Allan-1/144 Tojo in wood and lozenge

Allan · April 10, 2009, 02:02:06 AM

Hi fellows,
I'm optimistic that tomorrow will see my Dornier finished once I visit a fishing tackle shop and get a sinker for the nose.
So, I've decided to spend some time playing with this 1/144 scale little Tojo, which came in the box with a Raiden. I made the Raiden years ago, so now it's Tojo's turn, dolled up in wood and WW1 lozenge for no good reason other than it looks cool.
Allan in Canberra

NARSES2 · April 10, 2009, 02:09:28 AM

Allan that fusalage is stunning

ChernayaAkula · April 10, 2009, 02:47:47 AM

^ As are the wings!

Amazing stuff!

Brian da Basher · April 10, 2009, 04:29:17 AM

This reminds me of your amazing and wonderful two seat Me 109 from a while back, Allan! Few do woodgrain and lozenge as well as you. I really like the look of your Tojo and I hope you won't mind a small suggestion: how about making the cowling a metallic color? A dulled-down copper or bronze would compliment the woodgrain nicely. This also heightens the whiff-factor as the cowlings and panels around the engine on W.W. I types in this scheme would be either bare metal or painted metal (usually ~~gray~~ grey).

I'm going to enjoy watching this one immensely and I eagerly await your next update!

Brian da Basher

Allan · April 10, 2009, 04:56:23 AM

Thanks for your kind comments everyone. The lozenge is coming along nicely, but I'll need to make some minor repairs to tears. That can be done later, even after the wings and fuselage are mated together and start producing little Tojos of their own.
And Brian, thank you for that suggestion about the cowling--what about matt gold mixed with a dab of matt red to produce your bronze, or should I not get too cute and plump for a simple combination of black and silver?
Allan in Canberra

Brian da Basher · April 10, 2009, 06:09:25 AM

Gold mixed with red (copper) or gold mixed with brown (bronze) toned down with a little black should fit the bill nicely. I'd go with the copper, but I have iridescent copper in my art paints. Alternately, silver or black would work if you wanted to keep things simple, but I think a dulled down copper/bronze color would look smashing next to the woodgrain.

Brian da Basher

sotoolslinger · April 10, 2009, 06:51:37 AM

Must agree , beautiful job, go with the coppery cowl

McGreig · April 10, 2009, 07:39:20 AM

The Tojo is not a big aircraft to begin with, and you're doing this in 1/144!?!

Absolutely amazing

BlackOps · April 10, 2009, 07:51:51 AM

Allan, you've got a real looker in progress here, this is going to be stunning!

John Howling Mouse · April 10, 2009, 08:20:12 AM

Very nice. Ditto on the coppery cowl.

sequoiaranger · April 10, 2009, 08:31:15 AM

As quirky as it is, I like the look. I have always felt that the "lozenge" camo could be effective in more modern contexts. I have some 8 1/2 x 11 Lozenge decal sheets that I am anxious to use some day.

I have always liked the CR-42/Gloster Gladiator look of closed-cockpit aerodynamic fuselages with biplane wings. The Tojo might fit that bill, too. Might you consider making your Tojo a "slip-wing", kinda like the Hurricane, that would give it a biplane look and be "practical"?

Pardon the crude Photoshopping, but.....?

Allan · April 10, 2009, 02:43:36 PM

Now, Ranger,
How did you do that?

Allan in Canberra

Copper it is then!!!!

sequoiaranger · April 10, 2009, 03:37:14 PM

>Now, Ranger, How did you do that? Allan in Canberra<

I have a "PaintShopPro" computer program that allows me to manipulate digital images. Really, the one I did here is VERY crude and quick. I just did it for the "concept". But...

I took the main photo and duplicated it, saving the original. With the duplicate I rotated it some 55 degrees to the right, approximating the angle of the fuselage for the original wing. I roughly chopped out the fuselage and pasted it to the original wing, then went about trying to eliminate "clutter", like the clamp, by duping and pasting like sections, and then color-matching "spray paint". Then I chopped out and pasted another wing, and duped and pasted a like section to fill in where the empty spot in the middle would be. Then, once again, eliminated "clutter" by spray-painting around. It may sound complicated, but it's not---just time-consuming for a GOOD job (which this wasn't).

When I travel with my wife and take pictures, I take a picture of her in a certain spot, then have her take a picture of me in an adjacent spot, then I put them together when we get home so it looks like someone took our picture together!

noxioux · April 10, 2009, 04:45:25 PM

Looks good. I can't imagine how tiny that thing must be in 1/144.

Allan · April 10, 2009, 04:55:02 PM

Copper's on now and so are the lozenge decals. Photos soon.
Thanks for that tutorial re the photoshopping, Ranger--a lot of what you said is quite beyond me, but I'm looking forward to playing with some free, downloaded software to make a black and white or sepia photo of my Dornier.
Allan in Canberra