G’day Keith (@greenterorz),

It is good to see the start on the Zero.

Your worry about the bomb on the Val led me to fo some googling. I found this photo of the bombs above but from a different angle.

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Japanese_naval_ordinance_used_in_Pearl_Harbor_attack.jpg#mw-jump-to-license

From the text, the Hasegawa bomb is more or less correct gor the Val and the one you were looking at was dropped from the Kates.

So, your Val is correct in that regard (and many others).

Now I will have to dig my Kate instructions out, because I think it is a bomber version, and look at the bomb supplied.

Thanks for the compliments and the info! @fiveten @johnb @gblair, @michaelt

Tonight I was able to get the interior finished!

Base coat:
XF-71 (IJN Cockpit Green)

Weathering:
Oil paint - Black
Dry Pigment - Soot, Green, Dirty rubble, Beach sand, Rust
Dry Brush - XF-71 (IJN Cockpit green), XF-70 (Dark Green), XF-16 (Flat Aluminum)

Tomorrow I plan on getting the fuselage glued up.

Cheers!

The interior looks really awesome, my friend @greenterrorz!

Looks very good, Keith @greenterrorz

Seem lines filled:

Sanding complete. Engine and fuel tank assembled:

Hasegawa apparently doesn’t care if bullets hit the engine cowl…

This is just a dry fit of the engine cowl, but based on how it fits every where else, I think this was just an oversight on Hasegawa’s part. The plastic on this particular kit is rather thin and brittle, so I am a bit nervous to remedy the issue…. Other than that specific angle; you cannot tell:

Thanks as always for following along and giving compliments @fiveten @johnb

Excellent filling and sanding, my friend @greenterrorz!
Indeed, a mismatch at the cowling area, hardly visible but from this angle. Since the plastic looks not that cooperative, if you cannot live with the current looks, maybe opting for a light "remedy", not overstressing the plastic, to partly even the discrepancy and look less prominent?

As always, I appreciate the feedback and your following of this WIP.

So... I remedied the cowling issue. I had to cut a section of the engine off which was preventing the cowl from going any lower:

I applied metallic blue paint (Tamiya X-13) to sections of the gear flaps and inside the engine cowling:

Lastly I applied Alclad aluminum to the prop, engine, landing gear, and a few other misc parts:

Cowling fits much better this way, Keith @greenterrorz
Good work on the smaller parts.