Yokosuka D4Y "Suisei" (Judy) - video

A December 7, 1943 short clip from the NHK collection presenting the "new Navy aircraft"; a Yokosuka D4Y1 "Suisei" (Judy). Nothing else significant is mentioned in the clip narration except from the fact that the aircraft is flying over the Solomon area and specifically over Tulagi, Munda and Guadalcanal on a reconnaissance mission.

The setting is identical to the one in the photo of FAOW #69, p.23 top. According to the caption the plane belonged to the 151Ku with only one 330l drop tank under the starboard wing, exactly as in the video. This drop tank gave the plane a range of 2,400-2,500km, enough for reconnaissance missions over Guadalcanal.

 

 

Japanese Aircraft Online Model Contest 002 - MIKHAIL AGEENKO

Mikhail Ageenko from Russia just completed an 1/72 RS Models Ki-106 in what-if markings for the 182 Shinbu tai unit.
Thank you Mike for your participation.

 

 

 

 

TELFORD 2016 by "The Kit Slayer"

A few photos from this year's show at Telford courtesy of Allan "The Kit Slayer" Jeffery.

Visit Allan's blog  HERE for more photos!

 

Nakajima Ki-27 "Nate" by Jean Barby

These are some photos of my finished Nakajima Ki-27 "Nate" with a colorful camo to say the least! The kit is the old Mania/Hasegawa and is still the best available in quarter scale. I have used the Eduard photo-etch set to improve the level of detail of the cockpit but little is left to see once the fuselage is closed. A Falcon canopy was also use to replace the kit's. The plane is from the 77th Sentai when fighting in Malaya and Burma. Because of the numerous losses due to strafing, ground crews did paint the planes with brown and green with no regular pattern, and added some indigo in order to simulate the numerous river and rice pads of southern Asia. A similar camo was used by the 25th Sentai in the Philippines. Pilot Kuwabara Yoshiro was the commander of the 3rd Chutai, so the yellow color, and scored at least 13 victories.

Jean Barby

 

 

Mitsubishi G3M-M / A6M5b "Mistel" by George Eleftheriou

Well, this contest gave me the necessary motivation to finish a project I started working on and off for the past few years. I'm nowhere near some of the amazing modellers that honor this blog with their presence but I like the concept and any searches on the net don't show any really good results.

So, here it is guys: Mitsubishi G3M-M / A6M5b "Mistel" combo.

The "Mistel" technology was not too complicated and was something the Japanese could pull off. Certainly better than the "kamikaze" with the simultaneous loss of pilots and aircraft, the "Mistel" combos of fast Zeros or Shiden-kai with older bombers could offer the Japanese Navy a way to attack airfields like on Saipan or Okinawa and even crowded beaches. Here I chose the combination of an old "Nell" minus all of its equipment paired with a late and fast Zero model without its wing armament but retaining the cowling machine guns. The "Nell" has a contact fuse in the nose at the end of the rod like the one used on IJAAF aircraft like "Lilly" and "Hiryu" and since it doesn't have a bomb bay the explosives should be packed in the cockpit, the radio and the machine gunner's positions.

The models are both in 1/72, the very easy Hobby Boss for the Zero, LS for the "Nell" for which I had the bomber version (not the civilian) so I had to eliminate all the machine gunner openings. Since it's an old aircraft it has the China theater green/khaki (or whatever) top camo, it is heavily weathered and has the old unit markings overpainted.

The Zero belongs to the Yokosuka-Ku and simply used the kit decals.

In general I didn't care to super detail anything but build straight out of the box, keep everything as historically accurate as possible and practise my painting skills on a fun project.

I hope to finish at least two more what-ifs for the contest. Stay tunned!

 

 

Japanese Aircraft Online Model Contest 002 - RUI LERIAS

After losing their aircraft carrier divisions IJN needed a way to strike the carriers of the Allies far into the sea, so Mitsubishi mated two A6M5c frames creating a machine designated A6M9-Z able to cross the seas with a payload that could sink a carrier.
It was also capable of landing and getting launched from small carriers and dogfight every fighter available in 1946 at sea.

The model is in 1/72 scale, the kits from academy.
Rui Lérias - Portugal