Vandy 1 VX 4

Gah.  Just checked out the modeling news cad and test shot pics.  This might be one of those "clear the bench" builds for me.  I have an incredible soft spot for Pacific war gunships.  

Nice Work Tolga

And a Fresh Paint Job of AOTAKE. I took All these. You Can use my photos for any needs and posts
 

LOL....I got a shock to see this again!
 
Ummm, where am I up to with this??  Probably since the last pics I have started plumbing the engine accessory bay and working on the photoetch for the engine.  I think it was the photoetch that did my head in lol.  
 
This one really is quite close to paint now, I think the scheme scared me to paint and look realistic...but I think I could do it now.
 
Sooo many projects, so little time!  I wish I was retired!

Ok, bit of an update today.
 
Got the Aires cockpit pretty well fitting spot on. I must say that Aires sets have definately got better with fit more recently. I think it was just my extra fussyness that made my life a little more difficult than it needed to be on this one.
 
My photography is not that great on these 2 but you get the idea.
 

 

 
Getting close to laying some paint down now. Just doing some final tuning on the wing to fuse join with all the resin already fitted. Pretty good but some areas need a little work for an almost perfect wing to fuse join (which is pretty amazing considering I messed around with various bits from each kit....a real testament to Tamiya).
 
The floor is not glued in yet but the rear bulkhead is
 
Oh...I just splashed out and brought the Osprey Modelling book on the Zero on ebay as it looks like it has some good stuff on building the 32nd Tamiya '5' with extra bits in it.
 
Thanks for looking in
 
Cheers
Anthony

Great looking Zero...and an expensive one! But I think I have a picture somewhere of a A6M2 with type 52 wings...let me search. Are the MRP paints for the IJN available by now?
 
thanks
Uwe

Hi all,
 
While reading the most recent book Pacific Profiles Volume 5 - Japanese Navy Zero Fighters (land-based) New Guinea and the Solomons 1942-1944, by Michael John Claringbould, et. al., I revisited my knowledge of the fuselage differences between the different models of A6M's (21 vs. 22/32 and 52) and it dawned on me to check extant drawings to help my brain grasp what those differences actually manifest themselves as and how they appear.  I pulled out my copy of Shigeru Nohara's, Aero Detail volume on the A6M and started thumbing through the profile drawings and there it was, as plain as the nose on my face.  I knew of the differences but never really thought to visualize what they actually looked like. 
 
I scanned some of the profiles of the aforementioned A6M models from the Aero Detail book and highlighted where said differences are so if you're a visual person like I am, these may be of interest/use to you.  It makes it really easy to know where the major differences are between the model 21 (pronounced "model two-one" and meaning two airframe changes and one engine change since the 12-shi) and the later series.  In short, the major difference is forward of the leading edge of the wing/fuselage interface.  In the screenshot below of the model 21, notice the area in the red rectangle and note the distance between the leading edge of the wing and the aft edge of the cowl flaps.
 

 
Got it?  Now take a look at the below screenshot of the A6M3 Model 32 (A6M3 Model 22 would be the same).  Notice the difference?  The change is due to the fact that the Sakae 12 engine on the model 21 is shorter than the Sakae 21 engine in the A6M3/A6M5 series.  The overall length of the A6M3 series increased to 9.06 meters vs. the 9.05 meters of the A6M2 model 21.  Hardly noticeable in scale.
 

 
Further still, the below screenshots of the early A6M5 (collector exhausts) and the more familiar A6M5 (individual exhausts) maintain that shorter distance.  From the documentation I have, the A6M5 series fuselage increased in overall length again to 9.121 meters, an increase of 71 mm over the A6M3 series.  I attribute this increase to a larger spinner but that's just my conclusion based on observation and is not conclusive.  Furthermore, I'm not sure that measurement includes the early A6M5's with the collector exhausts.
 

 

 
The last major difference I'd like to point out is the fixed trim tab on the rudder of the A6M2 Model 21, A6M3 Model 32/22 and the recessed, adjustable trim tab of the A6M5 Model 52 (and later).  The trim tab was changed sometime during the A6M3 Model 22 production if memory serves.
 
There are other minute fuselage differences between the models and between MItsubishi and Nakajima built A6M2's and 5's, but that's beyond the scope of my post.  Some will be news to me so if you'd like to add any that you're aware of, be my guest
 
I learned (visualized) something today so it's not a wasted day!
 
Oh; one last point - All A6M3's were built by Mitsubishi so they would have all the characteristics of that manufacturer's construction/painting.

