With the completion of my Nell for this group build, as well as finishing up some other projects (1/48 Revell MiG 21PF...don't ask why, a 1/72 Hasegawa F4F-4 converted to a -3, and a few Bandai Star Wars kits), it's time to start another!

I've had this kit since 2006 as well. That fall I bought a set of 4 Hasegawa Japanese bombers: this kit, the Nell, a Betty, and a Helen. I built the Helen in 2007 and no longer have it (I abandoned several hundred built models in 2015 when I moved from Iowa to Indiana). The Betty is still in the stash.

Here we go!

2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Today's work! Got the interior painted and the cockpit area assembled. As usual, the interior is rather sparse, which is fine in this scale.

A bit of painting work yet to be done on the machine guns; two of those will mount above the waist windows, and then I can put the interior in and close up the fuselage!

2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

More progress! The interior fits so well into the fuselage it doesn't even need to be glued in place.

The instructions say to place the clear part for the dorsal turret before closing up the cockpit, but test fitting revealed that it can be added later. This will help during painting.

The wings fit securely into the recesses in the fuselage...they're not glued in this picture, and I'm going to leave them off for painting to simplify masking.

4 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Back to this. I was waiting on the arrival of a set of masks for the clear parts. I nearly went insane masking the 75 panes on the clear parts of the Nell that I did for this group. And this kit has 115 panes to mask!

Eduard masking set to the rescue! Masking is underway. Here's the nose that's done.

You can also see that I built and painted the props. I used Mission Models "propeller color". I'm just getting into this paint, and while I'm learning how to spray it effectively, I find that the finish is smooth and incredibly durable.

2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Masking heaven? - imagine cutting them all from tape. . . This is indeed one build where the investment in a set of masks really pays off! Thank you for sharing @mlicari.

Thanks Paul @yellow10, Erik @airbum, and Spiros @fiveten!

Indeed, the $10 I spent on the mask set is well worth it. Finished masking this morning, and the clear parts that I'll add before painting have been attached!

Mike

Thanks Philip! Yep, I'm going to go with the torpedo...

I haven't abandoned this project, although it's been a while since I've updated this thread.

Here we are with paint on and wings now attached.

1 attached image. Click to enlarge.