Hi there

Is it Shinden or Shin Den? - It's written both ways in the instructions. Anyway, rather belatedly (and with due apologies to Zoukei-Mura who generously gave us a sample of the kit), here's the start of my Review-Build.



Staff_Jim has already In-Box Video-Reviewed the kit HERE, while Tom "Shanghied" built the model beautifully himself HERE.

Right, let's get started. It's been a day of preparing parts in the main. The kit's designers have kept the number of parts down by moulding some quite complex shapes as single pieces with multi-part part moulds. This inevitably means a few parting-lines to take care of, but it's all been pretty straightforward so far.

The core of the model is a one-piece fuselage framework / wing spar (here with a gun bay frame added):



I'll probably stray from the suggested construction sequence by fitting the fuselage side panels before constructing the gun bay to ensure neat seams at the edges.

Talking of the side panels, there are a few ejector-pin marks to take care of that might otherwise show in the cockpit:



Others, such as these under the fuselage frame, won't show:



But the wheel wells will need a little work. They do seem a bit empty too, but perhaps that's correct?:



I've made a start on the engine and cockpit:





For the engine base colour I've used Mr Metal Color Aluminium:



Beautiful fine particle paint that sprays neat from the pot to give a really smooth finish. I'll be going for a fairly well-used look, so the parts won't be that bright for long.

Much more to come.

All the best

Rowan

It will be nice to follow this Rowan, what colour are you planning on painting the cockpit? At this moment in time I can't remember what I used, but I will check out my 1/32 scale example and see if it jogs my memory

I'm actually more interested in how the canopy masks fit. I was asked, by ZM, if I could produce canopy masks for this, along with "Lightning markings" for the Jet version. I asked for the DXF file for the 1/32 scale version but it took 8 months before I received it. In the mean time I had built the jet and discovered that the masks didn't fit. The main issue with the masks was that there was only one mask for the main canopy which fitted(ish) the open piece but was far too big for the closed part! The other masks, when viewed in a magnifying glass after fitting, showed the same errors as usual with any canopy mask that I have used; they were either not the exact shape or were slightly too small. This can be caused by ill fitting by the user; it is an inherent problem with canopy masks that is not seen by many This "ill fitting" was a real surprise because if you have the canopy drawn as a DXF, then the masks should be spot on!

Anyway, sorry for all that but I am looking forward to how you get on with this Have you checked out the video on you tube featuring this aircraft? Sorry I don't have the link.

Hi Mal

The book "Japanese Secret Projects" has colour photos of the surviving Shinden's cockpit, but it's obviously been partially repainted at various times - which ties in with Robert Mikesh's description after he examined it in detail:

"Several colors are dominant in this cockpit. The basic interior is a thin wash of green paint (not aotake) that is very deteriorated and not represented well with flash photography. The aluminum backing causes this to become more blue than when making comparisons with color paint samples. A close representative of this interior color is N.33.

For the purpose of documenting this interior color as a reference to measure against in the future, a Colorimeter Munsell reading of 9.3Y 5.9/5.6 was obtained just below the throttle quadrant area. The closest Munsell chip is 10Y 6/6, which is decidedly too light when compared to this color visually. This is the result of the light reflecting off the aluminum through the thin paint.

The armor plate behind the seat is a dominant part of this cockpit and its color is visually close to the same color as is on the seat and the general interior. This differs by being a heavier coating of paint which produced a Colorimeter Munsell reading of 9.6GY 3.8/1.4. This appears to be more accurate. The closest Munsell color chip, 10GY 4/2, is a reasonable visual comparison to the actual color. Federal Standard 595B 34082 and N.33 are close but both should have a little less yellow. A blend betwen N.33 and Pantone 5615C is perhaps the best representation for this seat.

It is unusual but a yellow very much like American zinc chromate is found on parts of this aircraft interior. The answer may be that this was a test aircraft and subject to frequent changes.

The wooden instrument panel is semi-gloss black."


"Famous Airplanes of the World #129" has an artist's impression in more standard colours, which may have been true for production machines. I'll probably stick close to the prototype, because I'm pretty sure the canards would have been modified if testing had continued to cure the prototype's handling problems.

The 1:48 kit doesn't include any canopy masks, which is no big deal for me. I'm a little disappointed that there are no seatbelts provided though. Perhaps Zoukei-Mura will release some, as they did with the 1:32 kit, as a tie-in with Eduard. I imagine that's how they'd handle masks too.

All the best

Rowan

Hi Rowan,

I will follow this build too. Guess what I am currently building as well... twins we said!

Jean-Luc

Hi Jean-Luc

Excellent! Please don't show yours until mine's well and truly finished (and forgotten) though - I have enough of an inferiority complex as it is!

All the best

Rowan

Hi again

In starting to tackle the ejector pins, I noticed the inner surface of the wings looked "lumpy" - not what you want in a wheel well. Looking closer, I realised the ejector pin marks there are set in slightly raised patches:



Level the surface, and you remove the pin marks in the process:



All the best

Rowan

Hi Rowan,




You don't have to. Maybe you have only forgot how good you models are... when they are finished...

All the best,

Jean-Luc

Rowan,

I'll be following along with great interest. Not so much that I want to build the model, but rather to see how you deal with all the issues of this very complex kit.

