1/700 IJN Kongo 1941, Fujimi with Tetra Model Works PE

[ch hoeltge]

My first IJN ship will be the wonderfull kit from Fujimi. I will will make the 1941 version because I don't like the radar and AA stuff.
In this kit you see still the WW1 battlecruiser as it was built.

For the first time I will use a bigger PE set. The set from Tetra cames with all necessary parts except the small boats and parts for the AA.
The fit was good and the instruction are most time clear. I only mixed some doors. There are more on the fret then in the instructions.

I will post many pics soon, so don't get frighten. The kit is nearly complete but here we start with the first pics from December:

I started with the deck by removing parts and adding the new ancor cains.
And I started also with both funnels.





The next pics, the decks was ready for painting and was painted with Vallejo Iraqi sand.
The front funnel is also finished with all of its plattforms. The rear funnel needs still some pe.








More to come .

Greetings Christian

[ch hoeltge]

And here go again:

On the wood deck I painted some planks in another color.
Then I brushed it with brown oil color, as I wanted to achieve a the dark look of teak wood.
I also finished the rear funnel, the lower bridge and the airplane platform.
As yous see it didn't fell in place. There I should have check an correct it.
Sadly I didn't make it and so I had the problems later after painting with some nasty filling on a painted model.
From where the fit problems came, I don't know. I'm not sure if they are from the plastic parts or pe parts, or perhaps both.









After this I started painting. I masked completly the wood deck and spray the model in Tamiya XF-77.
The hull is still unpainted as I still needed to drill out the port holes .







The parts with the funnels and the deck gets a wash. And then I started with the bridge. A really nice construction .
And still problems with the flight platform .







More to come.

Greetings Christian

[Goodwood]

Kongou is looking quite good so far, Christian. Can't wait to see how she turns out!

[ch hoeltge]

Thanks Goodwood!

A question first, as I'm painting the planes. Are the color suggestions from Fujimi right?
They call for a white plane with brown camo.
That make sense as the planes where first all white, but I#m not sure.

And here are more pics:
Over Christmas I finally painted the hull and I glued the hull to it. The fit was perfect!





The lower bridge section was also painted and glued in place.
From there the building of the pagoda can start .
The work also begun on the main guns. For them I used barrels from Aber.





The boats crane, a great fit even without dryfit. I trusted the engineers from Tetra and Fujimi .
And you see the boats holders where glued in the wrong place on the left side.
This mistake I corrected later.





The flight deck in place. As said on the other side I need to fill a gap. Next time I wll watch this more carefully.
Someone here in the forum also had this problem on Fujimi Nagato, which will be my next build.



And finally some bridge sections. The plasticparts where alterd and painted. The pe parts for the deck where painted on the fret and then glued to the plastic part.
Only the second from left bridge part, this one I built completly and then I painted it.



I think tomorrow I will post pics of the actual build, but some older pics will follow first.

Greetings Christian

[Goodwood]

I think that by 1941, the spotter planes carried by Kongou and other Japanese heavy surface units would've been painted in IJN green uppers and IJN gray lowers. I've come to understand the typical "gray" used on Japanese naval aircraft, both seaplanes and those based on carriers, was a sort of off-white with a perceptible brownish-green tint (more green than brown). To my knowledge, brown paint was never used on any Japanese planes that were put to sea, apart from the color applied to propeller blades and as the other half of a green-brown disruptive scheme that was (IIRC, could be wrong) discarded either just before or just after the beginning of the war�and was mostly used for older scout biplanes. The Japanese Army Air Force, however, did use it rather a lot�especially on their land-based fighters and bombers�along with a similar shade of green to what the Navy used.

My advice: if references fail you and you're going with "late '41," then you can't go much wrong with green over gray.

[Quincy]

Beautiful work Christian! I too like the early war IJN the best.




Bob Pink.

[Dan K]

Great work and build log.

[blacman]

very nice work
following with interest and looking for more!

[ch hoeltge]

Thanks guys.

Ok I will then repaint the planes in green/grey.

Here the last pics before I will post actual ones these evening.
All big parts are painted and added accept the main turrets.
The fit of the pagoda was nearly perfect. I'm satisfied with my result.









The flight deck also doesn't look that bad either. But next time I have to be more carefully with superglue drops.
Some you see only after painting and than its to late.





Next will be details, details and more details.
I also have to buy sets for the AA and small boats.
I will go for Flyhawk PE for the boats and 25mm twins, and Ocean Spirit for the 12,7cm .

Greetings Christian

[ch hoeltge]

As promised, here are the newest pics:

First it's the model in his vitrine from Trumpeter, if possible I will use the same vitrine for all of my ships.



And here without cover. I put the model on a wood sheet and srewed both on the base of the vitrine.
On the wood sheet I applied two layers fromVallejos Watereffects.
A third layer will follow which will form the waves.



The bridge is finished except the large beam on the backside. For ease of handling it isn't attached yet.
I also added the reeling on the bow section.







On the flight platform I added the catapult. It was painted on the pe fret and then build together.
That worked fine for me .
I think I will place on plane on the water and the other on the catapult or near by.
Lets see how it will turn out.



And now to the best shot .



More to come.

Greetings Christian

[ch hoeltge]

Not much progress, but at least I got the PE for the boats and AA.
I started with the small boats.





The canvas on the motor launch I will make by using white glue.
I allready tested it on the samll motor boat and I was satisfied with the result.

Greetings Christian

[Dan K]

Excellent PE detailing.

[Joe Simon]

Awesome job!

[ch hoeltge]

Thanks guys .

Greetings Christian

[ArizonaBB39]

Excellent work Christian, it's hard to believe that is 1/700!

[K494]

She looks great,Christian.

Scott

[ch hoeltge]

Thanks gyus .

The completion is near. I added the missing reeling and the 15 cm guns.
I also started with the 25 mm twins. I used the ones from Flyhawk and they worked well for me at my first time.







The 127 mm ones are form Oceaan Spirit and really nice. But the kit ones are also nice, if there would be some pe for it they should turn out well also.

On the catapult I added the plane, the other will be in the water.



More pics soon, as I like to finish it next month.

Greetings Christian

[Jaguar]

Very nice work Christian.

Jorge

[ModelMonkey]

Beautiful, Chris!

[marijn van gils]

Impressive detail!