Mitsubishi Navy Type 96 Carrier Fighter A5M1 (Claude).

[Willem]

Mitsubishi A5M, Japanese designation- "Type 96 carrier-based fighter". The world's first monoplane shipboard fighter and direct ancestor of the famous A6M 'Zero'. The allied reporting name was 'Claude'.

The aircraft entered service in early 1937, soon seeing action in pitched aerial battles at the start of the Second Sino-Japanese war. The A5M proved the better of almost every aircraft it encountered. Though armed with only a pair of 7.7mm machine-guns, the new fighter proved effective and damage tolerant, with excellent maneuverability and robust construction.

Mitsubishi continued to improve the A5M, working through versions until the final A5M4, which carried an external drop tank.

Some A5Ms remained in service at the end of 1941 when the United States entered the war in the Pacific. The last combat actions as a pure fighter took place at the Battle of the Coral Sea on 7th May 1942, when two A5Ms and four A6Ms from the carrier Shoho fought against US aircraft that attacked and sank the carrier.

In the closing months of the war most remaining A5M airframes were used for kamikaze attacks.

source Wikipedia

[Willem]

The kit

Fine Molds boxing dated 1991.



I found this kit in Mr Models in Bearwood back in August. It's a great old shop with untidy piles of kits everywhere, paints, glue, accessories etc in hidden corners. The owner is a good bloke who knows his stuff. If you ever visit and buy something- pay by card as the owner has to wave the terminal in the air to get a connection. Very eccentric and everything a local model shop should be.

The instructions are mostly in Japanese with a few colour call outs in English.









Three schemes, two in silver and one camouflage. Unit details are in Japanese so I've got a little bit of research to do.

A bag of plastic in the box. I have opened the plastic for a look.



This is a small aircraft in 1/48 so only two plastic sprues. Quite heavy flash as you can see on the port upper wing surface but the kit is getting on a bit.





Here's the good bit; a few bags of white metal parts for the engine, exhaust, prop and seat.



Decals and small windshield.





And that's it. Small but perfectly formed as the saying goes. I need a nice straightforward build to get my interest back and this should do it. The white metal details may prove interesting but should be fine.

[Thumboy]

Nice looking kit, I do like these early Japanese fighters. Good luck with the build, never worked with white metal myself so will be watching with interest

[jbellos1]

What a great looking kit!

[Goose]

Hi will,

I hope this will helm you to find your mojo back 'cause you still hahe a f 105 with nice pe parts to finish (hem, to begin) to make me crack on this kit

See u and enjoy

Goose

[eightfooticeman]

Hello Will, Have you had a chance to get Claude out of the gate? Pictures would be lovely.

[Willem]

Hi folks.

Actual building has taken place today.

I've assembled the four part white metal engine and, after a bit of dry-fitting, glued the exhaust collector ring to the rear and the engine front thing to the....well....front.





Then primed using Alclad black primer.





Meanwhile the cockpit was assembled and primed along with the cockpit sides.



I gave the primer some time to dry and then sprayed several Alclads onto the engine starting with burnt exhaust then airframe aluminium followed by a very light dusting of chrome.





When this was dry I gave the front of the engine a very thinned black oil wash at the front and mixed in some burnt sienna on the exhaust ring at the rear.







Finally I sprayed the cockpit and sides with Tamiya cockpit green figuring that it would be close enough for me.





More to follow.

[rodrant]

Very nice work so far, Willem !

Love what you did on that engine !

[Goose]

hey hey hey look who's back.

look great

com on buddy you'll kick his ass!!

Bruno

[shortCummins]

defiantly different from my FineMolds kit.

great job on the engine

rgds
John(shortCummins)

[UKguyInUSA]

Hey Will, nice start on the engine. I missed this thread. Haven't seen you around for a while?

Cheers

Martin

[eightfooticeman]

Friendly reminder Willem, 14 days left! Tick Tock, Tick Tock.

[Willem]

Thanks Jermaine.

I'm at the beach until Sunday but will crack on then.