Howdy, folks![:)]
Well, tonight I bought a Hewlett-Packard printer/scanner/copier/fax, so now I can scan pix of my old models (in storage in the States) and finally prove that I don’t just build armor (not that there’s anything wrong with that!).
For my first scan ever, I chose a pic of some of the last aircraft I built, from waaaay back in 1995. From the front is an Arii Ki-84 Hayate, an Arii J2M3 Raiden, and a Hasegawa A6M3 Model 22 Zero, all in 1/48.
The Hasegawa Zero was a breeze to build, but those Arii kits (ex-Otaki) certainly taxed my building skills. The canopies! My goodness, the canopies! Thick and fuzzy, with no inclination to fit whatsoever. Had a blast with 'em though! And both Arii kits were STILL cheaper than the Hasegawa Zero!
I don’t recall what colors I used, but It’s all rattle cans and brushes. Testors Model Master, I think. Some kind of dark green on top, and light gray on the bottom. You can’t really tell in the pix, but the recessed panel lines were highlighted with a .3mm rapidomatic mechanical pencil. Looks better on the gray undersides.
The decals on both Arii kits were useless, so I replaced them with Superscale decals.
Here’s the pic:
Although I haven’t built any aircraft in 9 years (except for a Revell Hindenburg), I’ve sure been buying plenty of 'em, and plan to dive back into aircraft in the very near future.
So, I’d greatly appreciate some constructive criticism (don’t pull any punches! I can take it!) so I can step off on the right foot with my next aircraft build.
Which will be either Trumpeter’s 1/32 F4U-4 or Italeri’s 1/72 C-130H. Or Revell’s 1/48 Rafale M…
Hang on, I have Trumpeter’s MiG-3, too…
Decisions, decisions!
Anyhoo, I’d love to hear what you aviation experts think of a (primarily) treadhead’s Japanese trio!
UPDATE: Here’s a close up of each model:
Arii Hayate
Arii Raiden
Hasegawa Zero Model 22
Gotta love those Arii rivets!
Let’s not forget that Arii is really Otaki, though.
Gotta love those Otaki rivets!
But for the price, they ain’t bad at all. [:D]