IJN NAKAJIMA B6N2 CARRIER ATTACK BOMBER TENZAN (JILL) TYPE12 1/48 HASEGAWA

I will try to make this 1/48 Tenzan of Hasegawa kit. I am looking forward to this kit because it’s reputable as easy to assemble. I would like to complete it without much trouble.

The cockpit interior painting, there is a color mixing guide in the instruction. I used Mr. Color No.127 Nakajima type cockpit color.

Detailed meters are expressed by a sharp mold, and a decal is prepared, so when it’s combined, a cockpit panel completes quite realistically. I’m thankful for a decal. I try to make them stick, and I have slipped some meters, but the atmosphere isn’t bad. It can’t be painted with a brush, It’s a nice decal.

Overall, I did washing and dry brush. There are no seatbelt parts in this kit, I added seatbelts of a pilot seat, back bombardment seat, and navigational seat. I paint small parts with a brush.

Are the machine-guns placed in the aircraft? I cannot see them here after assembly. However, painted these machine-guns.

It is likely that all of the six airplane models that I ordered on February 26 at Lucky Model will finally be all shipped together. Since card payment has already been completed in March, I was wondering them. I am a little relieved after shipped. Because it is a sea mail, a long step forward to still arrive at hand. Some of the overseas customers seem to have been waiting for about a year and a half, depending on the manufacturer, it rarely reproduces, so there may be no choice.
(11-May-2018)

The assembly has advanced with fitting the cockpit.

Apparently, it seems to be a torpedo for Ryusei kit. In order to attach to Tenzan, I have to fill three holes and open a new hole for this bomber airplane. Although it was written in a large explanation in this indication, I was just about ignoring and installing parts as it is, it’s dangerous. This syringe is convenient for gluing from inside of the main wing. I thought that strength would increase if pouring adhesive from the inside. I prefer a longer needle…

A panel line was a little shallower than my taste, so I re-carved it generally.

Since the actual torpedo is suspended downwards by two degrees, I think the three pylons are separate parts.

I painted the metallic blue-green. It may have been unnecessary to blow near the tail wheel.
(13-May-2018)

The canopy is extraordinarily long with a three-seater plane, masking will be massive. It is in a closed state, there is anxiety that mist enters if it does not adhere without a gap.

As unusual as myself, I’m doing masking on the underside of the aircraft very precisely.

Foundation silver painting and it’s my first challenge.

I paint it with deep green color with shading.

I was thinking a mandarin orange decal of the main wing would also be included that a cockpit panel decal is included, but actually, it was not in it. Now I’m painting orange belts. In terms of results, it is better to finish the painting in orange than to use thin yellow color decals. Hasegawa’s decal is sometimes not so good color.

The paint color of the front and back of the fowler flap, I made a mistake. It was the opposite. I thought it would be fine in the closed state, but it does not solve the problem. I worked hard, such as peeling paint and the gradation, but it was in vain.
(16-May-2018)

Tenzan has been completed finally. Tenzan is the successor of a Carrier-based torpedo bomber Nakajima B5N. There was a debate whether the engine “Kasei” or “Homare” and Type 12 adopts Kasei engine. There was a difference in opinions variously by Nakajima Aircraft and IJN by the easiness of the maintenance and results in the past.

The first flight was in March 1941, beginning of the mission was August 1943. The number of gross production was about 1260. Greater East Asia War, the initiative shifted to the USA already, and the damage of Tenzan at Rabaul and Mariana was also intense.

In addition, When it was Iwojima and the battle in Okinawa, Tenzan was also used for a suicide aircraft. Tenzan suicide attack gave a large damage to the aircraft carrier Saratoga.

The marking is 256th Attack Squadron 752nd Naval Flying Group. In the Sino-Japanese War, a unit that had been primarily responsible for the ground attack as the First Flying Group was originally renamed the 752nd Naval Flying Group. Afterward, this unit was active in Rabaul, Tarawa, Iwo Jima etc.

 

The propeller is Japan’s first four-blades. It cannot increase the number of blades that becomes heavier unless a big horsepower engine. However, if you increase the number of blades, it will be difficult to have various trade-offs, such as lower fuel consumption.

I wanted to try the hairspray technique on the silver base and this is my first challenge. I like to make planes clean, but I think weathering of this degree is cool. I tried several times and knew the trick. It is satisfactory finish, including the condition of gloss surface.

I attached an antenna wire on the final finish. It seems that the antenna line of Tenzan is partly out of the canopy frame on the way and this is difficult when I tried it like a ship model. The surface got dirty when it was over into the canopy using the curing accelerator of instantaneous adhesive. I wish I had kept it safe without challenging the difficult place, but it’s too late. I recovered the surface with clear smoke and became less noticeable, so I will assume it’s good this time. This kit requires attention at various points. Moreover, it is quite a large size even 1/48 scale.

Torpedoes and landing gears are designed to be installed simply by inserting into the plastic pipes. This is very easy to assemble. Even just inserting it is pretty sturdy and I think that is not a problem. However, I personally did not remove them, especially for display, so reinforced with plastic glue and instant adhesives.

The main armament is the type 91 kai 2 torpedo. Avoid interference with the cooling air intake by bringing the suspension position to the right from the axis. It is equipped with only one, it seems high under pressure with aiming the spirit of a single shot.

By the way, the type 91 kai 2 torpedo was 20,000 Japanese yen at that time. Converting to the current price seems to be equivalent to about 100 million yen (1 million USD).

How about the effect of putting in a black inking on deep green color? I have made a whitish inking in the past, so this is dependent on taste. Black ink does not make a pointed self-assertion compared to a bright color, I think it will become a calm finish as a whole.

When completed it will be quite large as you can see compared to this 500 yen coin. This kit can be finished the main wing folded state, and it’s also interesting. It is a more powerful impression of the main wing deployed than the folded state. It was a military aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was big and powerful with three-seater.

The other day, I went to see the Turner Exhibition held in Shinjuku. Mr. Turner seems to have been a pretty artisan character. Watercolor, oil, and engravings were very elaborate and wonderful. Because it was a weekday afternoon, There were not so many viewers relatively, so I could relax and appreciate it. I had a relaxing afternoon with my wife. In the last room, Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers”, Gauguin’s “Lane At Alchamps, Arles” and Cezanne’s “Pommes et serviette” were exhibited and I could see them enjoyable and relaxed. I also came here two years ago, so I think I was watching them. Occasionally I make models of battleships, and Turner’s Marine Picture section is very interesting. I think that the ship at that time was still sailboats and steamships. Turner’s movie seems to have been made some years ago, so I would like to watch it sometime.

The three pictures below are from the Seiji Togo Memorial Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Museum of Art, 42nd floor of the building one of the highrise buildings in Shinjuku Tokyo Japan.
(19-May-2018)