Sunday 22 July 2018

Piebald Army Tanker by Dan Salamone


Dan Salamone, continuing his innovative foray into Japanese airfield vehicles and equipment, has very kindly shared these images, of work-in-progress and completed model, of his skilful conversion of the 1/48 scale Hasegawa Isuzu TX40 fuel truck (Kit # X48-14) with fabric roof cab into the steel cab version. The unusual dazzle painting is based on a colour photograph taken at Kumanosho near Kumamoto city on Kyushu, a 6th Air Army airfield used for operations against Okinawa. 


 In Dan's own words then. . .

"This is my completed 1/48 Hasegawa TX40 steel cab truck conversion project. After finding enough photos of the real vehicle, I started converting it from the fabric roof version as molded in the kit. Evergreen styrene was used for the various parts, the roof is styrene sheet laminated and glued together, then cut and sanded to shape.      


The fuel tank itself in the images I was using as reference showed a smooth surface rather than the ribbed version as molded in the kit. I sourced the fuel hose from my LHS (as was the kit and all other finishing materials).



I used custom mixed Vallejo acrylics for the camouflage, then weathered with artist's oils, AK pigments, and Vallejo washes and acrylics. The final clear coat is Gunze Mr. Super Clear matt, from a spray bottle. 


Normally these vehicles were painted in overall IJA Khaki, however, a series of post war color images show a collection of various fuel and starter trucks left at a base along with some Ki-67 bombers*. The trucks were all painted in a variety of bright “dazzle” schemes, and make for a very unique modeling subject."


*The Ki-67 bombers appear to be from Hiko Dai 110 Sentai which ended the war at Kumanosho (隈ノ 庄). The 110th was formed in October 1944 at Hamamatsu under Major Takeo Kusakari (who survived the war) with only two chutai throughout its existence. The unit conducted bombing raids against Saipan, losing six aircraft on the night of 7 Dec 1944. In an 8-day period during early February 1945 the unit transported 30 tons of material to Iwo Jima via Tachiarai in preparation for the expected  US invasion.  After the invasion began it engaged in daring low-level nocturnal attacks against shipping and landing areas. In one of these attacks on 21 February the tail turret of Lt Nino Sonoda's aircraft was blown off by anti-aircraft fire with the gunner Sgt Jusaku Saito falling to his death. Sonoda managed to fly the badly damaged Ki-67 back to a forced landing offshore at Hamamatsu  On 6 March a Ki-67 was lost attempting to transport replenishment ammunition to the island whilst fighting was in progress (1Lt Kazuo Sakonji MIA). The 110th then moved to Kumanosho on 18 April to conduct attacks against enemy shipping off Okinawa and later against Okinawan airfields. That airfield, although designated for twin engine bomber operations, proved unsuitable for heavily loaded take offs and the aircraft instead sortied for operations from Kumamoto airfield where Hiko Dai 60 Sentai was based. A total of 20 aircraft were lost in those operations, several from forced landings at sea, and seven chutai commanders were killed in action, with the 1st chutai bearing the brunt of five consecutive commanders being lost. At war's end the 1st chutai was commanded by Captain Tatsuhiko Kishimoto and the 2nd by Captain Akira Suzuki. 


With special thanks to Dan for sharing his images and write-up of a brilliant and unique model.

Image credits:- All model photos © 2018 Dan Salamone; Kyushu map © Google Maps
References: Japanese Army Heavy Bomber Units by Dr Yasuho Izawa; Air Operations on Iwo Jima and the Ryukus (Japanese Monograph # 51)/

21 comments:

Michael Thurow said...

A wonderful model, Dan. I love the detail in construction and painting. Can the series of color pictures that you mention be accessed via internet?

Dan Salamone said...

Thanks for the kind words Michael. The reason I didn't include the images was that they have been copyrighted while being posted on other sites. However, if you Google terms such as "TX-40" or 'IJA fuel trucks", they usually show up. A slide from the series recently sold on eBay for a hefty amount....there are TX-40's, Toyota starter trucks, Isuzu Type 1's, as well as the Ki-67's that Nick wrote of. Come to think of it, if you Google "Ki-67" that could also be a great search term to find the images...

Dan

Mark Smith said...

Dan, this is a superb model, one of your best. Thanks for the insight into build and the research. Thanks for bringing it to us, Nick.

Dan Salamone said...

Thanks for the kind words Mark, they are greatly appreciated. This has been a project have been wanting to build for awhile, and it felt great to get it finished.

Dan

Ronnie Olsthoorn said...

I'm absolutely loving this Dan!!!
So much so, I've ordered one (Ki-45 combo kit). First model kit I order in over a decade.

