Thunnus

Something else that I noticed... There maybe two different sets of decals for the Infinity D3A1 or quite a variation in resolution/registration. 
 
Here is a close-up of the instrument panel decals from a review at LSM...

 
Here's a close-up of mine...

Thanks for the comments guys!  Keep em coming!
 
 
Hmmm... that's an interesting theory about the ground crew.  I just accepted the photographic evidence of the hatch without theorizing how it got there.  It didn't look like a crude repair to me.  So I did some digging and found some more "evidence" of the single hatch with rivets...
 
The starboard side of the same aircraft, which lessens the chances that both sides were repaired.

 
 
A photo from Ryan Toews article on D3A Center of Gravity Markings shows a different D3A1 with the single riveted hatch.

 
And FWIW, Hasegawa's 1/48 scale D3A1 model depicts the single hatch per side.

 
I have not found any photographic evidence of the double hatches but there is this photo of a D3A2 with double "openings", which can be covered by the single hatch shown above.

 
 
 

Thanks for the comments guys!  Keep em coming!
 
 
Hmmm... that's an interesting theory about the ground crew.  I just accepted the photographic evidence of the hatch without theorizing how it got there.  It didn't look like a crude repair to me.  So I did some digging and found some more "evidence" of the single hatch with rivets...
 
The starboard side of the same aircraft, which lessens the chances that both sides were repaired.

 
 
A photo from Ryan Toews article on D3A Center of Gravity Markings shows a different D3A1 with the single riveted hatch.

 
And FWIW, Hasegawa's 1/48 scale D3A1 model depicts the single hatch per side.

 
I have not found any photographic evidence of the double hatches but there is this photo of a D3A2 with double "openings", which can be covered by the single hatch shown above.

 
 
 

Thanks for the comments guys!  Keep em coming!
 
 
Hmmm... that's an interesting theory about the ground crew.  I just accepted the photographic evidence of the hatch without theorizing how it got there.  It didn't look like a crude repair to me.  So I did some digging and found some more "evidence" of the single hatch with rivets...
 
The starboard side of the same aircraft, which lessens the chances that both sides were repaired.

 
 
A photo from Ryan Toews article on D3A Center of Gravity Markings shows a different D3A1 with the single riveted hatch.

 
And FWIW, Hasegawa's 1/48 scale D3A1 model depicts the single hatch per side.

 
I have not found any photographic evidence of the double hatches but there is this photo of a D3A2 with double "openings", which can be covered by the single hatch shown above.

 
 
 

Thanks for the comments guys!  Keep em coming!
 
 
Hmmm... that's an interesting theory about the ground crew.  I just accepted the photographic evidence of the hatch without theorizing how it got there.  It didn't look like a crude repair to me.  So I did some digging and found some more "evidence" of the single hatch with rivets...
 
The starboard side of the same aircraft, which lessens the chances that both sides were repaired.

 
 
A photo from Ryan Toews article on D3A Center of Gravity Markings shows a different D3A1 with the single riveted hatch.

 
And FWIW, Hasegawa's 1/48 scale D3A1 model depicts the single hatch per side.

 
I have not found any photographic evidence of the double hatches but there is this photo of a D3A2 with double "openings", which can be covered by the single hatch shown above.

 
 
 

That's lovely work on the hatch but I would have to say my interpretation of that photo is that ground crew has stuck a big single crudely riveted piece over the nicely fitted hatches for some reason - maybe they lost one or both.

True Art, due to that thing called physics, there will 'never' be absolute proof.
Art's right, here's all you need ...
 

 
...mine's laminated.

I agree with Crazy Ivan.  Until the day someone takes me to their hermetically-sealed warehouse to see their fresh-off-the-assembly-line WWII aircraft collection I'm not going to worry about "correct" colors.  Nor should you.  The applicable term is "artistic license."  There is great reference material "out there" but little in the way of absolute proof.
One of the greatest modelers of our generation for years painted his models in iridescent hummingbird colors of dark red, bright green and silver.  IMO still some of the most artistic models I've ever seen. 
 

Patience and detailing of the highest order!
 
 

That there is! I think you did the right thing , it seems there was a lot of variation with the real thing. Here we are 80 years later trying to sort it out, be easier to herd cats.

One of many idiosyncrasies that I'm discovering about this manufacturer. At first I wondered if I had picked out the wrong part but after a few times, I realized what was happening. This occurs on the really small parts.  Maybe they captured more detail on their renders than they were able to implement into their molds?  Another strange thing is that many of their 2-part box structures aren't square but trapezoidal.
 
