Japanese Solid Model Builds by modan — From the Japanese Solid Model Forum

[lastvautour]

Excellent detail

[K_mars]

Thanks, Louis.

I agree. Modan's detail work is excellent, and the in-progress photos make it even more impressive.

Kenji

[K_mars]

[09] Gee Bee R-1 — 1/24 Scale Build Log (2016–2017)



This time I would like to introduce modan's 1/24 scale Gee Bee R-1.

The Gee Bee R-1 is one of those aircraft that almost looks too extreme to be real. In the original Japanese article, modan began with the question: "Can this really fly?" That feeling is part of the attraction of this racing aircraft.

What makes this build log especially valuable is that it shows the structure and corrections behind the bold final appearance. Modan started with a brass-pipe internal frame, added the cockpit area, and then built the large engine cowling and forward fuselage section. He also used thin plywood strips and micro glass to reproduce the ribbed and fabric-covered character of the fuselage.

There are several interesting problem-solving moments in this build. Modan noticed that the cowling shape did not quite match the impression of the real aircraft, so he added putty and reshaped it into a fuller, more rounded form. Later stages include the wing fillets, canopy frame, engine, landing gear covers, wheels, surface preparation, panel lines, rivets, rigging positions, and the final red-and-white finish.

I also like his final comment: although there were still some points he was concerned about, he decided to stop before overworking the model. That kind of judgment is also part of model making.

The finished model has the unmistakable presence of the Gee Bee R-1, but the build log is just as interesting because it shows how much structure, correction, and decision-making are hidden behind that clean final shape.

This is only a short introduction, not a full translation of the Japanese article.

Full article:
https://forum.fine-scale.net/index.php?topic=102.0

Model and original article by modan.

[J Luke]

The ribbing construction is absolutely amazing. It looks very much like a real aircraft with those details.

[K_mars]

Thanks, Jordan.

I agree. The ribbing construction is really impressive, and it gives the model a much more convincing aircraft-like presence. Modan's work shows not only the outer shape, but also the structure behind it.

Kenji

[K_mars]

[10] Caudron Simoun C.632 "Gody Radio" — 1/32 Scale Build Log (2018)



This time I would like to introduce modan's 1/32 scale Caudron Simoun C.632 "Gody Radio."

After several racing aircraft, this build has a different atmosphere. The Simoun was a civilian long-distance aircraft, and in the original Japanese article modan introduced "Gody Radio" as the aircraft that flew from France to Antananarivo, Madagascar, in 1935.

What I find especially interesting in this build is how many practical decisions are visible in the record. Modan changed the subject from the C.635 to the C.632 during the process, corrected the wing dihedral, remade the propeller after noticing that the pitch was reversed, and rethought the window treatment so that the front and side windows could be handled as a single unit.

The interior is also very attractive. He added long-range fuel tanks, while noting that their exact capacity was unknown and that this part was partly imagined. This kind of interpretation is one of the interesting parts of building a rare aircraft from limited information.

Another valuable point is the surface finish. The side rib lines were first made with 0.3 mm rod, but after surfacer they looked too heavy, so modan removed them and redrew the lines with a ruling pen. He also used a pink undercoat before the final red paint, trying to keep the finish thin and even.

The completed red aircraft looks elegant and compact, but the build log shows much more than the finished appearance: it shows correction, interpretation, surface treatment, and the judgment needed to bring a civilian long-distance aircraft into solid model form.

This is only a short introduction, not a full translation of the Japanese article.

Full article:
https://forum.fine-scale.net/index.php?topic=115.0

Model and original article by modan.

[lastvautour]

A master of the hobby.

Louis

[K_mars]

Thanks, Louis.

I agree — modan is truly a master of the hobby. His finished models are beautiful, but the build logs show just as clearly how much thought and judgment go into them.

Kenji

[K_mars]

[11] Macchi M.33 Schneider Trophy Racer — 1/28 Scale Build Log (2018–2019)



This time I would like to introduce modan's 1/28 scale Macchi M.33 Schneider Trophy Racer, originally posted between 2018 and 2019.

In the original Japanese article, modan introduced the Macchi M.33 as a Schneider Trophy racer that first flew in 1925. He also noted that it is a beautiful aircraft and is said to have been one of the inspirations for the Savoia in Porco Rosso. At the same time, he expected that there would be many difficult areas to work through.

The early construction is especially interesting. The fuselage was built up from layered wood, with the cockpit space cut out in advance. This gives the record a very solid-model character: the shape begins from wood, but the internal space is already being planned from the beginning.

There are also several good examples of interpretation and correction. Modan traced a small published drawing and added rivets and other details where he could identify them. He also discussed differences between drawings and decided to continue with the source he felt was more reliable. The vertical tail and horizontal tail were shaped, but blending the lower part of the vertical tail into the fuselage was difficult and required quite a bit of putty.

The build log also shows cockpit work, radiator parts, aileron horns, and wing rib lines. For the radiator and aileron horns, modan used a molding material and epoxy putty, noting that the surface was a little rough and that he might remake them in resin if they did not look good after painting. For the wing rib lines, he used masking tape and polyester putty, then sanded the surface to create the stepped effect visible in drawings and photographs.

