Empire of the Rising Sun Group Build

[LyleW]

Lyle, you’re gonna really enjoy the Chi Ha kit. It is a truly great build!

John, that Chi To looks interesting. I wonder how those would have fared against Pershings and 76mm Shermans had the invasion of Japan come to pass.

John, the A6M2-K sure looks intriguing… a modified M2 fuselage for a tandem seater, and then fitted with a M5 wing? Quite the pick a part collection…

Carlos, I am looking forward to it! Thanks.

The Chi To I think I’d like to do just to out the Cheeto cat on the turret. Blasphemy, but cool.

On this Zero, looks like they too a T-6 and conv….oh, wait. That was us. Never mind.

[keavdog]

Neat kit John. I haven't seen that one and my have to add that to the stash

[tempestjohnny]

Because all my current projects are waiting for paint to dry, or in the case of the Alfetta my loins to gird, I am starting on the A6M2-K. I am confused as to why it is called an A6M2-K and not an A6M5-K, as it has the wing of the A6M5. Whatever. Pictures later tonight as I am off to my grandson's baseball game.

I have this one in the stash too.

[cbaltrin]

Because all my current projects are waiting for paint to dry, or in the case of the Alfetta my loins to gird, I am starting on the A6M2-K. I am confused as to why it is called an A6M2-K and not an A6M5-K, as it has the wing of the A6M5. Whatever. Pictures later tonight as I am off to my grandson's baseball game.

John, I think your favorite part of the build process must be CANOPY MASKING

[cbaltrin]

I want to pose the canopy open on my Rufe, but the rear canopy portion is a bit wonky in shape to account for the sliding portion to be able to fit over it. I decided to cut the corresponding piece from the single piece canopy section as it fits and looks better. Now I just have to figure out how to get the sliding portion to fit over it.

[jeaton01]

John, I think your favorite part of the build process must be CANOPY MASKING

Ha ha, Chris. You are certainly right on this one, though at first you would think they just moved some parts around and added that short section behind the front seat. That's what I thought until I started putting the masks on from a file I had from other Hasegawa Zeros. Almost every pane had to be adjusted as most were smaller.

[cbaltrin]

The Antenna mast in the legacy Tamiya A6M2 kit is possibly the worst molded part in the kit. Trying to clean it up with hobby knife and sandpaper it snapped in two with one half flying off into oblivion. The same thing happened again with one I had in the spares box. Luckily that part is easy enough to trace and print from the instruction sheet.

[keavdog]

I broke mine on my Rufe. Nice fix

[cbaltrin]

I broke mine on my Rufe. Nice fix

I can mail you a replacement

[keavdog]

Thanks but I did a crappy workaround.

Progress on Frank - all buttoned up. Now needs filler and sanding