to be chopping, that's for sure. Thanks for posting a comparison pic, quite enlightening! Russ

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Well ya got me wondering so I scaled a drawing profile from the 1995 edition of FAOW for comparison.

It looks like the upper profile, including the nose lines up pretty good. A little short on the bottom rear

fuselage and obviously the tail/rudder looks a little insufficient.

So I guess it's a matter of whose profile do you trust.

 

Mvc-725s.jpg

 

Hope this helps.

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Mike,

 

Thanks for posting! I have a profile that seems wrong - The leading opinion polls (all inside my head) came back 98% - I REALLY don't want to have to modify the nose - stalemate/indecision/brainlock - and now you show me in at least one scenario that is correct! Thanks! If it's wrong in the end at least you've eased my conscious! When did I come down with a terminal case of AMS? I had planned on opening a panel and showing off all I'm gonna do to the engine but if I had to modify the nose, the engine would have gone into the spares bin and I would have put only what what necesary to mount the prop.

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OKAY!!!! Some ACTUAL work done on the kit!!!! I got a coat of Alclad II Steel on the engine and gave it a bit to dry and then did an oil wash of black/brown for shadow/grime. Needs a little more, some pin washes around a few of the bolts. I also think I'll hit the bolts with a touch of grayish silver oil to show wear. Here are two views.

 

j2m3_engine1.jpg

 

j2m3_engine2.jpg

 

Now to start scratchbuilding the cockpit. Think with the previous evidence presented by Mr. Mike I'll leave the shape of the nose alone and concentrate on the tail problems.

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The profile discrepancies are interesting. I'm wondering if Revell used the real J2M3 at the Planes of Fame in Chino as their reference? I believe that they used the museum's airworthy Zero as a template for their 1/32 kit of similar vintage. If so, perhaps the kit is more accurate than the profiles?

 

Just a thought!

 

cheers

 

greg v.

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