1/48 AZ Model Kayaba Ka-Go Ka1

by Laurent ‘Angus’ Beauvais

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Hello all. Back with something pretty original. I did a review of the AZ Model kit here: http://www.arcair.com/Rev3/2001-2100/rev2070-AZ-Model-Beauvais/00.shtm. I must admit as it is finished now that I was a little bit optimist regarding this manual kit, but if you want to test yourself on this kind of plastic model kit, it’s a quite easy one.

Regarding documentation, it is quite rare, and my main documentation will be a video that you will find on this excellent web site: http://gyrowiki.com/Video%20Library/Forms/Video%20View.aspx.

Picture 1: The engine is simple, but regarding the air intake it’s enough. Just paint it in black and drybrush it. But now when mounting the nose, bad surprise, it does not fit at all. Nothing complex to correct. Note that there is nothing in the notice regarding the engine, it has been forgotten.

Picture 2: Cockpit parts looks rather nice, but there is strictly nothing to position the parts. Note also the huge handle.

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Picture 3: Instrument panel looks nice, but is is not possible to position it correctly inside the cockpit.

Picture 4: Consequently I decided to scratch the fuselage structure according to a unique photo I’ve got. 

Picture 5: Here is the result for the cockpit.

Picture 6: Some few enhancements. The vertical stabilizer has been cut, on the photos we can clearly see a gap between it and the fuselage. A oblong hole has been made in the mast and it’s leading edge has been cut vertically at its beginning

Picture 7: Additional air intake added

Picture 8: The worst now. The landing gear is completely false, the shape of the parts have to be flat (wing shape) and not round, and most important, the landing gear width is too small. It has to be completely redesigned.

PAINTING:

Picture 9: First I started with a mixture of Humbrol 310 and 166

Picture 10: Then I used Tamiya Japanese navy green and grey. Camouflage limits are slightly soft, but as I don’t have any photo of this paint scheme, do as you feel.

Picture 11: Then I used white pastel powder

Picture 12: Then  black pastel powder

Picture 13: to obtain this result (compare to picture 10)

Picture 14: Then clear varnish (Klir, named Future in the states) plus a oil paint juice.

Picture 15: Here are sumurized the different stages of the weathering up to the mat “pebeo” varnish

So at the end, a small kit (15 cms long) which is not common.

Laurent

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Photos and text © by Laurent ‘Angus’ Beauvais