Hasegawa's 1/48 scale
Aichi D3A Val

by Brian Bourdon

This is Hasegawa’s quarter scale Aichi D3A ‘Val’ in the markings of an aircraft assigned to the Zuikaku Carrier Group circa 1941. 

The interior is very good OOB but benefits tremendously from the addition of Eduard’s colour photo etch.  Working with photo etch can be a bit finicky, and this is certainly the case here.  I found it next to impossible to properly install any of the enhanced sidewall detail without first destroying a lot of the original moulded detail.  As such, I was forced to rebuild stringers, formers and other components with styrene and bit of brass wire.  While I was at it, I removed the map case (?) and scratch built a new one.  A new flare pistol was sourced from my spares bin.     

The IP is a thing of beauty but flimsy.  In particular, the compass.  Eduard would have you twist the supporting disc a full 90? to horizontal.  I manhandled the part as much as I dared, worried that the insanely delicate attachment points would give.  They did not. 

The seats supplied by Hasegawa are somewhat undersized, being closer to 72nd scale.  I sourced suitable replacements from my spares box and added a khaki colored cushion to both made from sheet styrene.  I wouldn’t want to argue that these were used by the IJN, but they do tend to improve the look of things.  And of course, a new trapeze was scratch built to accommodate the larger gunner’s seat.  The lap belts were sourced from an Eduard set.   

I don’t know where the gunner’s auxiliary instrument panel is supposed to go, but I am almost sure it’s not where I installed it.  Furthermore, the gunner’s compass, as supplied, consists of nothing more than a chunky piece of clear plastic.  I was on the fence as to whether the item should be replaced until, that is, the carpet monster stepped in and claimed another victim.  I will suggest my scratch built replacement is probably an improvement though, to be honest, I’m not entirely sure what the compass is supposed to look like.  We’ll simply call it my best guess based on a rudimentary drawing and several photos of incomplete units.  

Defensive armament consisted of a Type 92 machine gun in need of minor improvement.  I reworked the grip and added a photo etched ring sight.  

The interior was painted in something that I would like to call ‘Interior Green’ which is a mix that I concocted with the aid of my wife whose colour vision is much better than mine.  I believe it closely matches the green used by Eduard.  Four light coats of Pledge prepared the surface for a Tamiya XF-27 pin wash.  A final coat of MIG Ultra Matt Varnish was applied prior to final assembly. 

The fit is typical of 90s era kits, which is to say that most everything went together well enough without any major surprises.  There were gaps at the wing roots which required a little work. 

Another half millimeter gap where the trailing edge meets under the fuselage required a styrene shim. 

A somewhat grainy photo of this particular aircraft appears in Famous Aircraft of the World, No. 33, page 37.  It is typical of early Pacific War Vals in that it was painted light grey with a black cowl and a bit of red trim on the wheel spats.

I used Tamiya’s XF-76 (IJN Grey Green) considerably lightened with white overall.  The cowl was airbrushed XF-69 NATO Black, the fuselage bands X-2 and the wing walkway XF-24.  As these aircraft were exceedingly well maintained, I kept weathering down to a minimum. 

The decals were a bit brittle, which is not surprising being 26 years old.  Of interest, Hasegawa supplies enough red tail codes to do just about any of the Vals from any of the six carriers that participated in the attack on Pearl. 

A final word on ordnance.  Hasegawa would have you paint the bombs black.  According to my sources, this was only applicable to IJA bombers.  The two types of bombs included in this kit appear to be the 250 kg Type 99 #25 Model 1 Ordinary Bomb and the 60 kg Type 97 #6 Land Bomb.  If so, according to Aiken, they were painted grey overall – possibly IJA Grey, otherwise, Tamiya XF-14 – with a green tipped nose.  The smaller bombs had a blue stripe painted aft of the mounting lug.

There are only two Vals in this scale.  Arguably, this is the best choice, although the Fujimi kit is still very buildable despite being first released in the mid-seventies.  (I suspect the Eduard set could be modified to work with the latter.)  It was a fun and somewhat challenging project. 

Model and Text Copyright © 2024 by Brian Bourdon
Page Created 26 April, 2024
Last Updated 20 May, 2025

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