PRAISE ZUIUN, for it is the age of the aviation battleship!
A reference not many of you will know or understand as it comes from a Japanese browser game - KanColle!
I made this model purely because of that game, as the Zuiun is a surprisingly powerful asset against the enemy ships. In real life it possessed a similar role, being a multirole recon seaplane, but by the time it entered service (1944), Japan has lost it's edge and it lead to many losses.
As noted in the title, the kit itself is a Fujimi kit, and specifically the 2019 release (No. 72305). I paired the model with the Kure Type 2 Model 5 Catapult which gives the seaplane a nice stand and it makes it a good and unique display piece.
The kit
The kit was a standard late 90's kit with engraved panel lines and good fit. There were no major issues with the fit and it was quite nice to build overall.
The cockpit needs a lot of work as it's extremely barren, featuring only the seat, flight stick and the control panel. No side or floor detail is included in the kit. The gunner has a single (and quite badly moulded MG) which resembles a stick more than a gun.
Both the plane and catapult were primed in the trusty Mr. Color Surfacer 1500. It's a primer which has never failed me. The catapult received an coat of IJN Maizuru grey (Mr. Color (C603)).
As for the Zuiun.. at the time of making the model, I didn't have neither type of IJN green nor even the underside colour. I could've and should've bought the paints, but decided against it due to budget issues. In the end, RLM 71 was used for the upper surfaces, which is a surprisingly similar shade of green and the bottom was a mix of 3 various Mr. Color paints. If you were planning on making this model, do not do it the was I did it.
The model was then sprayed with a nice coat of Mr. Color GX 100 and it was time for decals!
While the decals are of good quality, the instruction booklet has the decals at maybe 2/3rds the size of the actual ones (I checked with reference photos). For accurate decal placement, the 1/1 scale model of the Zuiun was of great help.
The weathering was done using oil paints. White oil paint was used to tone down the intensity of the green and afterwards, a black wash was given to help the panel lines pop and it made a nice contrast with the whitewashed look.
Enough talking, enjoy a few photos of the finished thing.
Photos
