Hasegawa's Nick is
perhaps, the coolest model that I built for quite some time. Although not free
of glitches and requires considerable attention during construction, it
represents a painter's paradise.
Click on
images below to see larger images
Some issues of the
usual Hasegawa fuselage-wings fit had been raised. I cut the flaps' panel line
that resides in the fuselage part and attached to the respective wing flap part.
The result, no need for even a drop of putty.
Painting was done
the traditional way, (which is easier for me) and not the modeller's tack
approach. The result speaks for itself. Although the Hinomaru templates
were far from perfect, they reduced painting time and achieved their
goal. Avoid using roundel decals in recently manufactured models that
have extensive rivet patterns. Weathering was kept to a minimum based on
photographs assuming that most aircraft of this type were operated from the
Mainland and were retained in pristine condition.
Rafi Ben-Shahar
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