Model Builder International Pilot Issue Model Builder International Pilot Issue | Page 39

scribed the lower half of each wing along the panel
line and removed the plastic portion of the flap. I
had to remove the molded-on detail on the interior
of the upper wing. Why its there, I don’t know, as
there’s no provision to cut the flaps.
Eduard’s dropped flap set has a photo-etched
‘bay’ that fit into the opened wing, followed by
42 tiny photo-etched parts that require multiple
folds to make each of the stringers. I had a goal
of using all the photo-etched parts on the set, but
I had to draw the line here with the stiffening strip
between the stringers. Here’s a part, 3/16” wide
and 4” long that required three length-wise bends
(1/16” each!) to get a piece of box stock. I simply
replaced it with styrene stock.
I built the rest of the model pretty much by
the instructions. I replaced the gear doors with
a multi-part photo-etched assembly. Although it
looks fantastic, a slight breeze will knock these
fragile parts off, which I managed to do three or
four times.
Once the model was ready for paint, I read up
on various Alclad techniques. I knew enough not
to use their gloss black undercoat based on some
comments from other modelers. So I contacted
and old friend and he told me of his technique,
which was to paint he model with Tamiya or Gunze
flat black, then polish it to a shine. So I gave it a
try…the end result was a black-primed model that
looked a lot like the old I.D. models from WWII.
The finish was black, but glassy-smooth, similar to
Bake-Lite. This left a great foundation for the Alclad,
which I sprayed at 8psi with a brand-new Harder &
Steenbeck Infinity airbrush.
I had a couple of spots that required touchup, a seam line, and a scuff mark, but the beauty
of Alclad is that you can sand it and re-spray it. I
deliberately left the tail in black primer so I’d have
a place to hold the model while spraying. Once
the Alclad was dry, I sprayed the tail with a mix of
Vallejo Flat Red and Vermillion.
I used a combination of decals and painted-on
markings, although that wasn’t the original plan.
I applied the hinomaru, but the kit decals were
fussy for some reason, and they curdled, leaving
a wrinkled mess that even Micro-Sol wouldn’t fix.
So, I brought out the heavy stuff in the form of
Gunze Mr. Mark Softer. I have to caution on using
this decal set, as it is very aggressive. I used a Q-tip

Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 3

Fig 1
The sidewalls of the cockpit received a wash and
some silver-solder details.

Fig 2
With the floor and bulkheads installed, the cockpit is
almost ready to close up. The seatbelts are Eduard
color-etched parts.

Fig 3
A scratch-built oxygen regulator and some silversolder details added to the photo-etched parts.