Is that Aluminum paint Acrylic, enamel, or lacquer based? I truly hate the Tamiya Aluminum, and their bright silver isn't anything to get excited about either. The paint pigment is just too course. I'm at the point that I undercoat with gloss, matt, or flat black, then use Alcad's.
Joel

Hi Jean-Luc

As you can tell I find it as frustrating as hell having lost much of the dexterity in my right hand. It's like modelling wearing gloves these days and that, plus lack of practice, means I'm nowhere near the modeller I was 10 or so years ago.

@ Joel - Mr Metal Color is lacquer-based. I also hate the Tamiya acrylics because they are so course, but apparently they also do excellent laquer-based metallics - I've just never been able to buy any to try. I often use a black undercoat, but this was sprayed over bare plastic and worked like a charm.

All the best

Rowan

Rowan,
I kind of thought so as the finish just looked way to good to be acrylic. Just might go looking for a resource for it.
Joel

You're off to a good start Rowan! Will watch this one with interest!

Doug

Rowan thanks for making me spend money on the Mr Metal paint range, and due to the solvent basee it is a pain as it cannot be posted in the UK.

Hi Darren

I bought mine from MDC. They won't send it overseas, but no problem within the UK.

No more progress yet, but I should have the day off tomorrow, so I hope to get a little more done.

I'm a little bit stalled on the engine, because one photo I have seems to completely contradict the kit's painting instructions. I know - that's always the danger of references!

All the best

Rowan

Hi again

Things didn't all go quite according to plan. I began by filling the ejector pin marks before a coat of Mr Metal Color Aluminium:



and then applied a matt coat to give a nice smooth dull aluminium finish:



So far, so good... but then the next stage gave mixed results. I wanted to try replicating some aotake with a light coat of turquoise ink, and give an idea of the slightly translucent finish in the cockpit that Robert Mikesh describes by using heavily thinned paint over the aluminium.

I'm quite pleased with how the first stage of the "aotake" turned out, but the paint in the cockpit looks too dark compared with photos of the real thing:



I think I should be able to lighten it up OK - but that will probably kill the translucent effect I was trying for.

All the best

Rowan

Rowan,
I know virtually nothing about Japanese aircraft. Those cockpit sidewalls look really dark, but I don't see any translucency to them. Maybe I'm missing something.
Joel

Hi Joel

No, you're not - it doesn't really show in the photo. And by the time I've lightened the colour it will be almost non-existent even to the naked eye. I'll call it one of those "bright ideas" that was sound in principle - but didn't work out at all in practice.

All the best

Rowan

Rowan,
I see. I wouldn't knock yourself out trying to get the balance right between the shade of the green and the translucency, as once you close up the fuselage halves, it becomes a secondary point to the overall look of the aircraft.
Joel

Hi Joel

Too true, but it is fun trying out a new idea (to me, at least) - even if it doesn't quite work. I've learned something from the experiment, which is half the point.

All the best

Rowan

Hi Rowan,

Nice to see that you have made some progress. Don't spend too much time on the fuel tank because it will be completely invisible in the end.

Here is my interpretation of the cockpit colors of the Shinden. This time we are not twins at all...



Jean-Luc

Hi Jean-Luc

Lovely work! (Of course, that almost goes without saying. ) No we're not twins - yours looks 100x better than my effort ever will!

I am in a quandary over the colour; I was going to go for the blue look visible in photos too, but Robert Mikesh states that's a colour-shift caused by flash photography and that to the naked eye it's more akin to a thin coat of N.33 - hence my failed effort above.

I'm also loath to add the Zinc Chromate - but the cockpit layout as kitted is something a hybrid, with the American oxygen bottles fitted (the originals were in a totally different arrangement according to the drawings I have), so I think you're quite correct in doing it - it may well have been applied at the time of the modifications.

I'll tinker on slowly, but I expect it'll be next week before I can show much progress because I have such a pile of overdue reviews to catch up on.

All the best

Rowan

Looks great, Rowan. Sorry for these basic questions. Can you can spray it (airbrush?) without a thinner? I've not worked with lacquer based paints so I have no experience with thinning and cleaning them. I have used Tru Color paints with my model railroad locomotives and rolling stock. Acetone is used for cleaning and thinning. They are like painting with liquid dye. I've also learned with my Badger 360 airbrush that I when I clean it I have to take out the plunger assembly because the cleaning fluids cause the O ring to swell and shut off air flow.

Hi Dan

I would normally thin any metallic paint, but I sprayed this undiluted through an Iwata Revolution HP-M1 with no trouble at all.

All the best

Rowan

Dan,
I use lacquer thinner to thin lacquer based paints. I also use it to thin Acrylics when I need a really smooth finish. It does a great job of breaking down the paint particles. I then clean my air gun with Lacquer thinner. Never used acetone, but if it smells less then the LC, I just might give it a try.
Joel

Hi Joel

Lacquer thinners work well with Tamiya acrylics, but not all other brands: some turn into a gooey mess. It's always wise to test before risking putting them through the airbrush.

All the best

Rowan

Rowan,
I've only used Tamiya Acrylics, and Model Master Enamels. With that being said, I just received my order of Italeri and Vallejo acrylics to paint the Spitfire. Got there retarder as well. Will dilute them with Distilled water.
Joel