Dan Salamone said...

Hi Ronnie, that's fantastic! Looking forward to seeing the TX40 receive your digital attention. :-)

I've built three TX40's/variants so far, have a fourth started, and a fifth idea in the works. After the fifth one, think I'll call my obsession done!

Dan

Richard Tool said...


Hi Dan - Wonderful job , just as we have all come to expect from your talented hands !

Thanks for sharing - Richard

Dan Salamone said...

Thanks for the kind words, Richard, they're appreciated!

Dan

Anonymous said...

Excellent and inspiring.
Thanks for sharing.

Carlo

Dan Salamone said...

Thank you Carlo, appreciate the kind words!

Dan

Anonymous said...

hi Dan. Your model is great. I have a couple of questions about japanese truck used for airfield. Was it used a base version of the isuzu tx40, for troupe or material? If yes was it possible were colored wholly dark brown or dark red brown like the bottom of your model?
thanks for your patient
Max

Dan Salamone said...

Hi Max, thanks for the kind words on the model. The actual TX40 was built in both steel cab, and cloth top versions. The model comes as the cloth top version, I converted it to the steel cab version since there isn't a model of that version available.

The base color of IJA vehicles was a khaki shade, which can be seen on the cab and fuel tank as the brown color. The reddish color on the bottom is weathering, the copy of the image that I originally had showed red soil and the same color dirt on the wheels and sides of the trucks. The copy of the image that Nick posted here shows the soil was more brown.

Hope this is helpful,

Dan

Anonymous said...

Thanks Dan, All Very clear! I'm bulding an isuzu tx40 straight of box, but i was painting the truck with a dark brown (mud brown) like japanese camouflage tank, (fortunately only the chassis) with a spray can. Now I will see how to correct the mistake. To avoid , I asked you the question. :-( Thanks you the same

Dan Salamone said...

Hi Max, the color mix in the Hasegawa kit is close,if you don't have access to Gunze paints, you could also substitute Tamiya or Vallejo paints for the colors. I've seen a pretty wide range of shades of the IJA khaki color, then there is always weathering, etc. Hope this is helpful,

Dan

Anonymous said...

yes, but i was experimenting a spraycan base color and after a finish by airbrush. Now, I have found the exact color in spraycan: beige brown (Ral 8011) for dark khaki version or Ral 1001 for light khaki version. I choose the first. The darker part bottom that i painted before will be cover by new spray color lighter and became a dark shadow area because is bottom (precisely). I should have resolved.
Ps: When i finish (i hope) will post some pictures.

Max

Straggler 脱走兵 said...

Hi Max (and Dan)

Excuse me for joining in but RAL 8011 and 1001 are not close to IJA Khaki, the former being too dark and reddish (a Munsell YR - Yellow Red). The closest RAL colour to standard IJA Khaki is 7008 Khakigrau (Khaki Grey).

Regards
Nick

Anonymous said...

pardon, RAL 1011 Brown beige (I mistaked Ral 8011)
https://www.coloriral.it/ral-classic/ral-1011-beige-marrone
it doesn't seem too dark. But in some web side pics seems darker effectively.
Ral 7008, according the table belongs to gray family
https://www.coloriral.it/ral-classic/ral-7008-grigio-kaki.
so i did't watch it. interesting! seeem that one or not?

Straggler 脱走兵 said...

Hi Max
RAL 1011 is also a Munsell YR and similar to the appearance of the plastic colour of the Hasegawa kit (?). Although categorised by RAL as "grey" 7008 is a Munsell Y - Yellow and closer to the IJA Khaki colour. You can see it here:-

https://www.e-paint.co.uk/Lab_values.asp?cRange=RAL%20Classic&cRef=RAL%207008&cDescription=Khaki%20grey

Regards
Nick

Anonymous said...

hi, thanks for the website suggest very helpful for me. Now, reading the hasegawa paint guide, it says: middle stone 80% + red brown 20%. Is it right? Than i supposed that being a red component in the color. But how said Dan, there were several tone of japanese khaki used. Surely one light and one darker.

Straggler 脱走兵 said...

Hi Max

I haven't tried the Hasegawa suggested mix so cannot comment on how suitable it is. The applied khaki paint did vary, in intention a khaki drab - a drab brown with a slight yellow-green chroma, similar to the British Army colour of that name - but in practice anything from a yellowish mustard brown to a pale olive drab. Reflectivity was supposed to be 8.4% - by way of comparison RAF Dark Green is 7% and RAF Dark Earth is 13%.

Regards
Nick

Ken Glass said...

Nice job, Dan.