Japan Trip 2011 - Day 2 - Ueno, the park and museums.

The second day in Japan i spent in Ueno, which has a lovely old park and lots of museums about Japanese history and culture as well as a few museums about art, technology. Trying to remember what i did on the super busy day included a stroll around Ameyoko market, amazing seeing this packed market under a railway line, then onto Ueno park where i visited the National Museum of Western art (The Thinker outside of that one), National Science Museum (full size whale, plesiosaurus skeleton and Mitsubishi Zero), Tokyo National Museum (Samurai armor) which are all with Ueno park. After i spent nearly the entire day there i walked up to Yanaka Cemetery walking along those small Tokyo streets with all the cable above just like you see in the anime which i really think is great. Cemetery was interesting, biggest ive ever seen with Crows squawking as you walk through like in a horror movie, amazing to look up and see skyscraper and the Sky Tree while in the center of it.

Was another perfect day weather wise for a Englishmen just like every other day of the holiday, for me it was summer weather and i seamed to be the only person only wearing shirt while the native Japanese wore jumper, coats etc.































After the first 2 day in Japan i spent doing old Tokyo stuff, next i moved on to Kyoto before coming back to Tokyo which was when i did noting but the modern, coming soon!
Ian

Japan Trip 2011 - Day 1 - The Imperial Palace

Got back from my awesome trip to Japan late Friday night and spent yesterday recovery (sleeping).
Is an amazing country with fantastic people.
Got to do lots of the tourist stuff and a few things anime related.
Went Project 144, which was a blast, amazing models and great modeler i met, thank you to Koz letting me know about it so i could go.

Every so often i will post a few photos of what i did, i alternated the day between the old, new and geeky. First day i spent wandering around the Imperial Palace as i was closet to the hotel. Took an entire day to walk around and visst every inlcuding the Science Museum, Gardens, British Embassy, Budokan and so much more, after the first day i was knackered.














Just before landing decided to take a photo, by this time my butt was super numb after 12 hours of sitting in the same postion.


Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - MS-06F Zaku II - WiP - Starting to assemble

Started to assemble the RG Zaku and its taking me more time than expected.

What i didn't count on was the paint on the connectors, mostly the male parts which ruins the fit so im have to scrape off the paint to get a accurate fit.

But so far even though ive only done the legs, it look damn good and very clean, which is what you'd expect from the Elite Guard (that's what i keep telling myself). Will have to wait until the end to see if i got the colours right.

Reckon i will have this finish or at least assembled by the time i go to Japan but no time to take photo of the end results.

Ian

U.C Hardgraph 1/144 - PVN.4/3 Wappa + Zeon Pilots - WiP Painted.

 The Wappa's all painted, decaled and waiting for a little weathering and adding the number plate on the front bubbles.


Made 5 Zeon Pilots from some Preiser 1/144 figures, might be a bit hard to see but the leader of the Wappa group is Sgt Sol whos meant to be looking at his watch checking the time till the bombs go off attached to the Gundam. Also a fellow leaning against on of the Wappas.


Have the intention of making a little diorama with these, once a find a suitable base.

Ian

[Kit Review] - Revell 1/144 - F-15 E Strike Eagle -

The new F-15 from Revell recently released, looking like a fine kit along the lines of Revell of Germany other quality 1/144 models and i think the best injection kit your going to see for a long time.

This review here is really in depth and it seems this a 1/48 scaled to 1/144, only gripe would be the decal option only one and tiger meet so too flashy for what i want a Strike Eagle to look like.

Usual amount of parts for a 1/144 Revell kit, comes as the 2-seater but should be quite easy to make a single seater and a excellent two-piece canopy always nice as a display option.

Strange lack of weapons but im most 1/144 modeller will have plenty of spares from DML Dragon kits, i like seeing a Strike Eagle armed to the teeth!.

Shame about the decals, most of the useful stencils are Incorporated in the tiger meet strips.



Lots of top quality panel lines, good wash should really bring out the detail.



Looks like more excellent detail, unlike most Revell kits the the landing panel are molded onto the sprue.



Looking forward to building this new kit, which i won't be starting for a while because new week im off to JAPAN!!! OH YEAH!!
Ian

Macross 1/144 - VF-1S Valkyrie - VFA-143 "Pukin Dogs" - WiP

Going through my blog i noticed a massive amount of gunpla lately compared to say a year ago when i only modelled aircraft.

Time to start modelling some VF-1 Valkyries, this is one of a batch of VF-1's which have been needing some attention for months, painted grey so long ago and can't remember using left over paint in the airbrush from something else.

Found some decals to use US Navy, VFA-143 "Pukin dogs" which have a cool dark blue on the tail tips and around the cockpit which i thought would be perfect on the VF-1. Used a VF-1S head because i think when a US. Navy jet has coloured marking instead of usual low-viz it means that its the leader and S head is always a leader.

Once glossed will be a nice easy model to decal which i reckon took about a year to complete.
Ian

Mobile Suit Gundam 1/144 - Wappa - WIP

This is my second updated Wappa but this time remodelling it as it appeared in the TV series episode 14, Time, be Still instead of the U.C. Hardgraph / M.S. Igloo redesign.

Much more simple but really like the way the frame over the seat is curved backwards and then joins where the gun is mounted. The gun in the series is a bit different, instead of 2 smaller ammo cartridges on either side the TV version has one big clip underneath and no metal rings around the the fans domes.

Since these are so small, they can be brush painted in no time.
Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - MS-06F Zaku II - WIP - Elite Guard Shield -

My shield design for my RG Zaku II, this is rough idea of what i think all the future shields will look like.

I would have prefer to have a larger Elite Guard logo and used decals for the numbers and rank insignia rather than the supplied sticker. Hoping that with a few clear coats that the stickers will b less visible.

Z for Zeon Elite, being the 3rd unit 03 and no idea what the actual rank unit, 2 stripes is usually a corporal, wanted a lower rank that Chars. Had no luck find translated rank and logo insignia.




Got the idea for the Zaku Elite Guard or Zeon Home Defense Force from The Plot to Assassinate Gihren, that's a MS-06F2 at the end of the OYW. Also read that it can be Royal Guard or Eric Mansfield (zeon's 4th top ace) personal emblem?

The badge on the shield is a decal i got form Samuel Decal.
Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - MS-06F Zaku II - WiP - Decaling...

Spent the any free time ive had over the last week giving the panel lines a black wash and applying the decals.

Took quite some time to apply all the decals, when ever piece is separate and i really took the time to make sure each decal was in the correct place when there are 4 of the same parts but the decal needs to be in a separate place on each.

Panel lines came out great, deep and very fine perfect for a wash.

Still working on the shield...
Ian

U.C Hardgraph 1/144 - PVN.4/3 Wappa - WiP

Upgrading the M.S. IGLOO 2 redesign of the Wappa.

Since i bought the U.C. Hardgraph "Ground War Set" (which is where the Zaku comes from in my dull header)  ive thought about adding more detail to the vehicles that are supplied. All are great little model but can do with alot of detail added.

Out of the blue today i decided i was going to attempt making this 1/144 Wappa look more like the 1/35 one, surprised how it turned out. Most of the time spent was bending up the wire, bit frustrating at times.

Got the M.S. Igloo Wappa done and since its so small will take no time to paint, the other Wappa will be remodeled to look like the TV series line art, which is much simpler.

Ian