 
 
 
I've selected a dark RAF green (Mr Hobby Aqueous H-73) for the cockpit, based on various discussions and blog posts on the subject.  I used it on the instrument panel parts.

 
Compared to the color swatches shown on the Aviation of Japan blog about the D3A interior colors...

 
 
Thanks Matt!  The PE bits are included on the kit's PE fret. 
 
 
Thanks Jay!  Unlikely subject for me as I'm more of a single-engine fighter type of person.  The film Tora Tora Tora made a great impression on me as a child and led to my interest in WW2 aircraft so I thought this kit would be a great homage to that inspiration.
 

One of many idiosyncrasies that I'm discovering about this manufacturer. At first I wondered if I had picked out the wrong part but after a few times, I realized what was happening. This occurs on the really small parts.  Maybe they captured more detail on their renders than they were able to implement into their molds?  Another strange thing is that many of their 2-part box structures aren't square but trapezoidal.
 
 
 
 
I've selected a dark RAF green (Mr Hobby Aqueous H-73) for the cockpit, based on various discussions and blog posts on the subject.  I used it on the instrument panel parts.

 
Compared to the color swatches shown on the Aviation of Japan blog about the D3A interior colors...

 
 
Thanks Matt!  The PE bits are included on the kit's PE fret. 
 
 
Thanks Jay!  Unlikely subject for me as I'm more of a single-engine fighter type of person.  The film Tora Tora Tora made a great impression on me as a child and led to my interest in WW2 aircraft so I thought this kit would be a great homage to that inspiration.
 

Amazing work as always, Jay!  It's very educational to see how diverse the materials are in fabricating a Corsair wing.

I think I did my due diligence, made my choice and am able to move forward.  Obviously, lots of variation in other people's builds regarding these colors, both interior and exterior.

Thanks guys!  Appreciate the comments!  Haven't decided on the exterior color yet but have been leaning towards the 50/50 Mr Hobby Aqueous mix myself.
 
I'm pumping the brakes on this one as I start looking at the cockpit.  Trying to figure out where I can add some wiring. With a ton of small individual parts to be added to the cockpit floor and sides, it's difficult to visualize how it will all fit together.  I am putting together as many of the sub-components together but it's still just a mass of separate parts.



 
 
Pet peeve... Infinity often puts an ejector pin in the worst possible place.  For example, right in the middle of a stepped edge. This part will not seat correctly unless this ejector pin mark is removed. It would be a non-issue if it was placed a few millimeters higher.



 
 
Interestingly, the instructions exaggerate the detail found on the smaller parts.  Assembly #23 looks impressive on paper.

 
 
In reality, not so much!  

 
 
I replaced one of the knobs on the throttle quadrant.

 
 
The rear gun was enhanced with included PE parts and a section of brass tube.



 
 
The prop blades need to be cleaned up and thinned down.



 
 
The blades have a satisfyingly snug fit into the prop hub.  Expecting a similar fit between the hub and engine, I was disappointed to find that the hub hangs very loosely on the prop shaft.  Will have to make adjustments as I want a snug fit here for a removable prop.

 

Thanks for following guys!  I hope it's entertaining!
 
 
The BSI Black CA exhibits no stringiness whatsoever.  Acts just like a regular medium or thick CA glue.
 
Working further on the engine, the exhaust manifolds have a heavy seam line and some flash that needs to be carefully cleaned.  I guess "need" is arguable since these are in the back of the engine and will not be visible at all on the completed model.  Since I consider these photographs as much a part of the model as the finished product itself, I usually like to address even the ultimately unseen flaws.



 
 
The exhaust tips are needless molded into two parts instead of one so we have to take care of the visible seams.

 
 
The engine cowling is also two parts instead of one.  The interior features a couple of ejector pin whoppers.



 
 
The view from the front tells me that these ejector pins will not be visible in most cases.

 
 
But I should probably take care of them now, when the cowlings pieces are still separate.

 
 
The holes for the cowling gun openings need to be hollowed out.

 
 
The trailing edges of the cowling flaps can be thinned.

 
 
The lip of cowling opening has some funky molding defects that need to be cleaned up.  Lots to do these two parts before I glue them together.

 
 
Gun openings are hollowed out with a drill bit.

 
 
The ejector pin marks are cleaned up and the cowling trailing edges are thinned.

