This is an old kit with a mix of raised and receded panel lines. Still builds into a nice representation of the aircraft. The cockpit detail is a bit sparse but in my opinion acceptable. Decals are not top notch but they do slide very nice and conform to the surface with little effort. This could be the perfect weekend build if you don’t want a complicated model kits nor a snap-tite kit. They are very affordable and good also for those young modelers who can go to the next step from the snap-tite kits.
The instructions are very unclear about specific colors, so do your research if you want to be more accurate. The instruction sheet dates to the early 70’s. This one was painted Tamiya Light Blue XF-23 below. XF-26 Deep Green, Flat Black XF-1 & Tamiya Cockpit Green XF-71.
The instructions call for Metallic Blue X-3 for the wheel wells but this shade of blue is simply to deep for most of the Japanese aircraft of the time. This blue shade used in the Japanese aircraft was called Aotake. It looks sort of transparent. *My* best way to achieve this color is by laying a coat of Tamiya Flat Aluminum XF-16 followed by thin coats of Clear Blue X-23. See the pictures provided.
In all: The Tamiya 1/48 Raiden Interceptor is a good platform for a good representation of this aircraft. Is your choice of building it out-of-the-box or scratch build to take this model to the next level. The cannons on the kit were replaced by brass wire. Highly Recommended!
