Verlinden 1/5 Kamikaze

[Deleted member 6559]

My next project will be this bust of a Japanese pilot by Verlinden. I have become very wary of Verlinden busts after the recent string of no-goes, but this appeared to be an excellent sculpt and I wasn't disappointed on opening the box. It's meant to be 1/5 in scale, but doesn't look quite so big to me - more like 1/7 or 1/8. Still, it's big enough and will require a lot of paint.

The bust comes in two parts:



For some reason the left hand helmet flap is separate, and it appears that they have fixed it in the wrong position on the box example; it should fit closer to the side of the head. There is a bit of damage to one of the life-vest ties, but that's easily rectified.



A sad era in Japanese history, which shows the degree of control a military dictatorship can impose on its youth.

 

[Steve Brodie]

Looking forward to this one, never understood, and i know the reason, why they were issued with life jackets.

 

[boatman]

HI Steve well I don't know why were they ?
chris

 

[Steve Brodie]

HI Steve well I don't know why were they ?
chris

If for some reason, the pilot couldn't attack a ship because of bad weather, or been unable to find a ship, if the engine failed, or they ran out of fuel and had to ditch they needed to be able to survive. The Japanese didn't want to lose the pilots without them doing what they had been trained to do. Cost money and time to train the pilots, and they deemed it a waste of a resource to lose one because his plane went down. It was a lot quicker and cheaper (as they saw it) to get the pilot back so he could try again, than to train someone new.

 

[Jim R]

Hi Peter
Looks nice. That ear flap on the box art does look wrong.
Jim

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Steve - Thanks for the info re life vests. Japanese pilots also had a label with their name, rank and unit number sewn to the back of the life vest, as well as labels on their gloves and boots, all to help identify them if they were lost at sea.

Jim - I've got the ear flap to settle lower down, so that the end is resting on the collar.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

The face is getting there:



I still need to blend the tones more, but I've had enough for today.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

I've done some more work on the face and am calling it finished:

 

[Deleted member 4539]

Lovely painting Peter .

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Cheers Ralph.

 

[SteveH]

Morning Peter

How did you manage to do the eyes, they look so small even in 1:5 scale?

The flap certainly looks much more comfortable, you would have thought they might have noticed before taking the box art shots!

Looks like a fun day with the muted colours of leather jackets and life preservers.

Its raining and rather cold here, the BBC said a warm spell, it must have missed us?

Have a good day with a quiet palette

Regards

Steve H

 

[JR]

Damn, and I've just arrived
Any way good morning Peter. Could I ask that you put a ruler against some of theses busts so we can gauge an idea of the size. In my mind everything on here is based on my 1/35 scale.Thanks.
Enjoy you painting.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Steve - Morning. The eyes are vast in comparison with smaller scales, so there was no problem getting the tip of the brush in there. I think the left ear flap is meant to appear turned back like this:



My earlier Dog Tag figure. Bright start here, so good light for painting the helmet, my next task.

John - Here he is with the only 1/35 figure in the cabinet:



It's funny how each scale seems to throw up the same challenges.

 

[JR]

Thank you .
Wow that's massive, buying paint in bulk now ?

 

[Deleted member 6559]

John - It certainly is using up the Vallejo.

Most of the helmet done, bar the right ear-flap:



I had a late start today, so painting time was a bit limited. Also, picking out the stitching on the helmet took ages.

 

[Lee Drennen]

Very well done

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Thank you Lee.

Just had enough time to paint the other ear-flap:

 

[Fernando N]

Looking very nice Peter, like his ''I don't like this cold weather'' expression on his face .

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Cheers Fernando.

That's his ''Have I really just promised to die for the Emperor?'' look.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Fur and scarf done:



The fur on the helmet and that on the flying suit rarely matched, hence my choice of colouring. As I'd hoped, the white of the scarf has brought out the flesh tones a bit more.