A lot of help here
 
http://www.pt-boat.com/
 
http://www.pt103.com/Italeri_PT109_Build_Stuart_Hurley.html#top
 
http://www.pt103.com/index.html
 
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?fid=102&cid=101&tid=3004&pg=37&sc=20&x=0
 
http://www.pt-boat-list.gdinc.com/
 
https://www.amazon.com/Building-the-PT-Boats-ebook/dp/B003M68Y52/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
 

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx3i9lQnQlU
 

Shapeways.com
https://www.shapeways.com/product/69325H5EU/mk17-carriage-pair-multiple-scales?optionId=60636825
https://www.shapeways.com/product/FFJPTAD6Q/50cal-machine-gun-set-for-pt-boat-multi-scale?optionId=60636752
 
https://www.shapeways.com/product/UZ6L2DTGE/1-35-5-inch-rocket-launcher-mark-50?optionId=59909426
 
https://www.shapeways.com/product/487HZAA67/1-35-pt-torpedo-rack-typc-set1?optionId=60408060

These are the rockets 4.5 inch rockets that come in the kit. But the launchers are 5 inch rocket launchers. So one of the Ammo boxes will be closed ( The right one ). The left  ammo box will be open. So I cut out the 4.5 inch rockets out and scratch built the rest of the box floor plus one side.  The rocket ammo is on the way!!!!  I will use a 122MM Russian round with a straight casing. Just cut the back off the casing and it will look just about right.
 
 
5 Inch (130mm) spin stabilized rocket that I have to modified from the Brass 122 MM rounds. So 8mm in 1/35th should not be seen
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRIcfqISpqSPEOielKa2-Fj5GFs2QPtPIJzJ_oQrPMR_Y5nJ_r1pg
 
4.5 Rocket launcher as the ammo is in the kit.  Some PT boats did carry this type of launcher. But few did and most were in the ETO
 
http://www.alternatewars.com/BBOW/Weapons/T45_ARL.jpg
 
Cheers
Danny

Here is a scratch built bottom / Modified 5inch rockets ammo box
 

 
The one's in the kit are a 4.5 rockets. Also you can see one of the fin less rocket launcher in the photo. The brownish orange thing is a simple mold to make the Junction box. The junction box is used for the firing of the rocket launcher and still needs to be added. You can see the resin copy near the 30 degree mark in the photo.
 

 
3D printed torpedo roll off rack. It's a different style then the ones that come in the kits.It is a early style one.
 

 
Close up of the open Mushroom head vent.  Below photo another one aft Open Next to the 40mm gun.  Smoke screen tank on the stern.
 

 
 
Cheers
Danny

Mushroom Ventilator Opened 
 

Thank you Mark for the link actually I got all the colors I need. some of them happen to be RAL colors. The closest thing I can
find. 90% of the time the ventilators face rearward so I put all rearward now. Also purchased 3D throttles and navigation lights( port starboard ).
 
Forgot to mention this boat is from squadron 18. It went through all the southwest Pacific her sisters were destroyed in the Philippines after the war ended. PT 364 was destroyed by shore battery. PT 365 was sold off. They all had names and some head nose art bow. PT 365 has the least information on. So it gives me artistic leeway.
 
Cheers

Pt Boat info sites
http://www.pt103.com/index.html
http://www.ptboats.org/index.html
http://mosquito-fleet.gdinc.com/
http://www.pt-boat-list.gdinc.com/
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?fid=102&cid=101&tid=3004&pg=37&sc=20&x=0
 
 
 

 
She is 28 inches long

 
 
Now when it comes to the year of my early middle generation boat, I am doing a end of the war 1945 paint job on her.
This link will help on the colors for Pt Boats http://www.pt103.com/Ships_2_Colors.html
 
Cheers
Danny

A few folks wanted to see her     So posting photos. Hope you like it.
 
This started out a long time ago. What has me moving on it now is our local new IPMS 101 wonders club. Well we have a California theme build going on. Pt boat Elco PT362 -367 were built at Terminal Island between San Pedro and Long Beach CA.  Also have 4 generation's of sea fearing in my blood
 

 
The above photo has a 3D printed Throttle housing in clear. It is just above the life raft on the deck.

Thank you Ray, of course.
Mathieu Duvivier for the credit.
cheers
 
Thank you sir!
cheers
 
Thanks Ron, base was a fun distraction at the end of the build. It’s made out of a dish plate bought at cheap furnitures store. I used the contour feature of the silhouette to get the even wood border.

 

 

 

 
Cheers 
Mathieu

Great Wall Hobby has one coming out soon in 1/32 that will have the correct cockpit floor. There are some renders and I believe pics of the prototype showing this.
 
Carl

Love it Martin

Yes. I am surprised there isn't one for the Tamiya kit.

No new sets - that paragon one is the only option to be released (unless there’s an obscure vac conversion somewhere)

I have a 32nd Tse Tse conversion made by Paragon.
Its intended for the Revell kit, but I intend on using the Tamiya Mosquito kit I have. 
 
I've got some other AM to go along with the build but I haven't started it yet. Someday!

Was that one of the Alley Cat conversions? I know they did multiple sets in 1/24. Still no love for us 1/32 mossie fans though 

Ha, I have the high-res version of the pic on my computer at work as well.. here is a zoom on the modex number. As you can see, the "0" appears more rounded and there are gaps on top and at the bottom coming from the stancil used to paint it. 
 

 
The "Bandit" logo also appears to be more simplified than the one you have drawn, but I haven't yet found a photo showing it in detail, so I haven't yet drawn it myself.
 

 
I hope this helps... 
 
 

Thanks for the follow up. Project is not dead, but nothing to report at present. I took some time out from this to finish off a conversion of the Hasegawa 1/48 TA-4F to an OA-4M, and will use some of the things I learned from that built to incorporate into the larger jet.