Januar y 2021

APRIL 2023

Welcome to the Missing Sprue!

This quarterly Gazette is for Coventry and Warwickshire club members to show off
recent builds, share techniques, and inform the club of forthcoming shows etc.

I’m sure you are all looking forward to this year’s shows as some of these have
already been announced, I will try and update the show calendar, in future issues of
the gazette.

Looking forward, to the shows we will attend as a club in the next couple of months
please see the show diary in this edition.

Club Meeting Dates

Diary - Coventry & Warwickshire IPMS Model Club (weebly.com)

Articles Required

If you would like to add/write an article, write a review of a Show, Model shop,
modelling techniques, Articles or even submit photos for the next edition of the Missing
Sprue, please contact John via e-mail :
john.transam@ntlworld.com
Introduction by the new sprue editor
Hi all, my name is John and I will be looking to take some pressure off Paul, and take over
collating and editing the missing sprue, any interesting articles or visits, please just let us
know, and we can look at getting them in the feature. I have a few ideas already but will be
exploring as we go. So, first things first.

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AGM meeting 3rd February 2023

This year’s AGM meeting had a few ideas proposed, on the back of this Paul Redfern has set
up a private Facebook page. This is so we can keep our photos and comments private
between ourselves and reduce the risk of any unwanted guests or viewers. Also, a proposal
for an online access account was put forward in case of emergency funds access if the
Treasurer was unavailable, which I think was regarded as a good idea by most, if not all of
the members. 25 members attended and was held in good spirit, votes were cast and the
following members were confirmed:

Paul Redfern – Club Secretary and Show Organiser

Carl Lewis – Club Treasurer

John Savage – Missing Sprue Editor

A BIG THANK YOU to all who participated and joined in.

General need to know

The display cabinet in the Museum has been cleared and re-stocked using fresh models, a
nice refresh for members and visitors alike.

At the meeting on 17th February 2023, It was asked if we were having a club BBQ this year, I
personally think this would be a great social event as since Covid decided to grace us with
its presence social interaction (I feel) has been somewhat lost, a chance for us all to get
together, eat some burnt burgers and sausages, salads maybe for those of the greener
persuasions, will be something we all need.

The club shed is looking to be cleaned and emptied and any items which can be recycled
will hopefully be donated or sold to help others starting out, rubbish or junk will be thrown
away so any items in there belonging to members will need to be collected promptly
otherwise the Lesser Spotted Tasmanian Cleaning Devil, otherwise known as Paul Redfern,
will be disposed of.

A theme has been voted on and decided for SMW 2023. The theme will be hot and cold and
currently the idea is to have the table split in two, on one side “Hot” and the other “cold”
themed models. It was also discussed at the last meeting if anyone was willing to put a
model in for the club at SMW as a show mode, my suggestion is a build off? I for one would
like to build a model, so if those wanting to submit a model, have a deadline date and then
put them all in for voting, similar to the banner page and therefore fair.

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Useful information
Any hyperlinks I add to the sprue will be accessible by holding CTRL and clicking on the
underlined link.

For those who like aftermarket parts in Armor and Aero, Quinta studios offer 3D decals in
many scales, for
e.g. Safety belts, interior and even rivets.
Paint mixers can be expensive, normally about £16, however on Amazon STIRRER or Ebay
STIRRER, you can
Get them for around a fiver, if the end of the mixer is not to your liking, you can simply
change the end and make a stirrer of any shape using some metal rod.
Mig Ammo do some thin contacta liquid, I got some from the paint rack and can honestly
say it’s on a parr with the Tamiya thin, so a good alternative.
Humour Time

Members Article Section

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Bolton Model show February 2023

We arrived in Bolton on the Saturday and drove straight into town so Naiyana and me could
get some lunch, before driving to the hotel, next to the Bolton football club, where this
show was to be held the following day. The hotel was nice and quiet, and we had dinner in
the Harvester that evening.
So, I arrived at the show at about 07:45 logged the car in, and proceeded to setup the
stand, and a short time later Richard arrived to help. Once the setup was completed and I
had my models displayed, as well as a few from Richard, the tabled looked pretty empty, I
hoped that some of the other members would turn up, to fill up the table.
Well- it’s gone 09:00 and I am still on my own.
At about 09:15 the rest of the team turned up, and started to fill out the table, I was saved.

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Thank you, my friends.

Bolton is a Large venue, and it did not disappoint, lots of large traders, as well as small ones,
with plenty of under the table sales, and every modeller was catered for.
10:00 Doors opened and the public started to roll in.
10:30 Walked out to have a vape, and the queue was 4 across and went around the
building.
11.30 The queue was just as long.
12:30 the queue was 4 across but only 100 yds long.
There was only 2 people on the door taking money, I think they underestimated the
turnout, and people were still queueing past 1pm.
There were a lot of very good displays and loads of excellent models from all the clubs
taking part on the main floor, and the balcony was just as crowded, I enjoyed the day and
will go again. The only point I would like to see improvement, is to have more people on the
door in the morning.

Steve Roberts.
Thanks for the write up and photos Steve.