 
 
I couldn't find much detailed information on the engine for the D3A1, which was the Mitsubishi Kinsei 14-cylinder radial engine.  I was lucky enough to get a PDF copy of Ryan Toew's "Detailing the D3A1" from the man himself.  In addition to identifying some of the engine component colors, he includes one of the few photos of the Kinsei engine within the D3A1. He notes, "Under the upper lip of the cowling were three black painted carburetor air intake ports."

 
 
So I decided to add these to the engine cowling using curved pieces cut from a soda can.

 
 
A test fit to make sure the three intake ports don't interfere with the rest of the engine.

 
 
With that work done, I have glued the two halves of the engine cowling together with Tamiya Extra Thin cement.  Then I'll have to deal with the seam.

 

Thanks guys!
 
Oh man, I don't know what I've gotten myself into!  After the horizontal stabilizer test, I thought I'd jump over and try the rivet removal process on the fuselage.  Idea being that I'd do one half of each component for comparison purposes.
Before doing the rivet thing, I noticed a couple of big ejector pin stubs on the fuselage interior.  I carefully scraped and sanded them away.



 
 



 
 
The fuselage is a few levels more complex than the stabilizers and it was a cramp-inducing exercise trying to avoid the details that needed to be preserved.  I took it one section at a time on the port fuselage part and worked my way towards the front. Basically applying the black CA glue with a toothpick, zapping it with activator and sanding.

 
 
It took a full day to finish one fuselage half.  

 
 
Really difficult to see the results so I sprayed the port fuselage with Mr Primer Surfacer 1000 and took some comparison photos with the starboard fuselage part.
With rivets...



 
 
Majority of rivets removed.  Like the stabilizers, I elected to keep some of the rivet lines intact, primarily the ones directly adjacent to panel lines.



 
 
I don't think I can plow through all of the exterior parts in one go so I jumped over to the engine assembly for a break.  Engine is pretty much complete and is nicely detailed although there is no provision for any open cowlings.  I'm a closed cowling type of person anyway so this is not a big deal.  I cut the parts from the sprue, cleaned them and I noticed on the instructions that the ignition ring appears to be in the rear of the engine and not the front.  I'm not sure if this makes things easier or harder for me if I choose to add wiring to the engine so I'll have to dig into this a little more.

 
 
Being a short-run kit, there are no locating pins on this kit.  There are key tabs on the connection points but since the cylinder bank halves can be arbitrarily glued into seven possible positions, you have to careful when you glue them together.  I dry-fit the engine and mounted it on the engine firewall, making sure it is oriented correctly and then took it apart, making sure I kept the orientation of the cylinder bank halves while gluing them together.  Fit is decent but slightly vague... typical of these types of kits from Europe.  The plastic is soft too... similar to my experience with Special Hobby Tempest kit.

 

Thanks guys!  Appreciate the comments!  Haven't decided on the exterior color yet but have been leaning towards the 50/50 Mr Hobby Aqueous mix myself.
 
I'm pumping the brakes on this one as I start looking at the cockpit.  Trying to figure out where I can add some wiring. With a ton of small individual parts to be added to the cockpit floor and sides, it's difficult to visualize how it will all fit together.  I am putting together as many of the sub-components together but it's still just a mass of separate parts.



 
 
Pet peeve... Infinity often puts an ejector pin in the worst possible place.  For example, right in the middle of a stepped edge. This part will not seat correctly unless this ejector pin mark is removed. It would be a non-issue if it was placed a few millimeters higher.



 
 
Interestingly, the instructions exaggerate the detail found on the smaller parts.  Assembly #23 looks impressive on paper.

 
 
In reality, not so much!  

 
 
I replaced one of the knobs on the throttle quadrant.

 
 
The rear gun was enhanced with included PE parts and a section of brass tube.



 
 
The prop blades need to be cleaned up and thinned down.



 
 
The blades have a satisfyingly snug fit into the prop hub.  Expecting a similar fit between the hub and engine, I was disappointed to find that the hub hangs very loosely on the prop shaft.  Will have to make adjustments as I want a snug fit here for a removable prop.

 

I think I did my due diligence, made my choice and am able to move forward.  Obviously, lots of variation in other people's builds regarding these colors, both interior and exterior.

Thanks guys!  Appreciate the comments!  Haven't decided on the exterior color yet but have been leaning towards the 50/50 Mr Hobby Aqueous mix myself.
 
I'm pumping the brakes on this one as I start looking at the cockpit.  Trying to figure out where I can add some wiring. With a ton of small individual parts to be added to the cockpit floor and sides, it's difficult to visualize how it will all fit together.  I am putting together as many of the sub-components together but it's still just a mass of separate parts.



