Hasegawa Nakajima Ki-44 Tojo

[Gazzas]

Thanks guys!  I appreciate the support.  Honestly...   two weeks ago I had no idea I'd be painting this cockpit blue gray...  but regulations is regulations.

 

There are things oils do better than enamels...   like blend in.   But I used enamels because they dry fast and I knew a lot of it won't be seen from the outside of the fighter.

 

After building the ZM 109 and realizing that no pilot can climb on top of neatly laid and crossed seat belts, I decided to make stubs that are mostly hidden inside the aircraft body.

 

I cheated...  I have no idea what color or shape IJA seatbelts would be...  so I faked it with HGW fabric belts.

 

Adding the dual ignition wires for the Ha-109 radial engine was a challenge.  This is actually something I've never really had to do before.

 

Added the breech ends of the Ho-103 machine guns.  I cut off the barrels for later use.  No point in keeping them there...  you can't see them anyway.

[Greif8]

The cockpit looks good Gary, you have got it right with the seatbelts - something I always do wrong.  I think you did a fine job with the engine ignition wiring.

 

Ernest

[Alain Gadbois]

Did Japanese army planes even have the shoulder harnesses?

 

Alain

PS the cockpit looks great in dark blue!

[Gazzas]

17 hours ago, Greif8 said:

The cockpit looks good Gary, you have got it right with the seatbelts - something I always do wrong.  I think you did a fine job with the engine ignition wiring.

 

Ernest

Thank you, Ernest.  I've always followed the trend with seatbelts before, laying them neatly on the seat.   But with my 109 guy getting suited up for flight...   it just didn't make sense.

 

13 hours ago, Alain Gadbois said:

Did Japanese army planes even have the shoulder harnesses?

 

Alain

PS the cockpit looks great in dark blue!

 

Thank you!   And I hate to imagine doing an inverted maneuver with only a lap belt.  But hey, you never know what the code of Bushido said about shoulder belts.

[MikeMaben]

15 hours ago, Alain Gadbois said:

       ... Did Japanese army planes even have the shoulder harnesses?

Some did some didn't. If they had a shoulder harness it was just one strap.

Here's a Tojo pit ...

 

 

... post war. hth

[Alain Gadbois]

I have this picture. It seems very close (in gray valus) to the dark blue color you have used.

I’ll have to check more photos, but I thing the ki-100 photos only show lap belts.

 

Alain

 

[dennismcc]

This is a thread on the subject from Britmodeller, roughly IJN three belt one over left shoulder (carrier landings), IJAAF lap belts.

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235021573-japanese-seat-belts-question/

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Gazzas]

Thanks  Dennis.

 

Just a small update to say that the riveting is done!  It didn't take as long as I thought.  Again, Mr. Tamiya comes through making my modelling life easier.

 

I found the best thing to use to help with lateral lines on a monocoque fuselage is Tamiya flexible tape.

 

Here is why I like it:

1.  You can stretch it into relatively straight lines as you wrap it around.

2.  If you see an area that doesn't look right, or has a bulge, you can 'bump' it from the side with a straight edge, and it will budge a little for you without completely separating from the model.

3.  Unlike Dymo tape, you can re-use it for up to 3 times before the adhesion gets too weak.

 

 

I'm keen to see how these will look under foil. 

 

 

Speaking of foil...   the main wings are glued on, but the tail planes are not.  So...   we're essentially ready for foil.

[Greif8]

That riveting looks great Gary!  

 

Ernest

[Skyraider3D]

On 12/30/2022 at 7:17 AM, Gazzas said:

 

 

Dude, you rock!  You've provided more useful references for this build than I have been able to scrounge up in the last two weeks...  I even bought a book!  I'm definitely leaning toward the blue-grey, now.  And that clip...   I will be doing a machine from that unit, and now have much better material to work with.

 

Thank you!

 

You're welcome, glad to be of help! It's looking very good so far.

Yes definitely go for that bird, it looks awesome.

 

The seatbelts are indeed a confusing topic with Japanese fighters. It seems that the Ki-44 didn't have shoulder belts, and the manual only shows the lap belts. I think shoulder belt might've made the use of the telescopic gunsight a bit problematic, as the pilot needed to lean forward for this. Additionally the Ki-44 was the only(!) Japanese fighter not designed for dogfighting. It was a pure interceptor, designed for speed and firepower, which was a concept Japanese pilots weren't terribly familiar with. As a result the Ki-44 wasn't too popular with many pilots, who preferred the more manoeuvrable Ki-43. With the Ki-84 Nakajima managed to combine the best of both.

 

 

Edited January 5, 2023 by Skyraider3D

[MikeMaben]

I was going to ask earlier Gary, why you chose to rivet before foil rather than after.

I gotta feeling ,unless you use verrrrry thin foil, those rivets are gonna be tuff to see.

Hope I'm wrong. 

[Gazzas]

1 hour ago, MikeMaben said:

I was going to ask earlier Gary, why you chose to rivet before foil rather than after.

I gotta feeling ,unless you use verrrrry thin foil, those rivets are gonna be tuff to see.

Hope I'm wrong. 

 

Hi Mike,

     I never imagined putting the rivets in the foil.  I imagine it would be a slippery and difficult task...  and from my experience, using any kind of tape guide would lead to the foil lifting.  Foil is funny...   when you don't want it to lift, it comes up easier than goose down in a whirlwind.  But if you want to remove a panel, it holds on with a death grip, causing me to resort to sanding it off.

     If they don't show, I'll have to live with it.  I haven't riveted a foiled model before...   the learning process continues.

[Skyraider3D]

2 hours ago, Gazzas said:

...  and from my experience, using any kind of tape guide would lead to the foil lifting.

Yes you're most likely right there!

I had a similar experience with masking over wood pattern textures. Despite a double matt coat and using low-tack masking tape, parts still came off.

[TimW]

Brilliant work!  You are leaving me in the dust, I have to get back to my "Tojo."

 

Cheers,

 

Tim W.

[MikeMaben]

22 hours ago, Gazzas said:

 

Hi Mike,

     I never imagined putting the rivets in the foil.  I imagine it would be a slippery and difficult task...  and from my experience, using any kind of tape guide would lead to the foil lifting.  Foil is funny...   when you don't want it to lift, it comes up easier than goose down in a whirlwind.  But if you want to remove a panel, it holds on with a death grip, causing me to resort to sanding it off.

     If they don't show, I'll have to live with it.  I haven't riveted a foiled model before...   the learning process continues.

Good points, interesting to see how it turns out.