Hasegawa, 1:48 Scale, Mitsubishi F1M2, Model 0, Type 11 Reconnaissance Float Plane, Reporting Name, "Pete"
Calling this one as, DONE! This is number six for the year. Found this kit at a show and it is the original release that came with the PE fret.
I had built this same kit many years ago, 2009 maybe? For a long time it sat on display in the American Air Power Museum in Farmingdale NY. Due to a shelf collapse inside the case, it was destroyed and I was never able to fix it where it looked right. When I saw this kit in a show vendor's inventory, I had to get it and rebuild it in the same markings as the first. The prop, gunsight and the the rear machine gun, are the only survivors from that original kit, and I used them to tie into each other. Nobody else will know that or even care. It's just a personal tribute to the former kit.
GREAT little model kit! Probably one of Hasegawa’s best kits to date. This model is an OOB project and yes, the earlier releases came with a stainless steel PE fret. Everything lines up right from the jump. No shimming, no removing detail to get things to fit. The port side PE isn’t even glued in as the spring tension is keeping it tightly in place, ( I will glue it just to make sure…).
Decals are from the kit and reacted well to the usual common setting solutions. Markings are for a machine flying from HMIJS Sanyo Maru, December 1941.
Paint is a custom mixing of Tamiya Acrylics. Weathering is done using Flory Washes, Pastel chalks, thinned oils and AK Weathering Pencils. I added paper strips for the seat belts and this was a completely OOB project just like the original.
Great kit, great subject and I highly recommend it. If you stay away from biplanes due to rigging, (Like me), this is a great first timer to take a chance with.
Thanks for looking everyone and have a great day, y’all!
Freddie from Palm Beach
Nice work, Frederick!
Thanks, John
Build & finish...OUTSTANDING.
Thank you, Bob
Very nicely done.
Thanks, John
Beauty
Thank you, George
A beauty, Frederick!
Congratulations!
Thanks, Spiros
Very impressive result, Frederick @fjs3
Sorry to hear that the other one got destroyed.
Thanks, John
Top notch model Frederick, sounds like it was a fun project!
Thank you, Pedro, and it certainly was!
Yeah one of Hasegawa's last and a beauty, shame about that outfit. Great job on it.
Thanks Bill. See you in May, Sir!
I absolutely love float planes and this is a real beaut, incredibly executed. Well done!
Thank you, David
I also love the Japanese float planes, and have a Pete in the stash. I like this scheme! What is the name for that color, or something that will get me to the right shade?
Hey Greg,
As far as the Japanese name for the color, I have no idea. As far as the mix I used, THAT I can offer up.
I use Tamiya Acrylics and the recipe is as follows:
5 parts XF-49 Khaki
4 parts XF-20 Medium Grey
1 part XF-21 Sky
I repeat the the mix until I get to the half way point of a fresh paint jar, then I add thinner X-20 to make it airbrush ready. The control surfaces are straight up Medium Grey. You can vary the mix by changing one or two drops of any of the colors as you see fit. Either way it looks more like the greyish tan that these aircraft were painted during the early war period.
For the record this is a beautiful kit and it goes together very well. Fit and alignment are spot on and it was a terrific build experience. This kit is the early version, which did not have a scoop on top of the cowling, whereas the later version did have it. Either way the kit is a winner. My kit came with the PE already in the box. Later releases did not, but I'm pretty sure you can get it if you need to find one.