Skip to main content

Kawanishi N1K1 - Tamiya 1/48

Here's my new build. The kit was given to me by my good friend Edde. After spending too much time on my previous project I needed a straightforward build, and this kit is a total pleasure to build !
I like learning new techniques for each of my projects, so here I decided to rivet the whole bird.

The cockpit

I had quite a lot of fun painting the trolley. After a first coat of dark brown, I sprayed some hair lacquer before using a coat of greenish grey. The top layer was then dissolved here and there with a wet brush. The rust effect was achieved with various paint oils.





Riveting took me quite a while but I found it fun and relaxing. I used Rosie the riveter, lots of Dymo tape and a needle for small additions. Model Art #587 is of great help here.

Of course, that's when I had a look a the shots below that I noticed that some imperfections have to be corrected...










I painted the hinomarus with a first layer of white (for opacity), then yellow (so red doesn't look pink) and finally red. And yes, I paint on a rotating cheese tray, cos I am French  :lol:






After pre-shading the model, I sprayed both base colors Tamiya IJN Gray and IJN Green. Of course, I used very diluted paints in order to still see the pre-shade by transparency.
Then, each base color was retouched with the same color darkened with brown and lightened with yellow for the upper surfaces or white for the lower surfaces.



On the pics below, the main float and the wings look darker simply because I started polishing the paint with an old cotton rag.











Still have a bit of work with the hinomarus but I am already quite happy by the way it looks. Anyway, on real planes the markings are not always perfectly painted.






And that's how it looks like finished. I use this so-called matt coat from Andrea that looks... glossy. From past experience, I am confident that it will turn matt in a few weeks.



I am quite happy with how the riveting turned out, it's quite subtle and only noticeable when you are close enough.




Thanks for looking and a special thank to Edde for the gift - Me happy :-)


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Northrop F-5E Tiger II - Walkaround (Swiss Air Force)

Messerschmitt Bf-109 E3 Walkaround

Walkaround of the Messerschmitt Bf-109 E3 (J-355; Werk NummerlFactory Number 2422) exhibited at the Swiss Air Force Museum at Dubendorf Air Base near Zurich, Switzerland. My wife and I visited this museum and although I was more enthusiastic than her I think she appreciated it :) bf-109 antenna isolator Antenna isolator Antenna isolator 20MM FF-K Oe 37 (Flugzeugfliigel-Kanone Oerlikon 1937) Engine radiator flap Exhausts Right landing gear Left landing gear Wheel bay cover Pitot tube   Radiator flap indicator

D-3801 Morane Saulnier MS 406 Walkaround

After the Bf-109 , here is a short walkaround of the Adolph Saurer AG license-built D-3801 Morane Saulnier MS-406 also exposed at the Swiss Airforce museum at Dubendorf (Switzerland). One advice, if you go in Switzerland say D-3801, not M.S. 406 or you will have to handle a diplomatic issue  - n'est ce pas GĂ©rard :) Below are a few pictures of the cockpit taken through the windows ... And finally, some pictures of the engine, a Hispano Suiza HS-51 12Y