Editorial Note

This entry is important as the record of resuming construction after the decision to “wait for drying” mentioned in the July 22 entry.

The four-month interval should not be read simply as an interruption. It can be understood as a period for allowing the putty-shaped areas to stabilize.

Fukuda also notes the difference in drying behavior between the white and gray types of surfacer. This gives us a glimpse of his practical sense of materials during the painting process.

Editorial Note

This entry states the decision to finish the model as an aircraft belonging to KG 40.

The unit code, yellow outline, and unit emblem strongly affect the character of the completed aircraft. Fukuda intended to represent these not with decals, but through painting and masking.

This shows that the painting process was not merely a matter of applying colors. It was also the process by which the aircraft’s affiliation and individuality were formed.

Editorial Note

This entry gives a concrete record of how the national markings and unit code were made.

Fukuda first sprayed black, then applied cut-out cellophane-tape masks for the letters, so that later painting would leave the letters and markings visible.

This method requires not only accurate cutting of the letters and markings, but also careful planning of the order of colors: which areas are painted first, which parts are left visible, and which parts are protected by masking.

Editorial Note

This entry shows the process of creating the white edges of the Balkenkreuz by painting.

In this kind of painted marking, the accuracy of the masking directly appears in the finished result. Because the marking emerges only after the tape is removed, the final shape must be anticipated in reverse throughout the process.

Editorial Note

This entry is especially important within the painting process.

Fukuda notes that cellophane tape should not be used directly. Instead, it should first be applied to the back of the hand to reduce its adhesive strength.

This was done to avoid the risk of lifting the underlying paint or markings when the masking was removed. In other words, this was not only a technique for achieving a clean finish, but also a judgment made to protect the work already completed.

Editorial Note

The method used on the underside of the wing is applied here to the upper wing surfaces.

Even when the same method is repeated, the positions and visual appearance differ between the upper and lower surfaces, so careful placement of the markings is still necessary.

Although this is a short entry, it shows that the markings across the entire aircraft were being finished by a consistent method.

Editorial Note

This entry explains the markings on the fuselage and vertical tail, as well as the yellow outline around the unit code letter A.

The process of spraying yellow, removing the masking, and then masking again to leave a 0.8 mm outline around the A is especially delicate.

It includes several judgments at once: the shape of the letter, the width of the outline, the order of painting, and the resetting of the mask.

Editorial Note

At this stage, the underside color RLM 65 is painted.

By this point, the national markings and unit code have already been masked. Therefore, this is not simply the act of spraying the underside color. It is also part of the process by which the markings prepared underneath will later appear.

Editorial Note

In this entry, the Balkenkreuz and the F8+AL unit code on the underside appear after the masking is removed.

This is the first moment when the results of the painting process become clearly visible. The cutting, masking, painting sequence, and adjustment of adhesive strength are all confirmed here as the actual finish.

The explanation that the round hole beside the code letter A is for the landing light also helps us understand the positional relationship between markings and aircraft details.

Editorial Note

After the underside painting and markings, the bomb racks, landing light, and pitot tube socket are added.

The important point here is that the pitot tube was made removable. This can be read as a judgment for handling a thin and easily damaged part during later work and storage.

At this stage, the underside of the wing changes from a painted surface into a convincing aircraft surface with armament-related parts and small details.

Editorial Note

This entry shows the condition after the upper surface colors RLM 72/73 had been painted and the masking removed.

Because the national markings, unit code, unit emblem, and window glass appear at the same time, the aircraft’s external appearance moves much closer to completion at this stage.

The note that RLM 72/73 were camouflage colors for maritime operation aircraft, slightly greener than those used on land operation aircraft, is also important. Here, the choice of color is not merely visual; it is connected to the operational environment of the aircraft.

Main Focus of This Stage

• Resuming work after four months
• Using the gray type of Mr. Surfacer
• Preparing the unit code and unit emblem for a KG 40 aircraft
• Creating the national markings and unit code through painting and masking
• Reducing the adhesive strength of cellophane tape to prevent paint peeling
• Painting the underside color RLM 65
• Removing the masking to reveal the underside Balkenkreuz and F8+AL
• Installing bomb racks, landing light, and pitot tube socket
• Painting the upper surface colors RLM 72/73 and revealing the upper markings and windows