Mitsubishi Ki-15-II, Manchukuo Air Force

The first step in sprucing up this ancient 1976 tooled kit was adding some detail to the cockpit in the form of ribs and stringers from styrene strip. It’s a bit exaggerated, but the hoped for effect is something that can be seen under the heavily framed canopy.

The cockpit is painted in AK’s Mitsubishi Cockpit green and added to it is some chipping, a pin wash, Eduard seatbelts and a Yahu instrument panel.

Closed up and wings fitted

The RDF antennas and compasses from the kit have been added and a rear machine gun, sourced from a random Tamiya sprue in the spares bin, replaced the lumpen one from the kit

There is hope that at least the Yahu instrument panel and some of the ribbing is visible through the canopy glazing.

Done with the balance of construction. The resin wheels provided with the Kora decals were a nice addition, much better than the kit supplied ones that were too big for the spats.

While I procrastinate over masking that complex canopy, I’m planning out my paint finish, IJA green-grey overall with Kora’s Manchukuo Air Force insignia.

I’m borrowing a technique from another member of my modeling club, using bare metal foil to mask the complicated canopy. It conforms to pretty much anything and vividly shows the framing to be cut with a very sharp x-acto blade. I remembered to snap a picture when I was halfway through black-basing the aircraft.

Full black-based. I really like to black base my models as a final step before paint, it shows any flaws that k may have missed and let’s me get creative with freehanding panel tones on a single color scheme.

Painted overall with IJAAF green-gray

The Kora decals on, not many to do with this scheme

Weathering started, trying to muck it up as befitting a second hand aircraft operated by a puppet regime.

Weathering completed and masks removed. I still have some small bits and bobbles to attend to but the balance of the build was completed over a single weekend

Finished up, four evenings start to finish. In taking these two pics I can see a few things that need some attention, but I’ll get them taken care of before getting some better pictures in natural daylight tomorrow.