1/72 Hasegawa Nakajima Ki43-II 

Hayabusa (Oscar)

by Kenny Towne

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This kit assembled easily straight out of the box.  I really didn't encounter any gripes or issues  during the build.  I chose the mottled camouflage version because it's not a typical two tone green pattern.  Not exactly a thing of beauty but dabbing the dark green with both a chisel tip and round tip brush produced the desired effect.  The decals required multiple applications of Micro-Sol to get them to settle down over the details but look good in the end.  Weathering was accomplished with chalk and a light water color wash.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

My first submission to ARC was built in a hotel room!  I am on the road frequently for extended periods and thought it would be nice to bring along a distraction to fill the void in the evenings.  I carry the tools and paint in plastic organizers and ship them ahead to the worksite.  A cardboard box folded out for a work surface protects the desktop and I do the spray painting in the parking lot.  ModelMaster Acryl paints minimize the need to purchase cleaning solvents locally but I still spend time at the hobby shop!  One thing that I did discover is that the limited amount of space and time in the evening forces me to work slower and I complete assembly steps over a period of days rather than in one evening.   I make fewer errors and end up with a nicer result.

No masterpiece to be sure but a nice way to unwind in the evening after work.

Kenny

 

Photos and text © by Kenny Towne