{"id":1313,"date":"2024-04-30T00:29:56","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T00:29:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aceartanddesign.com\/?p=1313"},"modified":"2024-04-30T00:29:56","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T00:29:56","slug":"building-mitsuo-fuchidas-pearl-harbor-command-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aceartanddesign.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/30\/building-mitsuo-fuchidas-pearl-harbor-command-post\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Mitsuo Fuchida\u2019s Pearl Harbor Command Post\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Nakajima B5N2 Kate was the best torpedo bomber in the Pacific. The airplane also was the aerial command post for Japan’s “Day of Infamy.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A talented young officer in the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Service, Mitsuo Fuchida was chosen by Vice Admiral Ch\u016bichi Nagumo to coordinate and lead the attack on Pearl Harbor. From his place in the center seat of a Nakajima B5N2 \u201cKate\u201d he would be able to see the state of the harbor\u2019s defenses and command his waves of attacking aircraft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Released in 2001, Hasegawa\u2019s \u201cKate\u201d has been offered in a number of guises, as a torpedo plane, a version with folding wings and one with a single armored piercing bomb. That kit, their first offering, includes markings that are not for the more popular torpedo plane, but for Fuchida\u2019s command aircraft. The \u201ctip of the spear\u201d of the Pearl Harbor attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The detail is typical for Hasegawa, accurate to a fault. Begin with the cockpit, paying close attention to the plenty of small parts that make up the aircrew\u2019s \u201coffice.\u201d It was common for different manufacturers to have their own particular interior paint color. Nakajima\u2019s greenish gray, (often called Nakajima Interior Green), is different from the greenish blue that was typical for Mitsubishi\u2019s aircraft. Paint the cockpit parts and get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The control panels have nicely raised detail, but decals are provided for some of us without the talent for painting tiny dials and switches. The only extras that are needed are seat belts for the three crew positions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The three man cockpit is made is made up of thirty-one separate pieces. Decals for the control panel and aftermarket seatbelts give it some added interest.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once completed, the cockpit assembly forms a tub that fits between the fuselage halves. The fit is very good, but it pays to dry-fit pieces first. Once everything is together, set aside the completed fuselage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next assemble the bomber\u2019s engine painting it black. Cement the engine to the firewall and drybrush an aluminum color over the engine\u2019s cylinders to make the detail pop. Paint the main crankcase a medium gray. Paint the cowling and the forward firewall flat black. On many Japanese aircraft a flat black color extends from the cowling to the pilot\u2019s windscreen. The color acts as an anti-glare panel. Paint the cowling and glue it in place setting the completed assembly aside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s time to attach the large broad wing to the fuselage. Again, the fit is very good and requires minimal filler and sanding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moveable surfaces, rudder, ailerons and the horizontal stabilizer were fabric covered and should be painted in the same color as the bomber\u2019s interior. The rest of the airplane was left natural metal. Upper surfaces should be a dark green color. Photos from the time show many carrier-based aircraft with a fair amount of chipping and wear of the dark green. Images of what is purported to be Fuchida\u2019s \u201cKate\u201d show the camouflage, hastily applied without primer, flaking off from exposure to the harsh weather at sea.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is purported to be a photo, taken from newsreel footage, of Fuchida\u2019s Kate returning to the carrier Akagi after the Pearl Harbor attack. Notice the paint chipping. (National Archives)<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are a couple of ways to replicate the chipped effect. One is to spray common hairspray to the natural metal color, letting it dry before painting the dark green color. There are also a number of \u201cchipping fluids\u201d on the market that can be brushed on or sprayed in much the same way. Once the chipping solution and dark green camouflage have been applied, a cocktail stick and an old toothbrush can be used to chip away at the camouflage color. Wet the toothbrush and start scrubbing the various seams and panels removing the green paint in much the same way as the harsh weather did on the real thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take your time and experiment first before going all in on the model, it is a bit of an art form. Once you\u2019re satisfied with the look, set aside the aircraft to dry thoroughly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, spray a light gloss varnish to prepare the model for the decals. Markings are very simple affair, a large Hinomaru (the classic large red disc) appears in six positions: top and bottom of the wings and either side of the fuselage. The tail is painted red with three broad yellow stripes on the rudder along with the code \u201cAI-103\u201d signifying that it is the commander\u2019s airplane from the wing aboard the aircraft carrier Akagi<\/em>. A coat of a dull varnish seals the decals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The finished Kate doesn\u2019t look as good as new, but that\u2019s the idea behind the weathering.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Next, assemble the landing gear, painting the tires a black rubber color. The gear struts and landing gear doors should be a natural metal aluminum color. Add some mild weathering, oil and fuel stains. Keep the weathering to a minimum, crew members would have taken excellent care of their aircraft on the long voyage across the Pacific. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kit gives the modeler a choice of a one-piece canopy or positioning it open to show off that detailed interior. The clear pieces are thin, be careful not to crack the plastic. Invest in a set of precut adhesive masks for the canopy. A number of brands are available designed specifically to be used with the Hasegawa kit. Mask off the different canopy pieces and paint then the same dark green as the rest of the aircraft. Let the pieces dry thoroughly before removing the masks. Pay close attention to the four canopy pieces and how they fit together when slid open. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Nakajima B5N2 Kate was the best torpedo bomber in the Pacific. The airplane also was the aerial command post for Japan’s “Day of Infamy.” A talented young officer in the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Service, Mitsuo Fuchida was chosen by Vice Admiral Ch\u016bichi Nagumo to coordinate and lead the attack on Pearl Harbor. From his place in … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Building Mitsuo Fuchida\u2019s Pearl Harbor Command Post\u00a0“<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aceartanddesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aceartanddesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aceartanddesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aceartanddesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aceartanddesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1313"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/aceartanddesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1313\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1322,"href":"https:\/\/aceartanddesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1313\/revisions\/1322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aceartanddesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aceartanddesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aceartanddesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}