Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf Ta-152H 1/72 Revell (Frog)

Revell 1:72 Focke Wulf Ta 152 H 00981 Aircraft illustration D. Frka

Revell 1:72 Focke Wulf Ta 152 H 03981 Skill level 3

This is a model I've wanted to build for a long time, the Kurt Tank designed Focke Wulf Ta-152H. It looks like no other fighter plane with the sailplane-like wings. So it was a nice coincidence for Revell to re-release the old Frog kit of this subject. Built out-of-the-box except wing guns and leftover tail swastikas (which may not be the right kind & size for this particular plane, but didn't want to end up buying a whole sheet of these 'evil' markings...)

Again an old kit that was really enjoyable to build and looks like a really nice Ta-152H to my eye when finished, even with those raised panel lines and all that stuff. There are slight washes to enhance these lines, the only details I sanded away were fictional circular details on wing undersides.

At first I thought about doing the vintage Frog instructions camouflage and markings but I wonder if the RLM 74/75/76 scheme was really used as late as 1945 for the latest and finest Luftwaffe "Butcher Bird". It's certainly not impossible, but on the other hand there really was a Luftwaffe full orange-red painted Ta-152H like this model, with the possible inaccuracy of the actual color used, of course. Eagle Cals Decals suggest FS21310 but I think Humbrol 100 works just fine.

"Orange-Red Ta 152, a striking Ta 152 H flown by the Kommodore of JG 301 Obslt. Fritz Auffhammer on 22 March 1945 to the Luftwaffe proving ground at Rechlin, Germany, returning this aircraft along with complaints of construction problems and unfulfilled delivery dates. The purpose of ths bright Orange-Red color was to prevent trigger-happy German flak gunners from shooting down this unusual Luftwaffe fighter. On this flight Auffhammer was escorted by Hptm. Roderich Cescotti who flew Fw 190 D-9 "Green 1". Recommended FS number 21310 for the Orange-Red color" (Coopersmodels.com)

Jiro Horikoshi Design II: IJN Mitsubishi Raiden 'Jack', Genzan Flying Group ケ-1107 (Ke-1107) 1/72 Nichimo

Jiro Horikoshi (Wikipedia)

This is my 2nd Japanese anime-inspired old-school model of a plane designed by Jiro Horikoshi, Mitsubishi J2M3 Raiden, American name 'Jack'. This kit was a bit more difficult to build than the A5M4 Claude, parts fit was poor sometimes and the fuselage halves were warped out of alignment too. That's why I had to augment this kit with scratch-built items like a new tailwheel and guns, although tried to follow the out-of-the-box principle as long as possible. Original decals - coated with Micro Decal Film - were used, except the yellow leading edge stripes. These decals needed a very long soaking time in water before the backing glue let go. The three-part canopy was hazy and ill-fitting to the fuselage, so that's why this kit is perhaps more suited for a collector's item. The finished model isn't too bad overall, but obviously modern kits are preferable.

And yes, I've no idea what the real historical Ke-1107 Raiden looked like, but for this project the box art was quite adequate source for decal placement information. Here is another, perhaps more accurate Nichimo Raiden model in the Arawesi-Wild Eagles blog. Two Mitsubishi models ready now, Tamiya Zero 'Zeke' still to go!

The Wind Rises I: IJN Mitsubishi A5M4 'Claude' 1/72 Nichimo

Jiro Horikoshi (Wikipedia)

The Wind Rises (Japanese: 風立ちぬ Hepburn: Kaze Tachinu) is a 2013 Japanese animated historical drama film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli. The Wind Rises is a fictionalized biopic of Jiro Horikoshi (1903–1982), designer of the Mitsubishi A5M fighter aircraft and its successor, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, used by the Empire of Japan during World War II. The film is adapted from Miyazaki's manga of the same name, which was in turn loosely based on the 1937 short story The Wind Has Risen by Tatsuo Hori. (Wikipedia).

This Nichimo vintage (Copyright 1964 Nihonmokei Co., Ltd) Claude model was built out-of-the-box with original decals, using just the box art as a reference because the 2nd hand kit had no instruction leaflet. I have serious doubts about the historical accuracy of my model but still like the results of this Japanese anime-inspired old-school project very much. There are Nichimo Raiden 'Jack' and Tamiya Zero 'Zeke' kits already in the stash for further planes designed by Jiro Horikoshi.

There's a nice Nichimo 1/72 Claude in Harrow Modelling Society's Japanese Gallery by Jonathan Burns, which I think is more like museum-quality and periodically correct.

LSK MiG-15 Airfix 1/72 repaint & re-decaling

Ok, this isn't actually a new build but an old model restoration and re-decaling project. The original Soviet Air Force version had some damage with the landing gear and I decided to fix it into flying position. While I was at it, I re-painted the whole model again and applied the East German Air Force (Luftstreitkräfte der Nationalen Volksarmee) markings from a Revell MiG-21 F-13 kit decal sheet leftovers. Have to say I prefer this configuration, it wasn't too bad to start with but now it's got more character, I think. The original plane may have been a 'bis'-version, but same can be said of this Airfix model, too.