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James Kelley
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Sweet 1/144 Type 96 Carrier Fighter (A5M4)

February 28, 2021 · in Aviation · · 7 · 1.3K

I started this project yesterday, and finished it up this afternoon. As with all of Sweets' kits, I loved it. A relaxing (mostly), easy build and 4 really cool livery. The model was airbrushed with Alclad II White Aluminum, and Gunze-Sangyo acrylics. I fashioned a rudimentary seat harness from Tamiya tape. I'm especially pleased that I successfully placed both exhaust stubs and the aiming periscope! Those exhaust stubs were smaller than a pin head! The backdrop is another Coastal Kits set. I say "mostly" relaxing as the fuselage decals were a bit of a challenge. I used liquid mask on the canopy panes, but it didn't work as well as I'd hoped. So, I went back over the frames with a Molotov chrome marker. That actually worked pretty well. Weathering was omitted because this machine is so elegant I want it to stand on its own merits. Enjoy the pics!

Reader reactions:
7  Awesome

9 additional images. Click to enlarge.


7 responses

  1. This is such an amazing build, James @jkelleycrna!
    Kudos to your tackling those small exhausts and the periscope!
    What a Sweet (literally!) little jewel!
    Congratulations!

  2. Could easily pass for 1/72 or even a 1/48.
    Impressive little guy and some great photos!

  3. That is a little gem.

  4. Fantastic result for such an incredible tiny plane, James.
    The build and the way you made the pictures make it look much bigger.

  5. Yes, especially amazing in this scale, definitely liked.

  6. It appears there are some really nice 144 kits out there now of small fighters, and you've really brought this one to life. Most of the older kits seemed to look like toys, but this really carries the role well.

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