A5M4 Claude, Fujimi 1/72

Type 96 Kansen - The non golden Claude (A5M4 Claude), 1/72 Fujimi

This was a long term project started back in 1998. I'd found out that the kit needs extras but the old Eduard’s photo-etched parts are insufficient and the kit went back into the box. It had to wait till I mastered the PE design.

I got back to it in 2004 and with extra PE I designed was able to finish it like this. The whole cockpit except the floor is made from PE parts. I enhanced the kit’s engine by adding scratch built exhaust ring and some rods to the cylinders heads. The power distribution lines as so the cowling support tube bracket came from the PE parts. The external fuel tank’s rack and its suspension are completely scratch built. The suspensions were made using duct tape sprayed with Model Master metallizers and cut to stripes to reproduce the belts that held the tank in place. Other PE parts comprise of new bomb racks, landing flaps and trim tab actuators.

All control surfaces were cut off and repositioned. I also added a bit of a depth to them by scraping the area between the ribs. The Fujimi kit features way too much of a panel lines, comprehensive study of a design drawings revealed that some of the panels on outer part of the wing leading edge were in fact the rivet lines. Since I wasn't skilled for using rivet tool at that time (and I'm still not and highly doubt I will ever be) I just filled the wrong panel lines. 

The tail wheel strut was scratch built using thickerALfoil and hypodermic needle.

Since the kit windshield was too thick I decided to make my own, so I used vacuum casting to reproduce new one. Unfortunately this basic technique does not reproduce the frames so I had to use substitution. Again I used a duct tape, sprayed with MM Metallizers, cut to stripes and applied to the windshield. 

I had to deepen the panel lines since for the weathering I use artistic water colors. The whole model was airbrushed by Mr. Color 8 to simulate the aluminum protective coat.

Here is where the myth starts. I don't know if the myth was first published in FAOW or other source back in 1960s. The Type 96 Kansen Model 4s were reproduced in color profiles as "Golden". Back in 1999 I posted a question on J-aircraft that eventually revealed one possible nature of the golden look. The NMF machines received protective phenol based clear coat to withstand the deteriorating effect of the salt water on Duralumin.

 The next layer was a clear coat with an addition of yellow brown tint. This is the additional phenol based clear protective coat.

Final weathering was done upon close inspection of the photos of the Model 4 version with artistic chalks. The chipping of the clear cote is evident on some photos and I decided to reproduce it. 

All markings are airbrushed using Mr. Colors and masks, which I had designed and plotted.

The only decals are the manufacturer’s plate and Houkoku marking. The Houkoku was also designed on computer and printed on Laser printer.

Hope you like it.

DEAD

Photo & text credit © DEAD Design Models 2018