Mitsubishi Mu-2S - zenrat industries

[zenrat]

Mitsubishi Mu-2S - zenrat industries

Mitsubishi Mu-2S zenrat industries 12 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The Mitsubishi MU-2 is a Japanese high-wing, twin-engine turboprop aircraft with a pressurized cabin manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It made its maiden flight in September 1963 and was produced until 1986. It is one of postwar Japan's most successful aircraft, with 704 manufactured in Japan and San Angelo, Texas, in the United States.^[1]
It also has a lengthy record of 183 accidents causing almost 200 deaths over the past 36 years.
Although it can carry 11 people, it's not often used for passenger service these days and has a "slight reputation problem," according to Jane's Civil Aircraft, a respected guide to airplanes.
The MU-2 remains popular, however, among two groups: Caribbean drug smugglers and cargo companies speeding overnight shipments of checks between banks.^[2]

Mitsubishi Mu-2S zenrat industries 07 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The shown is the personal aircraft of zenrat industries managing dictator director.

Mitsubishi Mu-2S zenrat industries 06 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The Model
Hasegawa Mitsubishi Mu-2S with the thimble shaped radome removed from the nose.
"Turning" props cut from clear acetate sheet.  Spinners are the noses of bombs.
Painted with silver car paint from a touch up rattle can, Vallejo acrylics and White Knight Crystal Clear acrylic clear.
Home made decals.

Mitsubishi Mu-2S zenrat industries 03 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[TheChronicOne]

Yebat!!!! I love it. That turned out great and the registry is a nice touch. 

Hooray for "civil" birds! 

[rickshaw]

I see Zenrat Industries is a True Blue Aussie company, it's director likes Vegemite!   

[NARSES2]

Nice one mate 

However shouldn't "checks" read "cheques" ? 

[Dizzyfugu]

That's pretty! The propeller discs look very good, too.

[Rheged]

An attractive little machine, that suits the Zenrat Industries livery.

[PR19_Kit]

Ooooh yes, that's VERY pretty. 

But perhaps a little TOO smart and pretty for his Boss-ship? 

[AS.12]

I've only seen an Mu-2 for real once, at Pal-Waukee airport in Illinois.  The noise of it when taxying was horrific, an unending screech.  I don't know what causes it.

So pretty but so unbearable without ear protection.

[JayBee]

Many years ago in the mid 1970's when I was a trainee ATCO at Glasgow airport, there was a locally based MU-2. Apart from the fact that it was, from watching it, a very twitchy aircraft in control movements, the sound WAS significant!!!!!
All of us in the tower reckoned that it sounded like 40,000 Japanese sewing machines running together. Painful to the ears.

[Weaver]

Nice model! The colour scheme looks good on it.

Reading the Wiki page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_MU-2, it seems that the high accident rate was due to inexperienced pilots not being specifically trained for the Mu-2's peculiar combination of characteristics and performance, and that this has now been addressed.

I wonder what causes the excessive noise? The engines are common TPE-331s so it can't be them: maybe some peculiarity of prop harmonics, which might explain why some later versions have four intstead of three-bladed props?

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.

Nice one mate 

However shouldn't "checks" read "cheques" ? 

Yes.  Wikipedia's fault as it's just a straight cut & paste.  My responsibility for not chequeing the spelling.   

That's pretty! The propeller discs look very good, too.

These are the Mk 2 prop discs.  The Mk1 was on the Westland Wowhawk where I used texter scribbles for the blades.  On this I used a  mix of gloss black and smoke acrylics.  i'm happier with the Mk 2s but they could be better.  The blades need to be more translucent.  Less black and more smoke maybe (smoke on its own is too translucent).

[NARSES2]

Thanks folks.

Nice one mate 

However shouldn't "checks" read "cheques" ? 

Yes.  Wikipedia's fault as it's just a straight cut & paste.  My responsibility for not chequeing the spelling.   

The authorities have agreed to take that in mitigation at any subsequent hearing 

[comrade harps]

"V-FRED" 

Maybe there's a Vegemite Emergency Distribution chopper waiting to be made?

[Weaver]

Thanks folks.

Nice one mate 

However shouldn't "checks" read "cheques" ? 

Yes.  Wikipedia's fault as it's just a straight cut & paste.  My responsibility for not chequeing the spelling.   

The authorities have agreed to take that in mitigation at any subsequent hearing 

I think you'll find that "I was only quoting Wikipedia" was ruled an inadmissible defense at Nuremberg in 1945.

Weaver
Legal Expert

[The Rat]

Hirohito's Revenge

Proof that, with enough power, even a brick can fly.

Don't know any ramp rat who enjoys the sounds of that thing taxying in, because if it needs fuel it's an exercise in frustration. Too much in one tip-tank and the other goes so high you can't reach it, so you have to go from one to the other repeatedly.

Apart from my personal feelings, born of experience, nice job!