 
 
Pet peeve... Infinity often puts an ejector pin in the worst possible place.  For example, right in the middle of a stepped edge. This part will not seat correctly unless this ejector pin mark is removed. It would be a non-issue if it was placed a few millimeters higher.



 
 
Interestingly, the instructions exaggerate the detail found on the smaller parts.  Assembly #23 looks impressive on paper.

 
 
In reality, not so much!  

 
 
I replaced one of the knobs on the throttle quadrant.

 
 
The rear gun was enhanced with included PE parts and a section of brass tube.



 
 
The prop blades need to be cleaned up and thinned down.



 
 
The blades have a satisfyingly snug fit into the prop hub.  Expecting a similar fit between the hub and engine, I was disappointed to find that the hub hangs very loosely on the prop shaft.  Will have to make adjustments as I want a snug fit here for a removable prop.

 

Thanks guys!  Appreciate the comments!  Haven't decided on the exterior color yet but have been leaning towards the 50/50 Mr Hobby Aqueous mix myself.
 
I'm pumping the brakes on this one as I start looking at the cockpit.  Trying to figure out where I can add some wiring. With a ton of small individual parts to be added to the cockpit floor and sides, it's difficult to visualize how it will all fit together.  I am putting together as many of the sub-components together but it's still just a mass of separate parts.



 
 
Pet peeve... Infinity often puts an ejector pin in the worst possible place.  For example, right in the middle of a stepped edge. This part will not seat correctly unless this ejector pin mark is removed. It would be a non-issue if it was placed a few millimeters higher.



 
 
Interestingly, the instructions exaggerate the detail found on the smaller parts.  Assembly #23 looks impressive on paper.

 
 
In reality, not so much!  

 
 
I replaced one of the knobs on the throttle quadrant.

 
 
The rear gun was enhanced with included PE parts and a section of brass tube.



 
 
The prop blades need to be cleaned up and thinned down.



 
 
The blades have a satisfyingly snug fit into the prop hub.  Expecting a similar fit between the hub and engine, I was disappointed to find that the hub hangs very loosely on the prop shaft.  Will have to make adjustments as I want a snug fit here for a removable prop.

 

One of many idiosyncrasies that I'm discovering about this manufacturer. At first I wondered if I had picked out the wrong part but after a few times, I realized what was happening. This occurs on the really small parts.  Maybe they captured more detail on their renders than they were able to implement into their molds?  Another strange thing is that many of their 2-part box structures aren't square but trapezoidal.
 
 
 
 
I've selected a dark RAF green (Mr Hobby Aqueous H-73) for the cockpit, based on various discussions and blog posts on the subject.  I used it on the instrument panel parts.

 
Compared to the color swatches shown on the Aviation of Japan blog about the D3A interior colors...

 
 
Thanks Matt!  The PE bits are included on the kit's PE fret. 
 
 
Thanks Jay!  Unlikely subject for me as I'm more of a single-engine fighter type of person.  The film Tora Tora Tora made a great impression on me as a child and led to my interest in WW2 aircraft so I thought this kit would be a great homage to that inspiration.
 

One of many idiosyncrasies that I'm discovering about this manufacturer. At first I wondered if I had picked out the wrong part but after a few times, I realized what was happening. This occurs on the really small parts.  Maybe they captured more detail on their renders than they were able to implement into their molds?  Another strange thing is that many of their 2-part box structures aren't square but trapezoidal.
 
 
 
 
I've selected a dark RAF green (Mr Hobby Aqueous H-73) for the cockpit, based on various discussions and blog posts on the subject.  I used it on the instrument panel parts.

 
Compared to the color swatches shown on the Aviation of Japan blog about the D3A interior colors...

 
 
Thanks Matt!  The PE bits are included on the kit's PE fret. 
 
 
Thanks Jay!  Unlikely subject for me as I'm more of a single-engine fighter type of person.  The film Tora Tora Tora made a great impression on me as a child and led to my interest in WW2 aircraft so I thought this kit would be a great homage to that inspiration.
 

I think that will be fine as far as the color goes. No one can really say you're wrong , I certainly won't. As always , if ANYONE can furnish proof I'm for it, been chasing these colors around the block for quite a few years.

Boy John - I have been asleep at the wheel.  Now I am caught up - such a very clean and professional job as usual, but on an unlikely subject.  I sure like that engine!