Happy Viktor Belenko day

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A little bit of good news

It seems like nothing but bad news comes out of Asia these days with tensions ratcheting ever higher.  Well, this seems to be a positive development.  The JMSDF has asked the US Marines to deploy the F-35B on two large Japanese Helicopter carriers.  The Japanese are buying their own F-35Bs and this appears to be some advance work to make sure that the JMSDF ships are ready for the new equipment.

Clearprop Ki-51

We now have images of the box top for the Clearprop Ki-51.  This is welcome, as the old Mania/Hasegawa kit is about 50 years old.

Done

Hey, you’re at the right blog.  Don’t go away.  I know you aren’t used to seeing actual models on this site, despite it being a blog about modeling.  Yes, I know.  Those posts have been thin on the ground lately.  However, I want that to change.  I finally finished my first kit for the year.  While I am not exactly happy with it, having one in the done column feels good.

This is the IBG kit of the Japanese built Chevy truck used in some version by most of the armies of WWII.  The kit is good.  Not perfect, but good.  All the flaws in the build are my fault.  Alan Hall many years ago speculated in an editorial in SAM that modeling skills atrophy if not regularly used.  I think that is true.  Also, my personal goals when building a model are to try a new technique with each one and that each model should be at least a bit better than my last.  By those measurements, this build was a failure.  While I did do some new things regarding weathering, the build was not better than my last one, or even the one before that.  Those failures were in some very basic building and painting steps.  They were my fault, not the kit’s fault.  My modeling skills have atrophied from disuse.  I hope to correct that.

(P.S. Don’t ask why a Japanese truck has a Gladiator engine in the bed and a British 5 gallon fuel can.  I have some fuel barrels, but I can’t find them because of the move.  Just roll with it.)

Its getting warm all over

No, I am not talking about the weather.  South Korea firing warning shots at the Russians.  Yeah, what the hell, that is going to end well.

 

 

Unsustainable

Japan is in demographic free-fall.  At this rate China won’t have to take any action, they’ll just wait until Japan is to weak to respond.  Given that Japan is the strongest US ally in the region, this has a long-term impact on US policy as well.

 

Way to go JAXA

JAXA, the Japanese space agency (their version of NASA) has just landed a satellite on an asteroid in order to sample it and better understand its composition.  This is a tremendous achievement and is good news for all of us hoping to see a more vigorous exploration of space.  ( post in memory of Mike Nofsinger, who passed away 5 years ago this week)

Modeling content

This blog, devoted to modeling, has had a shocking lack of modeling content lately.  My bad.  This has been due to a number of reasons, most of which can be summed up as…life happens.  A little modeling has gone on, but not much.  My Japanese WWII truck is moving forward.  I am in the weathering stage and it turns out that Jeff “Inch High” Groves was right. This is a nice little kit.  Here is where she stands as of today. (I apologize for the crappy cell phone photos)

Weathering stage

Another view

Japanese F-35 crash

Apparently the Japanese have concluded it was pilot error.  

Actual modeling content (with photos)

This past weekend, I got to do some actual modeling.  One of the things I got to do while actually modeling, was try the new MIG oilbrushers.  Basically these are premixed oil paint in a mineral spirits carrier in a mascara type tube with a brush.  It isn’t anything you couldn’t do yourself with tube oils and mineral spirits, but it does save time.  Each one is about $6 to $9 or you can buy a three pack for $14.50.  I used the dark earth color to weather the wheels and hubs on my Japanese Ford truck project.  Out of the tube the mixture is a bit thicker than I expected and more opaque.  I was skeptical, but I applied it over the wheel and hub and left it set for a minute or two and removed the excess with q-tips.  I must say I was pleased by the result.

Weathered wheels