Hi everyone!

My Tsurugi is almost finished, ready for its suicide mission. So, my addiction to this spectacular GB urged me to dig out this classic beauty from my SoD.

The Aichi E13A (Allied reporting name: "Jake") was a long-range reconnaissance seaplane used by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) from 1941 to 1945. Numerically the most important floatplane of the IJN, it could carry a crew of three and a bombload of 250 kg (550 lb). The Navy designation was "Navy Type Zero Reconnaissance Seaplane"

In China, it operated from seaplane tenders and cruisers. Later, it was used as a scout for the Attack on Pearl Harbor, and was encountered in combat by the United States Navy during the Battles of Coral Sea and Midway. It was in service throughout the conflict, for coastal patrols, strikes against navigation, liaison, officer transports, castaway rescues, and other missions, along with some kamikaze missions in the last days of war.

One Aichi E13A was operated by Nazi Germany alongside two Arado Ar 196s out of the base at Penang. The three aircraft formed the East Asia Naval Special Service to assist the German Monsun Gruppe as well as local Japanese naval operations.
Eight examples were operated by the French Navy Air Force during the First Indochina War from 1945-1947, while others were believed to be operated by the Naval Air Arm of the Royal Thai Navy before the war. One example captured by New Zealand forces was flown by RNZAF personnel in theatre, but sank and was not repaired after a float leaked.
The kit
Back in 2002, I found this beauty, together with the 1/48 Nichimos Kate and Nick, sealed and forgotten at shelf of a toy/hobby shop in my hometown. Bought them all for 35 euros! Isn't life a miracle?
Lying in my SoD for all these years, decided to build the Jake for this lovely GB.

It is a very old kit, but still the only game in town. Chances are that Tamigawa or someone else mainstream will release a new mold around a week before I finish mine...So I better hurry to make you, my friends and all fellow modellers happy ASAP!
Engine is a joke, only a decorated plate, as this is the motorized version (but no motor is included).
Also cockpit is a joke, being shallow, hosting the batteries under it.

The rest of the parts are reasonably detailed, raised panel lines allover (no problem for me), but quite a few sink marks were noted.
Canopy is one piece (good for me, as I usually build my planes with closed canopies, so that I don't have to detail cockpits that much...EEEERRRRR, SORRY: so that I preserve the aircraft lines...).
Decals look very old...

Instructions are a pamphlet in Japanese

and an extra sheet with the translation. Look sufficient.

Construction
I first dealt with the engine problem. The Jake wears a Mitsubishi MK8 Kinsei 43 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, this means two 7 cylinder rows. Had an extra Nakajima Ki-27 Ha-1 Kotobuki Otsu 9-cylinder air-cooled radial, left from my Hasegawa Nate build (Hase provided two nice identical engines, one with central axle and one with a hole - to fit the polycap).

What I did was to cut the 9 cylinders from their block, file them down to reduce their length (as the Kinsei is narrower) and reglue only 7 of them circumferentially to the block.

Removed the blank offending plates from the Jake cowling halves and ground their inner part to allow for some extra room.

Glued the cowling halves together, sanded the (half) Kinsei (!) a bit here and there and it fitted!

Now the cowling will be sanded smooth in and out and the front engine row will be glued o top of the Nichimo provided engine looking plate, so I will have a "false" back row. I think the result will be suficient (If Hasegawa do it at their Val, I can do it as well!)

P.S. "Quality Control" representatives are sleeping now, hopefully will have their "GO" release tomorrow...
All the best Great EoJ GB!

Spiros, there are a few comments I need to say, so I hope you don’t mind.

First and foremost you need to stop. Just how many more Jap planes are you thinking about building during this GB? You make most of us (well me at least) look like some choirboys for having just one WIP 🙂

Second, but equally important, this is a great subject to build. Like you mention it’s the only quarter scale for this plane, it looks cool and it has floaters!

Third, your ingenious plan to upgrade the power egg of your Jake is perfect. That move will enhance the quality of the build greatly.

Fourth and last, I see that the Jake uses the same trolley as the Seiran. Makes sense given they’re both Aichi made seaplanes. Does in come in the box or just on the illustrations?

Going follow with great interest my friend

Hello again Spiros, @fiveten

I like what you have done using the spare engine parts from a Nate... I might have to "borrow" this idea when the time comes and I get around to building my Nichimo "Jake". Great idea ! I was thinking about trying to scratch build the cockpit, and getting away from the kit supplied parts that were originally designed to hide the batteries.
About 3 years ago we were posting our builds for a very successful "Battle of Midway" group build.
Our good friend Paul Barber @yellow10 built up a magnificent model using the exact same kit you have just started. Here's a link to it in case you are interested... It's definitely worth the visit.

https://imodeler.com/groups/75th-anniversary-battle-of-midway-group-build/forum/topic/e13a-jake/

and here is the finished model. It's a spectacular build.

Scout 4 is Late!

I still have mine... and it's the exact same kit you have started here. I am currently thinking about building another EoJ biplane... either a 1/48 Hasegawa E-8N1 or a smaller Hasegawa 1/48 FM-1 "Pete". Both kits are still sealed in the shrink wrap, bbut my Nichimo "Jake" is opened. Before I do this, I have another little trick up my sleeve... How about a 1/48 Fine Molds "Kikka" jet ? A miniature and somewhat similar version of the venerable Me-262... Yes Bill, @billkoppos Exactly 78 years ago today the Battle of Midway started. This is a very important date during WW2, as it changed the course of the Pacific War.

Looking forward to QC giving the go and tuned in for next post - and while we wait I have to consider the Kikki Louis brought up. . . . Perhaps I should just go and get something done at the bench. . .

Thanks, my friend Colin @coling! Can you imagine I had to pay only 11 euros for it? Found forgotten, together with the 1/48 Nichimos Kate and Nick, at a toy shop. 35 euros for all. Couldn't believe it.
The Jake kit is crude. Fit is moderate so far. Sink marks everywhere. Still, I m hooked in a strange way.

Thanks Mike @mlicari!

Got QC approval for kit...

... and engine modification (Kinseiing the Kotobuki).

Glued the two fuselage halves, leaving the top off to start my cockpit creation attempt.

Fit is not bad, but look at those sink marks..

.

Glued the float halves. Left their front off to determine if and how much weight I have to put, as the model looks tail heavy.

Glued the wings, leaving off the toy looking folding mechanism. Again, fit is good, if you take your time cleaning those old molds.

The dolly is a small model by itself. Started removing its parts from the sprues and began cleaning those monstrous mold lines.

Will use Pedro's @holzhamer masterpiece dolly for the Seiran as my guideline and inspiration. Hope to finish my dolly half good as his at best!

All the best EoJ GB!

Thanks @airbum!

Stuffed as many tiny fishing weights as I could in the float noses, securing them with my sons' modelling clay.

Glued the float noses. Fit here is "Early Classic Airframes Fit"(...). I hope liquified styrene, minus(!) 220 sandpaper and finally Green Stuff will help me here...

Kinseing the Kotobuki - Part 3:

Removed the 18 pushrods from the cabane

Glued the cabane on the crankcase, the cabane awaiting circumferential smoothing to accept its now 14 pushrods.

All the best!

Thanks my friend @airbum!
Maybe building a BMW 50's boxer engine?
Need to modify the heads a lot.
Oh, and have to scratchbuild the crankcase...