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South Cheshire Universal Scale Model show

26th February 2023

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When this show popped up on social media, I’d thought we should give this a go, as I
could’nt remember if we had been here before, I now know its been over a deecade since
we attended this show as a club.
I picked up my partner in crime (Denis) at sunrise and we headed up the M6 towards
Nantwich. A little bit of confusion from the Info we were given , but we managed to park in
the right exhibitors car park.
I know the Malbank School Quite well, as I have been visiting the school for my alter-ego
hobby , renacting with the Sealed Knot Society, as I was the just a month previously.
Our table was located in a cluster of tables adjacent to the entrance, Steve Roberts and Don
Richards turned up at the same time, and we managed to present a decent table display.
There was a wide selection of displays, such as “Star Wars” Group and a RAF Regiment re-
enactment group as well. Lots of Train Modellers and Remote control trucks, and of course
Model clubs.
At 1000hrs there was a very long queue of the public, speaking to some of the public
myself, this was a well supported local event, with people travelling from Liverpool for
example.
We had Member Visits from Ray, Clive and Tom and Sorin and Maria and little Uri.
Martin was in the main hall with his “what if “SIG and the ususal suspects from Liecester
Modellers , 365 club.
The Canteen made a good profit and the bacon and sausage batches were very welcome.
Traderwise , there was Affinity Models, Cosmic models and a lot of independent traders , to
name but a few.
Overall, a great day out and we managed to sell off some of Derek Power’s kits.
Looking forward to next year, if the interest of the club allows, I would be inclined to visit
again, and expand the space to four tables in the main hall/Gym.
More Pictures On the website at :
South Cheshire Show 26th February y 2023 - Coventry & Warwickshire IPMS Model Club
(weebly.com)

Paul Redfern

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East Midlands Show April 2nd 2023

East Midlands Model Show was held at Hinckley Leisure Centre on 2nd April, we had a
decent table with plenty of interest. On a personal note, it was my first club show and
although a long day I really enjoyed being part of the team and being on “the other side” so
to speak. A big thanks to everyone who was able to help set up and clear on Saturday and
Sunday, I was a little sore on Sunday evening, but thoroughly enjoyed being involved. Some
nice bargains were there to be had and some lovely builds by everyone there.

John Savage

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More photos from club members are also located on the club website at: East Midlands
IPMS Show 2nd April 2023 - Coventry & Warwickshire IPMS Model Club (weebly.com)

Just to add to the above, for those that know, this will give a grin and for those who were
not there this was a funny, contagious moment:

Sams’s last name???? answers on a postcard please………….

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Hack Green secret nuclear bunker

Visit by Paul Redfern

From the website : Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker
On my many visits to Nantwich over the years, I always saw the brown sign indicating
“Secret Nuclear Bunker”. This year on my way back after spending the evening in Nantwich,
I decided to visit this museum.

The site has some outside exhibits such as a large Radar system, and some small static
displays, the site is also shared by a software company for data storage (following the 9/11
attacks where a lot of these sites were privately purchased).
The inside is split between two levels , and a walking route is provided, the foyer has some
interesting random stuff, such as a prototype “Saker” reconnaissance vehicle.

The entrance fee is a touch pricey at £13 per person , but you can gift aid £2 and your ticket
allows free entry for the following year. There is a very large café area with exhibits , and
very friendly cat called “goulash” , the teas/coffees are in tin mugs, which is a nice touch,
there is a gift shop, selling some very weird items like rubber bullets, and Mortar rounds

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and even a AT 3 antitank missile for £350.00!! , you can buy Mugs/pens as well.

The rooms are themed , such as the BBC studio, military radio station, and some recreations
of Russian comms centre, some re-enacting groups do attend over the bank holiday
weekends.
The lower level is full of electronic equipment, sectioned off into different rooms, and
themes.

On the whole, I spent a good two hours wandering around, and the photos shown are a
small amount of what it took, but well worth a visit.
Also located on the club website at: Secret Nuclear Bunker Hack Green Cheshire - Coventry & Warwickshire IPMS Model Club (weebly.com)

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A nice post by Marcus White

Fame at last! - well it means a lot to me anyway.

Teaming up with Pat Mills, author of Charley’s War / Judge Dredd 2000ad comics.

When I was a young boy I struggled to get to grips with the concept of reading or writing,
much to the consternation of my parents. I was sent for various tests that I somehow
managed to pass each time, leaving everyone totally baffled as I was behind my peer group
at the time. I basically had no interest, saw no logical (well to me) point to reading.

Aged about 9yrs old, a mate introduced me to his comic collection knowing I couldn’t read.
I was instantly gripped by one particular story line, the images were so vivid and the visual
story telling so marvellous I wanted to understand the words, even though they made no
sense. Within months I was buying the comic fortnightly from a local paper shop and taught
myself to read. So, by the age of ten, I had gone from being a non-reader, to that of a
reader with comprehension of a 14yr old.

The story that got me hooked was Charley’s War, battle comics 1980’s. Illustrated by Joe
Colquhoun and written by Pat Mills. The story is deemed to be a classic and probably the
best of British comic writing ever. So, I was lucky to hit the sweet spot when my need was
at its greatest.

Since that age, I’ve loved the stories of Charley’s War, historically accurate, subversive,
brutal but humanly compassionate with an anti-war undertone. The little guy didn’t always
win, but the class struggle was real. The story has inspired other modellers who have an
interest in WW1, and Tommy’s War retailer is named in homage to the comic strip.

Charley Bourne was a 16yr old, average boy who joined the Great war by lying about his
age. The reader goes on a journey with young Charley Bourne, encountering everything
from Zepplin raids over London, to Field punishment No1, mutiny and fighting against the
Prussian’s on the western front in all kinds of weather.

Recently I’ve had the pleasure of teaming up with Pat Mills, the Charley’s war author in his
rewrite “The secret history of Charley’s War”. Pat asked me if he could use some of my
models to accompany his story, for me both an honour and pleasure to be able to support
the great man.

You’ve probably noticed some of my model dioramas take on a different theme to most,
with an undertone of being anti-war being my way of being subversive in the hobby. that is
my little homage to the brave men who sacrificed for our today, and to the great writing
that inspired me as a child all those years ago.

If you ever get the chance to read or buy the Charley’s war stories, they are available from
Rebellion publishing, you won’t be disappointed. A great read that should be mandatory,

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particularly to children ardent for some desperate glory, if they have not learned the lesson
of the old lie: Dulce et decorum est, Pro patria mori.

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Marcus White
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My Hobby
Sometimes I question myself about how much preoccupied time I spend with model kits, time, and
money in my hobby. Like many of us my interest was nurtured through my school years, watching
war films, and buying Airfix kits at Woolies, (for the less known out there Woolworths was the
Swiss army knife of shops, selling everything) Building them quickly with tube glue and sticking the
decals on before the glue had set, then destroying them re-enacting a scene from one of the
movies. The better builds may end up hanging from the ceiling away from my younger brothers
and sisters! Many of my schoolfriends were building too, but one by one left the hobby and
discovered girls and football / music amongst other things more interesting .
My knowledge and skills( I like to think!) have improved over the years . In the meantime, my
cashflow is better and from a tight pocket money budget which would get me a series one Airfix
kit or the equivalent matchbox or frog, to a point where money is now less of an issue and the
purchase of kits over one hundred pounds ,no longer raises an eyebrow.
I’m at a point now (if I’m honest have been for some time) that I can buy kits quicker than I can
build them. Rather than it just being about the model, it’s now all about the reference material, the
detail sets, the extra decals and the paint . All of which I "need" to create the model in my head.
This is before I can even start the project, then another new release and before I know it the cycle
starts again ! So, I’m now spending probably more time reading and shopping than I am building!
If I’m really honest, I haven’t even the room to build half the kits I’ve got, so why keep buying
then? Well, that new Airfix Vulcan will be a much-improved version model over the previous
offering. That childhood dream of owning Tamiya’s 1/48 Lancaster and now having a choice of two
in Lancaster’s in1/32nd scale! The temptation with all these new kits whatever your interest
resistance is futile!
Is my chosen hobby an obsession or an addiction? maybe to some, Is it unhealthy? no not at all!
My son wouldn’t think twice about spending £100 on a night out, going to the footy, going to a
concert or some other event. So, an argument can be made, that the financial side of the hobby is
still reasonable.
I don’t drink or gamble and I’m not hurting anyone. It hasn’t impacted on anyone else, so that’s a
positive.
Although an overlooked and insular hobby, I have still gained many friends and there is still a nice
sociable side to this hobby. It has helped me through stressful periods in my life and is a great
distraction when times are tough. Balancing it with family life and other commitments, this hobby
has been a truly positive-and rewarding time for me. I still enjoy the hobby, just like I did all those
years ago and I hope it will continue for many years to come!

Mark Watkins.

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Chinchilla What?!!
In one of our meetings earlier in the year there was mention of the use of Chinchilla dust
for creation of roads and other hard surfaces. Here I wanted to share the technique I use to
create road surfaces using Chinchilla dust.
Years ago, I went on a landscaping workshop at Pendon museum run by the Railway
modelling legend Gordon Gravett. There he explained his technique of creating road
surfaces using wood ash. Although it worked perfectly for me on the workshop, I found that
I couldn’t get a consistent result when I got back home. The first time I tried, it worked
perfectly, but thereafter it was always way too dark. I tried all sorts of different things like
changing the paint colour, and varying the amount of paint and ash, but I never achieved
the results that I got in the workshop - I guessed I had too much charcoal in my ash.
Eventually I read something about the use of Chinchilla dust instead of ash, and since then I
have never looked back. Every application returns the same results and areas of damage
can be patched up pretty much seamlessly.
Here’s the technique.
1. Create a basic surface using board.
2. Apply a liberal coat of Humbrol Enamel 40 Pale Grey Gloss to the surface.
3. Immediately shake Chinchilla dust through an old pair of nylon stockings (as pictured)
so only the finest dust escapes, giving a thorough and complete coverage of the
paint. If in doubt add more dust.
4. Wait for the paint to dry (I tend to wait till the next day) and vacuum off the lose
dust.
5. Weather the surface as required using air or paint brush, weathering powders etc.
rubbing the surface with a variety of tools can also give marks and different effects
such as tire marks if desired.
The result is a textured surface which works well for 1:72 or 1:48 scale road surface, but as
this technique only uses the finest dust, it leaves the larger particles in the tights, which can
then be retrieved for use on larger scale surfaces. Alternatively, Chinchilla dust can be used
straight from the tub to give a mix of material.
Chinchilla dust is readily available from most pet stores. It is used for furnishing cages of
chinchillas and other small furry creatures as they use it to condition their fur. A 1 Kilo tub

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as pictured costs less than a fiver and will last a lifetime of Modelling.
It’s well worth a try.

David Rowntree

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1/48 kits review and build.

A tale of two Tony’s

History of an in-line thoroughbred. The Kawasaki Ki-61 (Ki pronounced “key”) Hien flying
swallow is a somewhat enigmatic aircraft in the IJAAF inventory. Powered by the liquid
cooled Ha-40 engine; a license-built version of the German Daimler Benz DB 601, it was of
an all metal construction with fabric covered control surface and split flaps carried on the
rear of the three wing spars, unusually for a Japanese aircraft the three fuel tanks located
on both the 2 wings and aft of the cockpit were manufactured to be self-sealing, a welcome
luxury not enjoyed by pilots of the IJNAF. The original armament consisted of two Ho-103
12.7mm machine guns mounted above and behind the engine with their breaches
protruding into the cockpit, firing in a synchronised method through the spinning propeller,
( unlike their German counterparts the internally mounted cannon firing through the
spinner had been omitted, even though the space was available, resulting in a 30kg weight
reduction. ) and two wing mounted 7.7mm Type 89 machine guns. Another welcome
addition was the fitting of a13mm armour plate behind the pilot.

The Ki-61 was the developmental result of the less than satisfactory Ki-60 and first flew in
December 1941 from Kagamigahara airfield, its test pilots were enthusiastic in respect of
the aircraft’s protective features, relatively heavy armament and superb diving

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performance, due to its very high wing loading, but found themselves at odds with sceptical
senior officers who were critical of the perceived lack of manoeuvrability in comparison to
the lighter and more nimble airframes in service, such as the Ki-43. A “fly-off” was
organised between two prototype Ki-61’s, a Ki-43-1, a preproduction Ki-44, a defector
delivered LaGG-3, a Bf 109E-7 and a captured P-40E Warhawk, the Ki-61 outperforming
them all with the Ki-43 proving slightly superior in manoeuvrability.

The closely cowled engine caused most of the aircraft’s problems during its service, the
tolerances required to mass produce a finely tuned liquid cooled motor and the quality of
raw materials proved troubling for the Akashi plant manufacturing the Ha-40, with up to
50% failure rate resulting in return to factory, the motor was prone to overheating and oil
leaks, and was difficult to maintain in field conditions, partially due to the unique mounting
system, whereby the engine bearers were an integral feature of the forward fuselage,
access only being possible to the top or underside of the engine.

The aircraft was originally given the US identification name of Mike, possibly as a result of
its perceived Messerschmitt lineage, however many American pilots were sure that they
were encountering the Italian Macchi C.202 and the sobriquet was promptly changed to
Tony. In combat the allied pilots soon came to the realisation that they could not out dive
the Tony in the way they had been able to evade their enemy previously, and a standing
order went out throughout the PTO not to get into a diving match with the Ki-61, the only
allied fighter that could go toe to toe with it at the time was the P 38.

Combat service began initially in early 1943 with the types of deployment to the 68 th
Sentai in Wewak New Guinea, followed by the 78 th Sentai stationed in Rabaul. The
previously mentioned mechanical problems were exacerbated by the harsh jungle fields the
aircraft had to operate from and the ubiquitous Ki-43’s still dominated the Japanese fighter
capabilities, however once airborne the Tony acquitted itself with honour, the types
suffered high non-combat losses mainly due to the poorer quality and training of aircrews
in the Army compared to the Naval aviation recruits, on one occasion losing 18 out of 30 Ki-
61s in transit between Truk and Rabaul. The theatre of operations was to become totally
untenable as the allied forces regrouped and increased in numerical strength, by the
campaigns close it is estimated that the Japanese lost in excess of 2000 aircraft mainly at
the hands of Liberators and Mitchell’s, with 340 wrecks being found in Hollandia alone.

On the home front the Tony was heavily involved in the interception of B 29 raids, however
their relatively light main armament proved insufficient to guarantee a victory, experiments
were made with Ki-61 subtypes carrying heavier cannons but the detrimental impact of the
increased weight on performance proved inconclusive, the pilots however had other ideas
and began to practice ramming attacks against the massed bomber formations. The first
recorded instance of a deliberate ram was in August 1944 when Sergeant Shigeo Nobe (4th

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Sentai) flew a Ki-45 into a superfortress, not only bringing it down but also inflicting lethal
collateral 4 damage to a second B 29. On November 7, 1944, the AOC of the 10th Hiko
Shidan (air division ) formed the first official ramming attack units, these units were
referred to as Hagakure-Tai, (Special Attack Unit) formed by volunteers from three
squadrons of 244th Hiko Sentai. Combat operations with the Ki-61 commenced when a
formation Commanded by First Lieutenant Toru Shinomiya led a three-plane interception
with two NCO pilots on 3 rd December 1944, the unit gained three kills and surprisingly all
three Japanese pilots survived! For their courage and skill, they were awarded the first
examples of the Bukosho ( VC/ Medal of Honour equivalent).

The unit became officially recognised by the Defence GHQ and named Shinten Seiku Tai,
(body attack detachment) they continued with their potentially suicidal attacks until they
were either killed or so badly wounded, they could no longer fight , their fellow pilots
regarded them as Tokkotai ( Kamikaze) and of the 89 crew awarded the Bukosho by the
wars end, most had been in combat against the B 29 raids.

Traditional victories were also amassed by Ki-61 pilots with several attaining Ace status
such as Major Shogo Takeuchi, 58 victory final score, Captain Chuichi Ichikawa 10/12
victories, and of course Major Teruhiko Kobayashi, 12 victories .

Post war service continued with captured examples operating with both the Chinese
Nationalist Air Force, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force, and the Indonesian
Air Force.

There are four surviving airframes at this time , with one, in New Zealand being hopefully
restored to flying condition

Modelling the Ki-61

I have had the Hasegawa Tony in my stash for some years; purchased from eBay along with
a Rufe they went postally missing in action! It took a couple of months of complaining
before DHL finally found them; I suspect, 5 stuffed behind a sofa and near a leaking pipe
having been sat on by a family of Great Danes, the boxes were in a shocking condition, but
luckily the contents were in intact and undamaged, their appearance however meant that
they were relegated to the back of the shelf of doom! Fast forward a few years and whilst
browsing through the contents of one of my favourite Hong Kong model shops, I came
across the brand-new Tamiya offering, the exchange rate made it a no brain purchase as it
made its way to my suitcase and the cargo hold of my faithful A380; destination LHR.

On opening the beautifully illustrated box I was pleased to find that my favourite
manufacturer had not let me down, though quite how I could replicate the intricate
camouflage scheme of my chosen subject was at that time beyond my abilities, as a result it

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became another box on the personal hobby store that lives in my man- cave! Sometime
later a copy of SAM came to my rescue in the form of a review of HGW’s superbly printed
camouflage decal set, having recently used their positive riveting set for the Tamiya P- 38 it
was a visit to the Hannants online shop and the credit card took another hit, as it did on
eBay whilst perusing for Ki-61 accessories, so much for OOB modelling! I was also fortunate
enough to have in my possession the fabulous Aeromaster, “Eagles of the Rising Sun” decal
set, that presented me with a dilemma, should I stick with the Tamiya decals or go off piste
with an aftermarket set? …… Hang on a moment, don’t I have that grotty Hasegawa thing
on a shelf somewhere?

Retrieving the dilapidated box, an idea began to form; why not do two of the beasts A
comparison of the two kits gives an insight into the evolution of model design and
manufacturing in the almost 20 years between tooling’s,

we’ll start with the Hasegawa example:

The kit is well moulded with engraved panel lines, a single clear sprue carries the one-piece
canopy, gunsight, and various landing/navigation lights. A single fold out instruction sheet

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illustrates assembly in 13 stages, colour schemes are presented in four view b/w
thumbnails and colour call outs (Mr Hobby), a sprue map along with Japanese and English
potted Ki - 61 history completes the document. I was not happy with the kit decal sheets
rendition of the colour of the Hinomaru, these being a BRIGHT shade of red/orange, I had
already decided to use the Aeromaster set on this kit so another visit to Hannants sourced
an alternative and more accurate national marking sheet.

Construction begins as usual with the cockpit, this is only border line acceptable in its
details and construction, consisting of 12 parts and the gunsight, a decal instrument panel is
designed to fit over the moulded IP but I found it marginally oversized and unwilling to
settle over the moulded details even with copious application of Microsol. Also, the biggest
problem of the entire kit lies in the construction of the forward cockpit, the two fuselage
mounted gun breaches should be visible on the cockpit combing with the gunsight mount
and upper portion of the IP separating them, all you are provided with is a solid stepped
“lump” at the front of the cockpit opening on each fuselage half, what to do? Scratch build
or after market?… Hannants strike again… Aires to the rescue! This complete cockpit set is a
resin and PE combo with a film providing instrumentation and gunsight glass and is a world
ahead of the kit parts, though the over engineered rudder pedal assembly will task most
people’s patience, I decided to burgle the lap straps from the PE sheet and swap them with
the Tamiya decal as I was building this airframe with the canopy closed, one criticism
however, the set provided a beautiful PE frame for the rear cockpit and decking, replacing
the solid kit provided item; BIN IT ! It is totally the wrong shape, being oblong with equally
sized lightening holes instead of tapered with an angled rear surface and holes of a
reducing diameter, I used the kit part, first drilling the holes to an appropriate diameter
łand then almost cutting it vertically in half with a razor saw and thinning the inner surfaces
with wet and dry.

Once assembled they were painted with Kawasaki’s unique “sand yellow “ primer, I used
MIG RLM 79 sandgelb lightened with a few drops of MIG light wood to ease the shade. The
tub then received detail colour work with a selection of Citadels acrylic paints before being
weathered with a panel wash of brown Tamiya accent colour.

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The rest of the kit’s assembly went without any major issues, TET being used throughout, I
had to set the dihedral with a wingtip-to-wingtip masking tape brace in order to set the
upper wing root seam and very little filler was used, the odd smear of Vallejo plastic putty a
little application of some Mr Surfacer 500 and the aircraft was ready for a wipe down with
IPA. I utilised the Tamiya canopy masks which required a little adjusting to fit the Hasegawa
canopy before applying a layer of the interior colour and then a couple of coats of Alclad II
gloss black base were blown through my Iwata Eclipse.

Once dry (24 hours later) Alclad dull aluminium was sprayed over the entire kit before the
yellow leading edge markings were added, a light coat of Vallejo chipping fluid went onto

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the upper surfaces, the wing leading edges and lower surfaces were masked before
application of the upper camouflage colour; this airframe carried a field applied solid
nonstandard “Green”, though it was also described by US inspectors, after the Japanese
surrender, as reddish brown in hue, this is more likely to have been the result of oxidation
of the dubious quality of the originally locally sourced paint. I used a custom mix of various
greens from my paint collection giving preference to mixing greens from the AV IJA Colour
set followed by a heavily thinned coat of red brown on the predominant high points, once
touch dry, I carefully weathered the upper panels with a small stiff brush and water to
expose the aluminium base colour, photos I’ve seen of the actual aircraft indicate that this
was not as intense as some contemporary types so I kept this to a minimum. After a Klear
coat had set I gave the entire model a pin wash of diluted Abtielung star ship filth, once
tidied up with a little odourless thinner a second coat of Klear was laid down prior to
commencing decal application. The AeroMaster examples were a pleasure to apply and
responded well to the MicroScale fitting/setting solutions. I had chosen to represent the Ki-
61 Tei flown by Captain Chuichi Ichikawa whilst serving with the 244th Sentai in 1945, the
main undercarriage covers carried a two digit number in white, the exact number, size and
style is lost to time so I omitted this detail, there is also some controversy as to the
“shamrock” markings forward of the fuselage Hinomaru, some sources claiming the were
applied by the occupying forces post capitulation, however I chose to use them as I would
like to believe they were authentic. A final flat coat sealed the decals once exhaust and gun
residue were applied with Tamiya pigments. The propeller and spinner were sprayed with a
coat of AeroMaster “tea” colour before being fitted along with the resin staggered cowling
gun barrels from the Aires set, the wingtip navigation lights were fixed with Micro
KrystalKlear, brake lines were added to the undercarriage with lead wire and finally
monofilament antenna wires were installed, with that the kit was finished.

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The Tamiya Tony. This offering has been variously described as a masterpiece, kit of the
year and many other superlatives, in all honesty, deservedly so. The moulding is a work of
extraordinary skill and the decal sheet is one of this manufacturer’s triumphs .

However, those of you who know me will realise that I have a penchant for gilding the lilly,
an expensive perusal of the Eduard website resulted in a package winging its way from the
Czech Republic containing the Zoom set, resin gear covers (Aires), exhaust set, and the
compulsory canopy masks, so much for getting a deal on the original purchase! After
washing the parts in a warm bowl of water with a drop of dishwashing detergent and a few
hours of air drying I commenced with construction. At this point I need to make some
sacrilegious criticism of Tamiya’s offering…… why oh why! did my teriyaki munching, sake
swigging heroes think that providing a transparent fuselage half was a good idea? The
inclusion of a basic engine block is pointless unless there is an intention to omit the upper
cowling and scratch build the upper MG’s and mounts; not to mention fabrication of the

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entire firewall! No internal 12 fittings are provided to populate the aft fuselage such as
control runs, radio fit or the complex intake ducting!… this is a TOTAL waste of plastic; Now
I have that off my chest; on with the build. As usual we commence in the cockpit, the kit
parts are of the highest standard, to the point that several of the floor mounted controls/
levers were of a higher quality and scale appearance than the Eduard etched replacements,
the pre painted IP from the Zoom set replaced the kit decal, the forward cockpit decking
carries the breaches of the Ho-103 MG’s, the gunsight receiving acetate glazing and minute
etched detail, various circuit breaker panels and placards were fitted after the assembly
had received its coat of Sandgelb and 13 weathering with the usual materials, etched straps
were applied to the rudder pedals, but as has become infuriatingly common with Eduard no
seat belts are provided, luckily I still had the lap strap from the Aires set from the previous
build so this was painted and fitted. The cockpit walls are quite busy with throttle controls
and oxygen regulator, along with cables and linkages also provided. There is a well moulded
console with levers to the port side of the seat and these require multiple-coloured handles
to be painted providing the interior with a much-needed splash of colour.

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Construction continues with the lower radiator, this is a surprisingly complex assembly,
whilst somewhat over engineered it provides an accurate scale replica of this iconic feature.
Assembly of the airframe features a couple of well-designed components to prevent a
fuselage joint and alternative rear cockpit fairing’s, dependent on your choice of open or
closed canopies, the upper engine cowling was the only part that gave a slight fit issue, but
this could have been due to my fitting the engine block rather than the supplied spacer/
spinner shaft, a light adjustment with a sanding stick soon sorted this out. 14 Overall part fit
is frankly stunning, no filler being required at any stage of the build. The wings are a
positive “click fit” with the dihedral setting automatically, the wheel wells are satisfyingly
deep and well detailed moulded integrally with the lower wing, these should be painted
with the interior sandgelb and masked.

The painting procedure followed the same process as the Hasegawa example, the canopy
receiving the Eduard masks before priming. The airframe was sprayed with Alclad II
Aluminium, wing leading edges in Japanese ident yellow and the anti-glare panel in Matt
black, the control surfaces were masked and painted IJA light grey. The tail surfaces were
masked, given a pink undercoat, and then coated with TamiyaXF-7 flat red. A sealing coat of
Alclad clear was applied and the kit left for 24 15 hours for this surface to harden before
applying the kit stencil decals and a final gloss clear coat. It was now time to apply the HGW
camouflage decals, these are suppled as a single solid sheet that required cutting into four

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pieces for each side of the fuselage and the upper surfaces of each wing, they are then
trimmed to approximately the size required, on the port fuselage section you need to cut a
hole for the oil cooler intake on the nose and both fuselage sections need careful cutting in
order to fit around the aft wing root and air intake/ radiator bath. Application is achieved in
the usual fashion starting with the wings, a copious amount of MicroSet allowed the decal
to be manipulated to the correct position, once smoothed into place the fuselage decals
were set in the same way, do NOTHING ELSE at this time, but walk away for 24 hours!
When you return to the kit you then carefully peel back the fine acetate like surface carrier
film in reverse order, leaving the green cammo pattern firmly attached to the surface of the
aircraft, just like magic!

Another clear coat preceded the application of the kit decals, I have previously had issues
with Tamiya decals; over thick, poor adhesion and adverse reactions to decal solutions,
however these examples forgive all prior criticisms, they go down without a single issue,
they are tough, have minimal carrier film and superb colour density and rendition; the decal
for the oil cooler fits in a way that makes you believe in sorcery once a modicum of
MicroSol is applied.

Light weathering with Tamiya black and brown panel liner and various pigments were the
last process for the painting process then a satin coat cut the surface gloss. Final detail
parts, tanks U/C, exhaust stacks, pitot tube etc. were fitted and this beautiful kit was
complete.

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Conclusion:

Which kit did I find most accurate ? Without question the Tamiya example, the part
breakdown and fit is beyond question, as were the decals, the scheme choices, especially
the beautiful markings of lieutenant Shunzo Takeshima of 244th Air Group, based at Chofu
in May 1945 that I selected, were a joy to apply, especially when combined with the
excellent HGW cammo set. Strangely however I feel I got more satisfaction from the 25-
year-old Hasegawa option, it was tasking at times and required a full aftermarket cockpit,
but it reminded me of what the hobby truly is, BUILDING a model! The Tamiya kit could be
completed by opening the box, pouring in a bottle of extra thin replacing the lid and giving
it a shake! But if you want a stunning Tony in your display cabinet…. Go Tamiya!

Richard Garbutt

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Who’s Who - Coventry and Warwickshire IPMS

Club Secretary
Paul Redfern
Email: rdfrn_pl@yahoo.co.uk

Club Treasurer
Carl Lewis
Email: carl.l@ntlworld.com

Comms/Webmaster / Event Organiser

Paul Redfern
Email: rdfrn_pl@yahoo.co.uk

Event Organiser 2i/c

Denis Jones
Email: whatdoesthisdo@outlook.com

Gazette Editor
John Savage
Email: john.transam@ntlworld.com

Club E-mail Address

Email: cwipms2019@gmail.com

Club website
https://coventryandwarwickipms.weebly.com/

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Internet and Facebook Links

IPMS UK https://ipmsuk.org/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/154243277932214/

Great War SIG https://sites.google.com/site/greatwarsig/

“What if” SIG http://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php

Modern British Armour SIG https://www.facebook.com/groups/modernbritisharmoursig/

Russian/Soviet Military Modelling https://www.facebook.com/groups/1476745009291224/

IDF SIG https://www.facebook.com/groups/472664806256973/

Bomb Disposal Model interest group https://www.facebook.com/groups/293347344594784/

Sutton Spartans https://www.facebook.com/groups/103320443753676/

Russian Wheels and tracks https://www.facebook.com/groups/1539132379672734/

MODEL KIT INSTRUCTION SHEETS LIBRARY

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1214026292028249/

The Bundeswehr Sig https://www.facebook.com/groups/337998709864855/

April 2023
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April 2023
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April 2023
 Show List April to November 2023 (Provisional List)
Date Show Name Size of Show Show Status at time Required/ Web link/contact e-mail
Organiser of publishing Recommended/Optional
15th April Poole Vikings Medium Poole Vikings Confirmed Optional Poole Vikings Model Show – 2023 – IPMS(UK)
Model Show Model Club (ipmsuk.org)
2023
23rd April Sutton on Sea Medium Sutton Confirmed Optional Sutton on Sea Modelers Fair – 2023 –
Modeller Fair Railway Group IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
2023
29th/30th Scottish National Large Scots Confirmed Optional Scottish National Scale Model Show – Day 1 –
April Scale Model nationals 2023 – IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
show
13thMay Plastic Warrior Medium Plastic Confirmed Optional Plastic Warrior Show – 2023 – IPMS(UK)
show 2023 Warrior (ipmsuk.org)

13th May IPMS UK AGM AGM meeting Hosted by Confirmed SIG/Club Leaders IPMS(UK) Annual General Meeting 2023 –
Midland air IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
museum
14th May De Havilland Medium/Large De Havilland Confirmed Optional DeHavilland Aircraft Museum Model Show –
Aircraft Museum Aircraft IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
Model Show Museum
20th May Mildenhall Scale Medium Mildenhall Confirmed Optional Mildenhall Scale Model Club Show – 2023 –
Model Club Show Scale Model IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
2023 Club
21st May North-West Kit Medium IPMS Confirmed Optional North-West Kit Swap – 2023 – IPMS(UK)
Swap Lancashire (ipmsuk.org)

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21st May IPMS Gloucester Medium IPMS Confirmed Optional IPMS Gloucester Model Show – 2023 –
Model Show – Gloucester IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
2023

3rd June IPMS Salisbury Medium IPMS Salisbury Confirmed Optional IPMS Salisbury Scale Model Show – 2023 –
Scale Model IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
Show
4th June Northern Model Medium/Large Not Known Confirmed Optional Northern Model Show – 2023 – IPMS(UK)
show 2023 (ipmsuk.org)
10th June Figure World Medium White Rose Confirmed Optional Figure World North – 2023 – IPMS(UK)
North 2023 Model Club (ipmsuk.org)
Leeds
11th June Barry War Medium Barry War Confirmed Optional Barry War Museum Summer Model Show –
Museum Museum 2023 – IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
Summer Model
show
17th June Ipswich Model Medium Ipswich Model Confirmed Optional Ipswich Model Show – 2023 – IPMS(UK)
Show 2023 Club (ipmsuk.org)
18th June MAFVA Nationals Large MAFVA Confirmed Optional MAFVA Nationals – 2023 – IPMS(UK)
2023 (ipmsuk.org)
25th June Coventry and Medium IPMS TBC Required Coventry and Warwickshire IPMS – 2023 –
Warwickshire Coventry and IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
summer show Warwickshire
25th June West Anglia Scale Medium West Norfolk Confirmed Optional West Anglia Scale Model Show – 2023 –
Model Show IPMS IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
2023

April 2023
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1st July Hailsham & Medium Hailsham & Confirmed Optional Scale Model Show – 2023 – IPMS(UK)
District Scale District Scale (ipmsuk.org)
Model show Model Club
9th July IPMS North Medium IPMS North Confirmed Optional IPMS North Somerset Model Show – 2023 –
Somerset Model Somerset IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
Show 2023
16th July The Romsey Medium Romsey Confirmed Optional The Romsey Scale Model Show – 2023 –
Scale Model Modellers IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
Show – 2023

6th August IPMS Avon 'Scale Medium Large IPMS Avon Booked in Recommended Upcoming Events › UK Shows (All) › -
Model and IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
Wargaming
Exhibition' - 2023

13th August NDMS Model Medium North Devon Confirmed Optional NDMS Model Show – 2023 – IPMS(UK)
Show – 2023 Model Society (ipmsuk.org)

17th Wings and Things Medium IPMS Fenland Confirmed Optional Wings & Things – 2023 – IPMS(UK)
September and Spalding (ipmsuk.org)
20th August West Cornwall Medium West Cornwall Confirmed Optional W.Cornwall IPMS – 2023 – IPMS(UK)
IPMS 2023 IPMS (ipmsuk.org)
27th August Stoke on Trent Medium/Large Stoke on trent Booked In Recommended Facebook
Model show MC
3rd ASVC Medium Wombourne Applied for Recommended TBC
September Wombourne
show

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9th &10Th Statfold Barn Medium Sutton Booked In Recommended Sutton Coldfield Model Makers at Statfold
September Railway museum Coldfield Barn Railway Road Rail and Ale – Day 1 – 2023
Rail and Ale 2day Model Makers – IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
show
10th IPMS Chiltern Medium IPMS Chiltern Confirmed Optional IPMS Chiltern Model Show – 2023 –
September Model Show IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
2023
17th Wings and Things Medium IPMS Fenland Confirmed Optional Wings & Things – 2023 – IPMS(UK)
September and Spalding (ipmsuk.org)
23rd Scale Scotland Large IPMS UK Confirmed Optional Scale Scotland – 2023 – IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
September
24th St Ives Model Medium/Large IPMS Booked In Recommended St Ives Model Show – 2023 – IPMS(UK)
September show Brampton (ipmsuk.org)
30th Abington IPMS Medium IPMS Confirmed Optional Abingdon IPMS Model Show – 2023 –
September Model Show Abington IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
2023
7th October REME Museum Medium REME Confirmed Optional REME Museum Model Show – 2023 –
Model show Museum IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
15th October Lincoln Scale Medium Lincoln Model Confirmed Optional Lincoln Scale Model Show – 2023 – IPMS(UK)
Model Show - Club (ipmsuk.org)
2023
21st October Showcase 2023 Medium/Large Letchwprth Confirmed Optional SHOWCASE – 2023 – IPMS(UK) (ipmsuk.org)
Scale Model
club
11th/12th Scale model Large/Huge IPMS UK Confirmed Required Scale ModelWorld 2023 – Day 1 – IPMS(UK)
November world 2023 (ipmsuk.org)

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Key
Green -Recommended club will be displaying
Yellow - Required Club attendance is required, as much as possible
Blue – Optional -no club attendance
Orange – IPMS club Sig leaders

April 2023