Zero and Rufe

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

Hi again everyone! :slight_smile:

Despite being nothing out of normal, I wanted to show my zero and rufe, both old Tamiya kits in 1/48, like almost all old tamiya kits the interior had a big, big, BIG gap in the floor! besides correcting that I had also to scratch some interior details in the cockpit, all homemade. :stuck_out_tongue: And to rescribe some panel lines, Since both kits are almost the same I build them at the same time. Pretending to made my own Ame-Iro color, I mixed up some colors, dunno the formula I used, I just remember used Japanese Navy gray, Panzer Interior buff, and a little very little of brown. After paint them and put the decals, weathering , etc, etc. I stepped back to have a more wide look and I realized that the color was not exactly the one I wanted, I think I needed more brown or ochre to the mix, since Ame-Iro color, the more fade, it turned more bownish, So I prentended they were not that fade! and leave them like that. :stuck_out_tongue: That’s why I love to build airplanes instead cars, haha.

I always wanted to build Saburo Sakai’s zero and the kit came with this scheme, so I use the decals that came in the kit, the Rufe is another history, the Rufe was given to me from friend, he didn’t wanted to build it and he was just about to throw it to the trash cause it came with some clear parts broken and the decals were quite old, they looked yellowish, but I remember builded another Tamiya’s zero for a friend before, and it came with open and close cockpit option, so my spare parts box came to the rescue again, I had the close option so I saw it to open it, the decals I get them from other sets here and there, the Rufe I build it as seen in the Aleutians 1942-1943.

The weathering, my favorite part in modeling, well I used artist oil colors and a LOT of pastels. I make up them more than Michael Jackson. I found pastels my favorite for weathering.

Critics and comments are welcome. :slight_smile: Thanks for take a look!

2

I like that Rufe a lot! The rust effect that you have on the main float looks great! Good job!!

3

Nice ones Von. Your use of pastels looks very convincing. Thanks for sharing.

Regards, Rick

4

Beautiful work on both of these aircraft! To echo the others, your weathering looks very convincing. Subtle, yet VERY effective! Like Justin said, the rust effects on the Rufe’s floats is especially well-done. And bonus points for an Aleutian machine! What is the base color on both aircraft? I really like it. Thanks for sharing the pics! [bow]

5

Ditto to what everyone else has said. There is some acceptional work there fella. Love the weathering all round especialy the float.

Frank, i know im a dope and all, but what is an ‘Aleutian machine’?

…Guy

6

Nice job, the weathering looks great

7

They both look very. I’m building that zeke right now, it wont come out looking like yours but oh well. It was a cheap kit, I got it for $9 at hobby lobby, so I’m using it for experimenting with NMF. It look’s sweet so far, at least to me. I was mad as hell last night with rear glass for the cockpit. The rear piece is differant in size from the open to closed option. I used the closed canopy to do masking for the area behind the cockpit, but used the open one for the kit, painted and all only find it was too smallfor where I masked. The closed one fits right in to the masking area perfect.

I just found the rufe at a new LHS the other day, I picked it up for $12.50

8

Those are great, Von A. Thanks for sharing!

9

LOL, dope! [(-D] JK Guy. It represents an aircraft from the Aleutian Islands campaign in Alaska, USA. Not many subjects built from that arena, glad to see one. [;)]

10

Great job Von.

Love the subjects and the scale.

Mike

11

Thank’s for your words guys! :slight_smile:

Yup, the Aleutians campaign was a fight to control the Aleutians islands, part of Alaska, a small japanese group accupied a couple of islands in 1942, due to the weather, terrain and distance it took almost one year, for a quite large US force to expulse the small japanese forces.

There’s where floatplanes like Rufes showed their value for the need of fighters support and spotters with not need of carriers or airstrips.

The interesting part of the campaign was that some people believes that the japanese ocupation was just a diversion for the battle of Midway, cause the very little strategic value of the islands for both sides.

Thanks for reading my boring stuff. :stuck_out_tongue: