Aoshima's E15K1 Norm - super oldie!

[Faust]

Sometimes, things don’t work out in real life like they do in theory. Anyone who’s ever designed something and seen it built has likely experienced this. It happens all the time, and in the field of aviation history, it’s a very common occurrence indeed. One perfect example was the “Norm”, a Japanese floatplane recce bird deployed in only very small numbers in the Pacific theatre of WWII.

The designers of the Norm had all kinds of great ideas for it, and it should have been a success. However, despite counter-rotating props and (technically) jettisonable floats, the E15K1 was just one of those cases where theory and reality were at loggerheads, and reality won. The few Norms put into service experienced all kinds of troubles, and most were shot down.

Equally plagued with troubles is the ANCIENT Farpro Japan kit of the Norm. Yeah, if you know me, you knew that I’d be busting out another Farpro at some time! Well, here it is! This ancient dog needs about 400 pounds of putty and elbow grease to even get it looking like a plane, let alone half-arsed. However, with some patience and work, it can be made to look acceptable, even against much more modern and forgiving kits.

Check it out below, and save yourself the pain of building it yourself. I mean, that’s what I’m here for!

https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/farpro-japan-1-72-e15k1-siun-norm/

[Jim B]

Interesting aircraft.  I wonder how this compared to the A6M2-N Rufe.

[cobraman]

It looks very nice.

[Faust]

The Rufe was very much more successful, but that's not saying a whole lot. 

The Norm should have been good, but since none of the jettisoning floats worked, it was really just a sitting duck. 

I agree, Ray, that it is a very pretty airplane. That's why, even though the kit was a total dog's breakfast, I persevered with it. It's too pretty NOT to have on display!

[stavanzer]

Jim, to answer your question, it compared Badly, Very Badly. There was never a flight test done on the Float Release mechanism. So the first time it was tried (in combat) it was found that the Release Pin could not be pulled, and the float was stuck. It was a major error, and it doomed the plane. (in both ways)

[Mike999]

Hey Adam, I thought about you and your blog today at the local Wed. Flea Market.  One seller had 2 big tables full of old 1/72 aircraft kits...probably including some you see in your nightmares. 

Lots of old Airfix, Matchbox, and obscure Eastern European stuff.  Even a few ancient vac-form kits. No Farpros, though!  He was selling them cheap, and I hope he's there next week. I may snag a few more.

I picked up these:

Matchbox PB4-Y Privateer (still the only kit of that aircraft in existence, AFAIK)

Eastern Express Martin 167 Maryland (the old Frog/Novo/etc. kit)

Minicraft PV-1 Ventura Gunship

Hobbycraft Beech C-45

Special Hobby Bristol Beaufort Mk Ia/II "Home Islands/Malta"

Italeri B-57B Canberra USAF

From another seller, I picked up a partly-built and cheap Trumpeter 1/24 scale P-51D Mustang.  Luckily the builder used Elmer's Craft Glue, not model cement, so everything he had glued fell apart easily.  That one has some parts I can use on car kits, like the Merlin engine.  It also comes with three 1/24 resin pilot figures, though they're all one-piece figures and look sort of goofy.
 

 

[Faust]

Hey Michael!

Man, it sounds like you're in my version of Heaven! 

My brother has that Privateer, and yes, I do believe that's the only Styrene version of it ever. Too bad, it'd make a nice 1/144. However, it's a cool counterpart to the new Airfix Shackelton, so 1/72 isn't TOO big!

I love Marylands, and haven't ever seen the kit. Man, if it's the Eastern Express.... that's going to hurt. I have their Yak 15 - total garbage.  I did get an original Frog Thud and a DH Hornet, though! All of them for cheap, too.

I've built that B-57 - got it 20 years ago, and then bought the "G" version about 4 years ago. Sure, it's raised panel lines, but it's a cool, cool plane!

Great find on the Trumpy car-scale Stang, too!

I love finding Matchboxes. At a local show this past winter, I got a decal-less (but otherwise complete) Do-18, a still-wrapped He-70 and one guy was selling PK-1 (Hawker Fury) two in a box!!! And it was a perfect shape box in great condition! HOLY MOLY! I still lust (yes, lust) for the Matchbox Buffalo, although there are a tonne of others like the Seafox, Norseman and Mosquito that I'd also like to grab if I ever see them! Not to mention the LRDG and Char B1/FT-17 "orange" kit sets. 

Man, now I'm all excited...  Good luck grabbing some more stuff next week!

[Mike999]

On ‎8‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 6:10 PM, Faust said:

I still lust (yes, lust) for the Matchbox Buffalo, although there are a tonne of others like the Seafox, Norseman and Mosquito that I'd also like to grab if I ever see them! Not to mention the LRDG and Char B1/FT-17 "orange" kit sets.

I made a note of your Lust List and will see if the seller has them, if he shows up this week. 

Funny you mentioned the Norseman. At this flea market a few weeks ago, from a different seller I found a Matchbox #PK-125 Norseman/UC-64.  Somebody liked floatplanes!  The same seller had the MPM Northrop N-3PB (nice, with photo-etched parts)  and Antares Curtiss SC-1 Seahawk.  If I decide to get rid of the Norseman, maybe you can trade me something weird for it. I really like the civil paint scheme on that one, for an Alaskan "puddle-jumper."

That Eastern Express Martin Maryland is a re-issue of the ancient FROG kit. Also released by ARK, Novo and no telling who else.  The horror, the horror...(actually it doesn't look too bad.  Famous last words...)

[Faust]

Thanks, man!

Nice! that Norseman is cool, and I do like floatplanes as well, as you can tell by my Float Stuka. I like the Norseman too, because it's not the L-4 most people think of when they think US Army co-operation plane! The puddle jumper is nice,  yeah, I agree. 

Oh, man... that's a long way for that poor Maryland's moulds to go! I'm sure it'll suck, but likely no worse than the Norm!