1/35 Border Model Nakajima B5N2 Build
Building this Nakajima B5N2 Type 97 Carrier Attack Bomber in 1/35 scale was an immersive dive into the structure, texture, and fatigue of late-war Japanese naval aviation. Known to the Allies as “Kate,” this aircraft played a key role from Pearl Harbor to Midway, and persisted through the grim final chapters of the Pacific air war.
I chose to depict a heavily weathered late-war aircraft, inspired by actual historical photos showing chipped paint, salt damage, and field-repaired surfaces. The fuselage and wing surfaces were treated with layered chipping and hand-applied fading to simulate repeated flight operations under harsh maritime conditions.
🔧 Interior Details
The interior framing and crew positions were a build highlight. The open-frame design reveals the three-crew cockpit structure and gave me the chance to use oil and acrylic washes to build tonal contrast. I kept the tones worn and darkened, reflecting both age and the late-war production materials.
🛠Structural Elements
You can also see the inner wing spars and tail assembly, left exposed during early construction. These show the model’s fine engineering and provided a great opportunity to highlight the structural logic behind the aircraft’s silhouette.
📸 Reference-Inspired
One of my main visual inspirations came from a vintage wartime photo (included above), showing a B5N2 in combat-worn condition—paint stripped from engine heat and flight fatigue, with crewmen still climbing aboard.
🎨 Finish
The final paintwork was done using airbrush fading and layered chipping, followed by hand-applied brush streaks and panel accents to break up the symmetry and add realism. I aimed to capture the exhaustion of the plane as much as its structure—this was no longer a pristine Pearl Harbor attacker, but a tired veteran in the final days.
