Friday 31 January 2020

Japanese Aircraft Online Model Contest 014 - JEAN BARBY

Hello all. 
This model has already been dispatched on this site (HERE) but I think the Tainan Ku deserves to be in the contest. Base is the Hasegawa, fully riveted with an SBS interior and a Rob Taurus canopy. One noticeable thing is that all the markings are painted using home made masks.

Best regards to you all.
- Jean Barby - 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday 29 January 2020

Artist - Alvaro Lino

Alvaro Lino, a WWII Japanese aviation enthusiast and aviation artist from Brazil, sent over an brilliant pencil drawing he did last year depicting a pair of CAP Zeros from the IJN aircraft carrier Zuikaku. Enjoy!


Monday 27 January 2020

Japanese Aircraft Online Model Contest 014 - MIRO HEROLD #2

Here is my second kit.
Again Tamiya 1/72.
The plane represents V-117 from the Tainan Kokutai.
On June 9, 1942, it was shot down over Cape Ward Hunt. It was a tragic attempt by its pilot Ensign Satoshi Yoshino. After a dogfight with Airacobras and Kittyhawks from the 39th FS, his plane was hit and fire started. The pilot climbed out of the cabin and kept staying on the wing, untill the plane crashed into the ocean (he didn’t wear a parachute!).
The picture is from Roy Grinnel.

Miro Herold - Germany

 
 
 
 
 
 


Saturday 25 January 2020

Japanese Aircraft Online Model Contest 014 - MIRO HEROLD #1

This is my first input into the contest.
It is a Tamiya kit in 1/72 scale
The plane presents V- 171 Hókoku 550 of the Tainan Kokutai in 1942
I used the excellent WEM (white ensign models) paints ACJ16 Mitsubishi Zero Grey-Green and ACJ08 Mitsubishi Cowl Blue-Black.
The decals are from Modelkasten.

Miro Herold - Germany

 
 
 

Thursday 23 January 2020

Artist - Vladimir Martinicky (9)

The latest work by Vladimir features a Yokosuka K5Y2 "Akatonbo" (Willow), or as the Japanese used to call it "getabaki akatonbo" (a red dragonfly wearing geta), belonging to the Otsu Kokutai.


Tuesday 21 January 2020

Japanese Aircraft Online Model Contest 014 - BARONVONROB

I fully realize that my 1/72 Hasegawa A6M3 Model 22 does not qualify for the contest ...but since it seems to be the last model contest for at least the near future thought I could at least be the first to be DQ'd :)) ....additionally it's also the only Zero currently in my hangar and I wanted to participate anyway.

Standard build with Tamiya and Gunze paints depicting the mount of the legendary chief Petty Officer Hiroyoshi Nishizawa of 251st Kokutai in early 1943

- BaronVonRob -

 
 
 
 

Sunday 19 January 2020

NEW FAOW SPECIAL - 47 Sentai

Bunrindo's latest release in their FAOW series is Special #8 on the 47 Sentai, entitled "Pictrial (sic) History of Japanese Army 47th Flying-Sentai".


This new special FAOW is of the usual size in the series with 128 pages and about 300 b/w photos. Artwork is by Ninomiya Shigeki with seven side and two (small) top views. As with the previous FAOW Special, it is all written by Watanabe Yoji based on a series of articles published in "Koku Fan" magazine.



It seems that Bunrindo is following the steps of "Dai Nippon Kaiga" and for the first time has released a special dedicated on an IJAAF unit. Plenty of colorful "Shoki", "Hayate" and "Hayabusa" photos, some well known, some less so, with even more photos of the unit pilots and personnel. A really very nice publication although unusual in that it deals with only one unit. Ofcourse it's all in Japanese, which means the rest of the world will just have to stare at the photos. Personally I like it more than the "DNK" ones. Better photo quality, publication size and overall information. Clearly Watanabe knows his subject a lot better than the "DNK" authors.

Highly Recommended!
Naturally available from our on-line store, HERE, for $US20 (postage not included).

Friday 17 January 2020

Japanese Aircraft Online Model Contest 014 - PAT DONAHUE

Tamiya 1/72 A6M2 (Nakajima built)
Kit built out of the box with painted Hinomarus and Rising Decals for Hiyo Fighter Group, Operation I-go, Buin, Bougainville, April 1943.
Colorcoars and Testors enamel used.

Pat Donahue - USA

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday 15 January 2020

Japanese Aircraft Online Model Contest 014


ARAWASI would like to invite you to our fourteenth and last online model contest.
Theme: "A6M2"

Submissions: Send as many photos as you like of your model and accompanying information to contact@arawasi.jp or arawasi_g2@hotmail.com.
At the very least please send: your name and country, model scale and kit maker. Your entry will be posted very soon. You can enter the contest with more than one model in any scale.
If you decide to start a model for our contest you can send work-in-progress photos.

Voting: you can vote for each model from 1 to 10 either by leaving a comment on each entry or by sending an email to the above addresses. No anonymous votes will be taken into account (nicknames are ok). The model with the most points wins.

Deadline: March 15 (but it can be extended) 

Prizes: The winner will receive a book, a kit and a decal set from our on-line store, free of any charge, courtesy of Arawasi.

Monday 13 January 2020

IJAAF & IJNAF photos & more

Yet another photo from the "Asahi Shimbun" collection, this one featuring a scene inside the Mitsubishi factory in Nagoya at the end of the war. According to the caption of Model Art #470 which includes a similar photo, the "Raiden" in the photo is a Model 11 or J2M2, serial number 2024 and it belonged to the first unit to be equipped with the type, the 381 Kokutai. We included a brief history of the unit with their "Raiden" in an old post, here, so I will connect the two posts.


The first unit to receive the "Raiden" was the 381ku organised on October 1, 1943, in Tateyama base, Chiba Prefecture. The unit was to be assigned to the protection of the Balikpapan oil fields of Borneo so it was deemed a suitable unit to receive an interceptor fighter. The unit relocated to a bigger base in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, but "Raiden" were barely delivered! In February 1944, the unit had only ten "Raiden" even though the unit was to be equipped with at least 36. On January 5, 1944, during shooting training the engine mount of the 30th production J2M2 lost its strength and dissolved in the air resulting in the death of the pilot. Due to such accidents, further modifications to the type were required causing further delays in the production. So the 381ku quit to be a "Raiden" unit and changed to Zero 52s and relocated to Borneo from March of the same year.

Friday 10 January 2020

Mitsubishi Ki-51 "Sonia" by Jean Barby

My first take of the year, the Ki-51 from Wingsy kits. Nice kit but I run to some unexpected problems like a bad reaction of the plastic to any kind of glue, larger pins than holes in general, a different fuselage width than the wings, a clear moving part of the canopy which could have been thinner. Apart from those comments, it gives a good looking Ki-51 and I wish this kit to last as long as the Nichimo one! Plane from the 6th Hikotai in China in 42, no decals, all masks. 

Jean Barby