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Aichi D3-A1 Ooarai

Miko

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A 'what if' of a 'sort of'?? . . . 'What if' Girls und Panzer used aircraft? Well, they kind of do, there are aircraft in the anime but they aren't involved in the battle games, this one is!
In keeping with the rules of 'Sensha-do' (tank battles as a sport) all material had to exist before 15 Aug 1945, it seems to me if aircraft were allowed they would be ground attack aircraft like dive bombing anti tank types, I suppose strictly speaking the Aichi isn't anti tank but it is an anti armour, albeit ship armour! and I considered it needs to be Japanese because other dive bombers would be a better fit for other Sensha-Do schools and collages more representative to type (it'll hopefully make more sense when I build them)

The kit, ZTS Plastyk Aichi D3-A1 'Val', It's certainly not a kit for the feint hearted and needs considerable work to get it to a high standard, but, I'm looking for a reasonable standard which means provided it looks like what it's supposed to be then I'm satisfied, to be sure I do get more satisfaction from building a 'challenging' kit rather than one that simply falls together,

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The plastic has a weird look to it although the texture is fine, I have experience with 'ZTS Plastyk' of Poland having built their ultra challenging Gloster Javelin FAW 7/9


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The instructions are typical of an era perhaps before this kit's 2005 creation, a little basic but the kit too is also basic, as with the decal options, I won't be using them, but if they are like the Javelin decals they behaved perfectly fine if perhaps a little thick.

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Maybe you can see what I mean by basic, the ejector pin marks and stubs are epic! I could collect them and mold a new kit! Ha! No sink marks though

The cockpit has no detail beyond two tiny little rudder pedals a control stick and two what seem to me to be undersized seats, which would be perfect for petite Japanese collage girls!

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Fuselage construction is in a number of pieces, two of which make up the engine bearers (not shown) and a molding that reminds me of the old Matchbox Meteor NF11 with a part that fits over the cockpit forming the upper mid fuselage

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After much fiddling and frottering this is the best fit I believe is possible for the wings! Not sure what the guys at ZTS were thinking, but, we have to go with what we have,

the panel detail is really quite good, certainly better than some contemporary Airfix kits I've built (Zero, Spit PR19 and Gnat) which were way too wide and deep

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Sometime passed, and this happened!

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I'm really quite enjoying this one, I should think I'll be done by this time tomorrow

Miko (building stuff)



 

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Thread owner
Only took eight months, but . . . I've finished a kit! Yaayy!!

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The blue 6000k light in the kitchen doesn't help but I do need a new camera too

For those of you familiar with the 'Girls und Panzer projekt' I have. .

a Hawker Typhoon (St Gloriana)

an Il2 Sturmovik (Pravda) and

a Ju87 Stuka (Kuromorimine) in the stash!

Miko (on to the next uncompleted build)
 
1 down 3 to go

Which is next in the saga?

A pretty aircraft with that eliptical wing but masking that canopy must have been a pain
 
WELL Miko
that plane kit you have built looks a good un but what counrty decals are they as never seen these before or heard of the girls kits all new to me ?
chrisb
 
Thread owner
WELL Miko
that plane kit you have built looks a good un but what counrty decals are they as never seen these before or heard of the girls kits all new to me ?
chrisb

Hey Chris, the markings on the wings are from Oorai college from 'Girls and Panzer', it's an anime series where international schools and colleges compete in 'sensha do' which is fighting WWII era tanks as an international non lethal sport, the detail and specification of the various teams tanks are in many ways quite accurate, it's an all the family kind of thing showing 'slice of life' of the participants. The Aichi is a 'what if' Girls and Panzer fought with aircraft too, there are aircraft in the series but they don't take part in the fighting

Miko
 
Thread owner
1 down 3 to go

Which is next in the saga?

A pretty aircraft with that eliptical wing but masking that canopy must have been a pain

Not sure, the Sturmovik should be quite straightforward build (famous last words! Ha!) or St Gloriana Typhoon will have a more challenging camo scheme with my fledgling airbrush skills!

Need to find an American dive bomber for Saunders Academy too
 
Ooooh yes,, which one is more extravagant and Saunders like?

Ive always thought the dauntless was a prettier air craft as the helldiver is a thuggish engine with wings attached....lol... Like P51 vs P47
 
Thread owner
Ive always thought the dauntless was a prettier air craft as the helldiver is a thuggish engine with wings attached....lol... Like P51 vs P47

Yep, I just compared the two and you're right, the Dauntless is 'prettier'!! A subjective term for sure, but the Helldiver is a brute! So the more 'feminine' Dauntless it is!

Miko (probably the first to describe the Douglas SBD Dauntless as 'feminine'!)
 
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