I’m Up to My Neck in Models

My workbench is looking like a junk yard of airplane parts lately and I quite enjoy it. Progress has revealed itself on all five builds. Even the ill produced Su-22 is going as well as possible. More on that later. So maybe I have gone crazy but I have decided to exploit my good fortunes a bit more by starting two more builds. That brings my total to seven kits that I am currently working on. The back story behind the two newcomers is simple and overdue. I was reminiscing through the pictures on my sidebar and came to the two Zeros that I built a long while ago. I couldn’t help but notice that I have neglected Japan’s great selection of WWII aircraft. I grabbed Arri Models 1/72 Mitsubishi G3M2 (Nell) kit. This model has been in my working to-do pile for a long time. I had a good time when I built a Dinah from Arri Models so I hoped it would be the same experience. Multitasking is a wonderful skill to have when building models. I have brought the Nell up to speed with the other builds and now I just need to start sanding the seams.

As I was clipping the parts from the sprues for the Nell, I got to thinking about doing another Japanese plane. Originally the plan was to wait and start it on my next set. As I thought about it more, I figured now was a better time while I am using Japanese colors. I can get both done in one shot instead of getting them all back out again later resulting in my seventh build. I chose Hasegawa’s 1/72 Aichi E13A1 (Jake). This build also comes with a catapult to build and display the plane on. I will need to do a bit of research to get the accuracy correct on the catapult. The Jake sits the same as the Nell. The seams need sanded and I think I will get by without any filler.

Now for the rest of the builds. The A-10’s were primed today and show mostly good news. There are just a few minor spots that need filler and then I can move on. The F-35 was also primed and shows one spot to add more filler.

As for the Su-22, it is certainly a problem build. The wings have a terrible fit to them. It’s almost comical how bad they are. The left one was a little better to work with so I fixed that one first and installed it on the fuselage. The right wing will take some time and a gentle hand to fix. I will keep at it and it will get done when it wants, I guess.

The PBY is moving along wonderfully. I sanded the seams yesterday and primed it this morning. I will add some more filler tonight or tomorrow to wrap it up and move on to getting the wings attached.