Bladerunner

Ok... so I skipped ahead on this one. I'm also having a terrible time with imgur... it keeps crashing on me. Anyone else have these issues with that photo site? I can easily say this is probably going to be the most detailed Nick we will ever see in regular kit form. Very good model overall. I was bogged down a bit at the end with the painting but it was worth it. I wrote up my build here Model Airplane Maker

Hi there - just a bit of progress on the cockpit: This thing has a lot of detail:

Working on the cockpit and I will have pics soon but just wanted to say... they included the linkages to the ailerons... all will be lost within the wings but they are there... and connected to the control column.. This is both insane and impressive at the same time.

Haha... no worries!!

Here are the engines all done - ZM includes a way to make an engine holder to admire the engines from afar while you start on the cockpit. Neat idea:

I believe those are oil coolers. But I could be wrong about that.

Big kit with a big box! I've been looking forward to getting this one since seeing the mockup kit at the 2018 Nationals. I finally cleared off the bench and put this guy on it: The instruction book is a bit intimidating as it truly is a book with 100s of images. But once you get used to the format (each step can feature multiple explanations of exactly where each piece goes!). And oddly - at least for us aviation modelers - construction begins with the engines! And these are a treat - check this out: Pistons! Of course they will be immediately hidden within the cylinders in the first step. To tell you the truth - the construction of these engines has been a lot of fun. The parts fit together perfectly and look great when painted up. I especially like the large exhaust manifold - I "rusted" it as follows First - just Tamiya As-12 Aluminum Spray Then a thin coat of Tamiya Medium Brown and a couple drops of Nato Black (thin... like 2/3 thinner) Then I washed with Mig Ammo Track Wash followed by Light Rust... and then a bit of Tamiya Weathering Powder Rust... all sealed in with a flat coat So the engines are done (I'll have a picture of the mounted engine next time) Next up... the cockpit....

With the addition of some of the strangest "lights" I've worked with and with my luck at installing the antennas... she is done! I can see that I need a touchup here and there and the machine guns in the cowl need to be toned down but other than that, I am happy I was able to finish this one.

Ok - lots done... some left to do. Mostly the assembly of the little bits!

This stuff is in their 'model air' range. I am not sure if its the same. Shoots well straight from the bottle.

I finished the markings and I'm very happy with my results! Of course the vinyl outline masks distorted over time so I had to cut new ones from tamiya tape. So much for that saving time. The paint used was Vallejo insignia blue and I think it worked perfectly! I also painted the walkways and I'm likely going to paint a few more things so as to avoid these questionable trumpy decals. The issue I have is that I don't trust the trump decal guide and I have no good pictures to go by.

Thanks for posting this. I have the trump kit and I know I need to get it started before the Tamiya ones will spoil me.

I'm still working on mine from over a year ago and you are onto your second. I am very impressed!!

Thanks guys! I shelved it, ordered replacement parts, kept it on the shelf and worked on (and finished) a number of models. I got inspired again. The markings are now painted on. I did some small part painting last night. With any luck I can get this glossed by the end of the weekend.

I'm back at it!

Hi all, The photographer did allow for linking and has provided me with © marked images for use in an article. I am not sure what happened recently (maybe he re-organized his photos). The article is written and has been submitted. I hope you all like it.

Thanks guys! I really enjoyed building this one. I have a pile of leftovers from this build - what part numbers are you interested in?

Hi Guys The model is done and I entered it in three shows. In the OOB category I was lucky to get two 1st place finishes and one second. I am very happy with that. To date, this is my best model. Lucky for me a fellow competitor has let me link photos from his site (my photog skills just aren't there yet).

Hi Willi - Thanks! Promodeller wash is brushed on a gloss finish. The glossier the finish (and deeper the panel lines) the better it works. I believe promodeller wash is very fine pigment suspended in water. Once its dry you take a paper towel or qtip and wipe off the excess.

Thanks guys! I forgot to mention that its finished as "Koga's Zero" (I used Yellowhammer decals for the serials, stencils, etc). This was the one that crashed in the Aleutians, found and repaired by the US Navy.

Ok - I have been a bad poster... I went ahead and finished it without much of any updates. Basically I painted on the markings, glossed it, decals and then promodeller wash. I think this is my best model so far and I am very happy with the results. I will take some better pics when I figure out this camera. The contrasts are not as harsh to the eye as they are to this camera!

Thanks Ron! It still has a way to go - trying to be patient with it at this point. Tomorrow is the delicate gloss marathon. I just have to keep repeating "light coats... light coats...."

Its been a while - summer, baseball (we got into the playoffs but got knocked out in the first round) and busy work. But I did manage to get this zero painted. I was attempting to make a relatively clean bird but still have some of the preshade show though. Also, I had a very hard time with the Tamiya decals last time so I wanted to try painting the major markings (I have never done that before!!). I am very happy so far: All paint is tamiya acrylic - and its been generally custom mixed. Main colour is the XF-76 with White at about 3:1; Hinomarus are red to hull red 7:1 and the yellow band is about yellow to red at about 20:1 (I know but I didn't want to bother going to get an Orange! Next step is to gloss things up and do the decals... I can hardly wait!

Preshade and cockpit deck preparation: I preshade this one with 'dark grey' by tamiya - 3:1 thinner to paint and I used my fine Iwata brush to put it on. I also put a couple of drops of retarder in there. It actually works.

Finally! Its the seams and my need to perfect them. I also polished the primer coat. I like the look of the paint more when I do this. Nothing more than the steady progression of polishing cloths and lots of water. The model itself does not need a lot of seam work but it does need a little at the wing roots by the engine, the deck behind the cocpit and the bottom of the fuse towards the middle and back of the airframe. Note - the rivet detail at the bottom of the rear fuse is very light. This time I took a needle to it and I much prefer the outcome. So the painting begins! Marine: I am not sure - I like the one where the deck behind the pilot is black/blue as is the cowl. If that is the Mistubishi one, then that's the one.