I have built this kit once before, a number of years ago. It apparently has some inaccuracies, which Hasegawa corrected in the Jt series of Emils. As with several of my past builds, I wanted to try something new on this one.

There weren't any problems with the build - it went together nicely. What I decided to do differently this time was to use Krylon Fusion Matte Glacier Gray as a primer. It went on well, but chipped in a couple of places when I lifted the masking tape. I suppose it could have been due to not cleaning the kit before applying the primer, but even so I will not be using the Matte paint as a primer again. I do have a can of Fusion Flat White, which I plan on trying out soon.

The RLM 65 is a Tamiya mix - I think it is what Tamiya recommends, XF-23:2 + XF-2:1 (per the kit instructions for Tamiya's own E-3). I made this mix quite a while ago and did not record the ratios. The RLM 02 and RLM 71 on the upper side are AMMO. I had a hard time mixing the RLM 02, as it must have been sitting for a long time.

The decals are from the kit. As with my previous build, I used Mr. Mark Setter to set them. It worked well.

Again, I created a mask for the canopy. The SVG file can be downloaded from here). The mask is not complete - it leaves the top area of the rear section uncovered. I did that part by hand. Also, the section above the windscreen did not fit, so I did that part by hand also. I plan to improve the mask on the next E-3 I build. The canopy did not sit well - apparently, I did not get the instrument panel in the right place. It is supposed to sit under the cowling, but on this build it juts out and interferes with the windscreen. I looked at my previous build, and I had the same problem there.

Page last updated November 4, 2025.