To roger_wilco,
Thank you so much for your continued support, you’ve been following me from my very first build (P-61 Black Widow) into this new and completed build of which is the Revell/Monogram F4U-4 Corsair.
This is why I love building models, like your experience with you and your brother completing the F4U-4 Corsair, I now recall the childhood intensity and curiosity in completing each model kit project that I undertook. As for whats next?
Since this up and coming Sunday is Fathers Day, Mrs. Toshi went ahead and placed a bid via ebay on a Mistubishi Zero. Not only did she win the bid, but the Zero will also be delivered here before the end of the week.
I must confess in that as a novice model kit enthusiast, my go to #1 product is the 1:32 series Tamiya propeller WWII Kit(s). Sure, the cost of this series is extremely high, but the theory of; “You pay for what you get”, definitely applies here. With all the intricate pieces as well as the accurate depiction and to not only mention the PE sets (Interior and exterior), this model kit series not only blows other products out of the water but it definitely makes me want to or the need to research WWII model kits in regards as an example my Tamiya 1:32 builds.
Once the Zero is delivered, if I may add, the Zero will be my very first Japanese WWII aircraft. I just never felt much about building a Mistubishi Zero in the past or it’s present incarnation, until now. As a note, 99% of a modelers inspiration comes from truly on how passionate you feel about the project at hand. My humble opinion is that if you are passionate about a particular activity, it is that much more of a successful endeavor as well as a completion of something you hold dear to your heart.
After the Zero? I definately will make my following build which is another first for me, a Supermarine Spitfire that is also in the aforementioned Tamiya 1:32 scale aircraft series. This also will be a first of it’s kind, assembly for me. There is another kit of that is a Revell/Monogram product that I’ve never built before, and after 40 years, I still am passionately attracted to this aircraft or should I say “Heavy Bomber”. It is the infamous “B-17G Flying Fortress”. I am in love with it’s chin turret, I think this is so cool and defines American ingenuity.
Other kits that has me under a spell, Tamiya and Hasegawa WWII fighters and or medium to heavy bombers. Another heavy bomber that I must obtain and build? B-29 Superfortress. Here is another short story in regards to the B-29.
My dad is a third generation Japanese American which makes me the fourth and my children the fifth. My mom was born in Tokyo Japan during WWII. I used to visit my Japanese grandmother in Tokyo in the summer, as since my situation is that I got to see her maybe four times in my whole life, she adored me and I became her favorite grandchild.
One hot summer evening, (I still remember this conversation as if it happened yesterday) out of the blue, I asked my grandmother if she ever hated me and or my father as we are American citizens? She mentioned that that was not the case at all. She loved me dearly and said; 'Why would I". This conversation happened exactly like this, verbatim.
The biggest memory of shock was the 1933 I think, Great Kanto earthquake. Apparently, my grandfather was walking home after a hard day at work when all of a sudden the earth began to move. Right in front of grandfather was a man but a few yards ahead of him, all of a sudden, the earth opened up and the man fell into the depression. Well, my grandfather grabbed the young man and tried in vain to pull this man up while the earth still shook, only to have the depression instantly closed upon the young man right in front of grandfathers eyes. When my grandfather finally got home, he told grandmother this sad story. Grandmother then took grandfathers shirt off to clean, it was so soaked in sweat that she actually wrung out the shirt as if it had been soaked up in a monsoon.
After this story, I asked how bad and in what condition was Tokyo in during WWII. She specifically mentioned by name in that the B-29 Superfortress fire bombed and leveled Tokyo. We then stood up in front of her Genkan, front entrance and she pointed, as far as you can see, there was nothing at all truly to see. Now look at this city, a true rebuild with the help of America. In for that she was or felt that the true American was there to help the Japanese. Grandmother till her death ran and owned a Ryokan. A old school Japanese inn. That Ryokan was the only structure untouched during WWII. The whole kingyo (Neighborhood) stayed with grandmother and grandfather, they fed everyone rice. During the day when the B-29 stopped bombing Tokyo, grandfather by himself, would find old destroyed telephone poles and would by hand, dig up the stumps and haul it back to the Ryokan for firewood so that they could cook rice for everyone. When the Americans finally entered Tokyo, she said that my mom ran up to a uniformed officer (Grandmother said he must have been a Major) to say hello. The Major turned around and gave my mother a Hershey Chocolate bar. Grandmother said that was the best meal they had in years.
Ultimately, grandmother prayed that war will never happen again in my and her lifetime as there are no true victors but only citizens that suffer. I thanked her for this story and loved her even more as I hugged her in tears. I must have been 13? It was 1979, that’s the last time I ever saw her again. Ironically, I was shocked that she knew what bomber the Americans were utilizing as well as it’s description. Her words “B-Nijyu Kyu”, (Phonetically: Bee-knee-g-you-cue) or B-29. Thank you forum members for allowing me to share tid-bits of my families history on this forum. I think after my Flying Fortress and Spitfire, I’ll be considering building the old school Monogram Superfortress.
Toshi