In the later stages, modan worked on the engine cowling and propeller. He originally intended to include at least part of the engine, but gave up after the molding did not go well. He also added the oil cooler under the engine, although it was not fitted at the time of the aircraft's first flight, because he felt that the model would look incomplete without it.

Another point I find valuable is that this build was not completed in one continuous flow. Modan wrote that the project had been left aside for a long time, then restarted around October of the previous year, but still carried over into the new year. That makes the record feel very real: a model sometimes progresses, pauses, and then returns to life.

The completed model, with its bright blue hull, silver wings, engine cowling, propeller, struts, and floats, has a very distinctive Schneider Trophy atmosphere. What I find valuable in this build is that it shows the practical process of turning a rare and elegant racing seaplane into a wooden solid model: choosing references, interpreting unclear areas, shaping the wooden parts, accepting compromises, and gradually building up the special character of the Macchi M.33.

This is only a short introduction, not a full translation of the Japanese article.

Full article:
https://forum.fine-scale.net/index.php?topic=118.0

Model and original article by modan.

[K_mars]

[12] Curtiss R3C-2 — Schneider Trophy Racer Build Log (2021–2022)



This time I would like to introduce modan's Curtiss R3C-2 Schneider Trophy Racer.

Following the Macchi and Savoia builds, this is another fascinating Schneider Trophy subject. The Curtiss R3C-2 has a compact but powerful appearance, with its floats, struts, radiator panels, and dark finish giving it a very different atmosphere from the Italian racers.

What makes this build log especially interesting is the amount of correction involved. Modan wrote that, as the work progressed, some areas began to feel wrong. The nose shape looked too angular and did not have the dolphin-like form he wanted, so he corrected it. He then noticed problems around the lower wing-root area and had to correct that as well.

The floats were also not straightforward. Modan noticed stripe-like lines around the floats in Smithsonian images and drawings, and tried to reproduce them by masking. He felt that the real lines were more subtle than what he could achieve, but this attempt shows how closely he was reading the available references.

The later stages include the radiator panels, panel lines, rigging, and final details. For the radiator panels, he tried several materials before using a method from his Macchi M.39 build. For the panel lines, he used a rounded scriber, though he felt the result was still a little rough.

I find this record valuable because it does not present model making as a smooth path to success. Modan's own comments show uncertainty, correction, compromise, and even some dissatisfaction with the final result. But that is precisely why the build log is important. It reveals the real process behind the finished model.

The completed Curtiss R3C-2 has a strong presence as a Schneider Trophy racer, but the record shows something deeper: the repeated decisions and corrections needed to turn a difficult subject into a solid model.

This is only a short introduction, not a full translation of the Japanese article.

Full article:
https://forum.fine-scale.net/index.php?topic=143.0

Model and original article by modan.

[K_mars]

[13] Caudron C.461 — 1/24 Scale Build Log (2022)



This time I would like to introduce modan's 1/24 scale Caudron C.461.

After several Schneider Trophy and racing-aircraft subjects, this Caudron has a different kind of attraction. It is compact, elegant, and very purposeful, but the build was not straightforward at all.

In the original Japanese article, modan explained that he modified and retraced drawings of the Caudron C.561 in order to build the C.461. He wanted to make the engine partly visible, so he selected the version for which at least a little reference material was available. Even so, the engine information was very limited, and he described the engine detail as being mainly for the atmosphere.

One of the most interesting aspects of this build is how practical problems appear in the record. Modan could no longer find magnolia wood at the home center, so he used agathis together with some remaining magnolia. The material was not always easy to work, but he still managed to shape the model.

The engine-cover area is especially interesting. He cut off the engine-cover section, made the crankcase area, and then built the cover with plastic sheet reinforced by glass cloth on the inside. This allowed him to carve the part more confidently. Later, he also tried resin casting for the first time, using it for engine parts, propeller blades, and wheels.

The cockpit and canopy also show interpretation. The cockpit was based mainly on the C.460, and the canopy was made in two layers, with the entry section left open. Modan wrote that he did not know exactly how the real canopy opened, so he followed what he could see in photographs.

For me, the value of this build log is that it shows how a model can move forward even when the references are incomplete. Modan wrote that the lack of material often stopped his progress and even made him wonder whether he should have started the subject. But he also knew that better references might never appear, so he continued with what he could understand.

The completed Caudron C.461 has a strong racing-aircraft presence, but the record behind it is just as important. It shows drawing modification, material problems, interpretation, resin casting, and the decisions needed to turn an uncertain subject into a finished solid model.

This is only a short introduction, not a full translation of the Japanese article.

Full article:
https://forum.fine-scale.net/index.php?topic=166.0

Model and original article by modan.

[J Luke]

What an interesting aircraft, and of course, the model is superb!

[lastvautour]

Excellent skills.

Louis

[K_mars]

Thanks, Jordan.

I agree — the Caudron C.461 is a fascinating aircraft. What I especially like about this build is that modan worked through limited references and still captured the character of the aircraft so well.

Kenji

[K_mars]

Thanks, Louis.

I agree. Modan's skills are excellent, especially in the way he handles difficult subjects with limited references and still brings them into convincing solid model form.

Kenji