The Kyushu J7W1 Shinden (Magnificent Lightning) was the Imperial Japanese Navy’s last great hope for a high-speed interceptor. But it was barely off the drawing board when World War II ended, making its first flight on Aug. 3, 1945. The Shinden is Zoukei-Mura’s first foray into 1/48 scale in its Super Wing Series.
Construction begins with the 15-piece engine, where careful painting yields beautiful results. Next is a well-detailed cockpit that drops into a nearly complete, one-piece airframe (Part A-16). Make sure the built-up cockpit sides are square; it is a snug fit.
I had trouble getting the roll bar and gas cylinders to fit in Step 10 until I decided to install Part A-30 first, then the roll bar (A-8), and then Part A-29.
The cannon-bay parts are a tight fit, too. I put everything in place, then used a Touch-N-Flow applicator to carefully glue everything.
I was tempted to display my model like the picture on the side of the box that shows it without fuselage skin. However, the many hard-to-reach ejector-pin marks on Part A-16 convinced me otherwise. Unfortunately, the locator pins for the fuselage skins (parts C-6 and C-4) are not a tight fit, allowing the parts to move on the framework. This caused alignment problems later with the nose cap and cannon-bay covers. Minor surgery was needed at the front of the wing roots where the wing skins meet the fuselage. The curvature of the aft fuselage skins (C-10 and C-12) did not match that of the framework; careful gluing and clamping finally brought them around. I also had to trim the outer flaps (E-12 and E-8) to get them into place.
The clear parts are a highlight of the kit: The canopy is clearer and thinner than many vacuum-formed parts I’ve seen, and the raised framework is incredibly sharp.
I used Testors Model Master Metalizer paints for bare-metal areas, Tamiya paints for the cockpit and exterior of the model, and Vallejo for the propeller. Although I applied decals over a clear coat of Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface finish, they did not respond to Micro Sol or Solvaset solutions. I recommend painting the national insignia and yellow leading edges.
This kit is something of a paradox. It includes abundant interior detail, most of which winds up completely hidden. (Although the engine fit perfectly inside the fuselage, I left it out to display.) Some of the moldings are absolutely incredible (like the canopy), but others have mold seams, flash, and pin marks in places that make them tough to clean. Some pieces are perfectly formed, while detail on others is soft. Corners that should be sharp 90-degree edges were rounded, and the tight fit of the cockpit and engine belies the sloppy fit of the fuselage panels.
It took about 40 hours to build Zoukei-Mura’s Shinden, more than usual for me. The kit scales out close to the measurements listed on the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum website, and it looks like the pictures there.
If you are looking for a superdetailing project, this kit is a good starting point. But if you’re looking for a relaxing weekend build, this one is a bit much.
Note: A version of this review appeared in the October 2014 FineScale Modeler.