Good stuff Louis. I've never seen so many Fine Molds models being built. I've got three bottles of Metallic Blue paint I bought decades ago only to find out years later it wasn't all that common on a lot of Japanese aircraft

Looking good, Louis! I like the gull wing of this aircraft.

Hey George, @blackadder57
Don't feel too bad over having an excess of "Aotake" blue... I happen to know another fellow who happens to have at least 3 bottles of Model Master left too... and that person is me.

Hello again Spiros, @fiveten
I have made an error when talking about the color chips. The light green color was actually a pre war Army color. The darker gray color chip was a good representation of the pre war Navy color. Later on the two colors were merged together and called the same thing, and were yet another different shade. This subject is fascinating to me. Thanks my friend and I am amazed at how fast your D3A Val has been completed. Good job !

Hey Robert. @roofrat
I happen to like this little plane too. It looks really cool, and will look even better when I eventually build up an A5M Claude to go next to it...hmmmm ?

Bill, @billkoppos
This little kit goes together very easy. The fit is perfect and I didn't need any filler anywhere. Go get one, and I'm sure you will be glad you did. It's such a cool little model and since your kid built one too, I'm sure he can vouch for it. You won't be disappointed. We must have read the same article. That's what prompted me to lighten the color up some on this one. I hope that I didn't get it too light, but that's possible. I'm rolling with it though as it's "close enough" for me. It actually looks a little more green in person though. I'm having a hard time getting the color to show properly on the computer.

Thanks for the comments gents. I have another installment coming up next.

Looks great @lgardner. The "blueblack" is outstanding!

Louis, you must be so pleased - this model has you 'written all over it'. From the choice to the execution. The engine and the way it sits on the plane is just stunning - and the paint job and foil are trademark Gardner. Well done my friend - leading the group from the front as ever!

Great job, Louis. The decals will really make this plane look cool. I have been using AK Real Colors, and they have specific colors for the different cockpit and exterior colors. I have ordered some for the Lorna I plan to build and will post photos.

Erik, @airbum

I think you are right, and now that the decals have been applied, the slight green tint seems to be a little more apparent. I took a series of different photos using different colored back grounds. That also had a significant impact on the appearance. I'll be posting these photos up in a few, so please stand by... I just finished up the model. Thanks for the compliments on the build... you must know me too well, as I have to use some BMF in most of my builds.

Pedro, @holzhamer

It seems that we all have our own little "trade marks"... I can tell your builds from others too. When you posted your JG54 109, I knew immediately who built it. Now I need to get busy with a few Mustangs...and get that new H&S going. Yes since this is a prototype, and it was a pre war aircraft, I am going to keep it looking as if it were new. I feel this is how the real plane would have been cared for. I read that the finish was "highly polished" so I'm keeping it nice and shiny... Thanks again my friend.