Zoukei-mura Official Website

The time that Ta152 fans worldwide have been waiting and waiting for has finally arrived.

To all the SWS 1/32 Ta152 owners, good afternoon.
The time that Ta152 fans worldwide have been waiting and waiting for has finally arrived.

It's quite possible that you have already opened that large yellow package, gone through every nook and cranny of it, and are currently in the midst of examining and scrutinizing everything over and over.

The illustration is intense. The Ta152 are cutting through the blue sky and going into a nosedive to attack a formation of B-17 right below them!

A meeting was held to decide the package design on our HQ’s development floor. All members of the SWS development team agreed to the RLM yellow design!

How is it? The quality of the SWS Ta152 kit. Were you able to detect the signs of our improvement since our previous kit, the Shinden? Or, since this is still only No. 2, are you pinning your hopes on No. 3, our next work? Of course, the next kit will also be absolutely great!!

Or, although I hate to say it, it's possible that you're waiting to enjoy it until you hit a stopping point in the kit that you're currently building, and your Ta152, still in its shipping box, has been left on top of a shelf somewhere for your future pleasure. But please do at least open it up and look it over, okay? This is a personal request from me. Now, tear into that wrapping paper right away!!

Oh! You there, is it your intention to keep it anticipatorily tucked away until Christmas? You've been standing there smiling so complacently all the while! In that case, you're going to need a very large Christmas stocking. You're such a cute person, to be playing Santa for yourself!

Well, at any rate, first make sure to take care of any lingering tasks or chores from your wife. Please also do accompany her for any end-of-year shopping. Because such steady effort and diligence in your everyday life will become the most vital components in capturing that prey known as SWS No. 3. Please brace yourself and do your best!!

Right, so whatever I write from here on out are important hints and secrets from me, covering my 60+ years in the hobby known as collecting model airplanes. If you don't have any urgent business, please do read this entry all in one sitting, and please do strategically apply it such that, no matter what, you are able to continue to enjoy the model airplane hobby as long as you desire. Oh, and of course, just this once I'll tell only you at no cost, okay?

Although it's called continuing in a hobby, it's not very smart to just endlessly keep going through the motions. If possible, you want the people around you and close to you to not only understand, acknowledge, and encourage your hobby, but ideally, to respect it. Because if it's not so, this magnificent hobby, in and of itself, will just break down in tears right then and there. Truly.

I urge you to clean both your ears out and listen well, my comrades. And my seniors, as well!

First, before I list my main points, you need to discover how your hobby is being reflected on those around you.

Then, using your experience and awareness, I want you to honestly choose from the following options how the hobby of building and collecting of model airplanes is being reflected on those around you, and to what degree they understand it. (Of course, from start to end these are my personal thoughts, so please try it with a light heart, okay? Even if I'm wrong, please don't gang up on me in the usual Internet fashion, because that kind of thing makes me very sad.)

Well then, let's get started!!

1. Airplane Model Maniacs, or AMM, have big hearts, make you feel good, and furthermore, are made up of only the finest people. Everyone around you agrees.
2. AMM are very meticulous, and can be slightly sensitive, but are considerate, deeply prudent in all matters, and are also very kind; when you need someone to rely on, there's no one more dependable than an AMM.
3. AMM are rarely super-wealthy, but truly understand well both the value of money and the value of one's hobby, and fully enjoy the hobby lifestyle wisely and prudently.
4. AMM don't get swept away by other people's opinions. They hold tightly to their own views, and moreover, are not quick to criticize others or make enemies; rather, they are quick to discern what is right, and mutual respect is widespread.
5. AMM are……???????????????????

“Wha—!!??” and, what's this! This is where I woke … from my napping dream.
Oh～～～～～～and it was such a good dream～～～～～.

By the way, comrade. Did you feel that you, yourself, fall under any of the numbers 1～5 from the dream I had? Eh? Number 5!? Please～! Stop joking with me!!

I'm sure that you fall under one or the other. So holding firmly onto that placement, continue together with me to prosper more and more as a joyful AMM.

Now, it's the main points you've been waiting for. Have you done all of your mental preparation? You're not allowed to run away halfway through, okay?

Main Point #1..
First, make yourself be loved by your most important person.

Your parents, your wife (I will be very happy if there's someone reading this who can say, “my husband”), your siblings, etc.; first and foremost, being loved by your family is important above all else. Under no circumstances should you dispute with them.
On the contrary, you should give them an allowance every now and then. Always compliment them. Always smile when you connect with them. If you don't, it just won't do. Always use the utmost caution in everything, as if you're constantly treading on thin ice – yes, just like that.
In particular, always take special care with your wife! Above your work, but below your hobbies. That's fine. However, fighting with her is unthinkable. Winning a fight, even more so! Such a deed is equivalent to pressing the button on a nuclear ICBM. If it should happen that you fight, or rather, quarrel with your wife, in the end, always make sure to evade with something like, “Of course you're right, and you're so beautiful!” in the end, and always yield the victory to your opponent.

Lose. Moreover, lose gracefully. You must never ever let a single word of sour grapes escape your lips!!
This is so important that it may very well be a necessary inclusion in the provisions of every country's national constitution.

Never win against your wife. Because this unshakable resolve, this lesson from ancient times, and furthermore, this teaching from Heaven, is the absolute minimum condition required to be able to continue your collection, to continue SWS, in harmony.
Also, this particular point may be questioned on every kind of national examination, so it may be wise for you to write it down.

Main Point #2..
Consider that the truth of the universe may be found in chores.

Everything is so that you can smoothly, freely, and satisfactorily enjoy SWS. Believe this, and endure. The extent of your hardship will only double your pleasure in SWS, so it is a self-evident sacrifice, or rather, a self-evident price.
If someone should make a request of you, well, that's great! Take it as an immediate advance notice that your SWS will be arriving soon! No matter what the circumstances, just smile! Never click your tongue such that the sound is audible.

No matter what it is, do it quickly! Happily!! Those are the key words. What is hardship! The details of your troubles, their weight and size and difficulty, bring value to your existence!!
Housecleaning is a piece of cake! Take everything with a leave-it-to-me attitude! Cleaning the bathroom? Something like that is easy as pie compared to SWS modification work. Right? From the foyer to the staircase, to the nooks and crannies of every room, you have a great chance to show and freely use the techniques and ideas that you've learned through building models!

While you're working, sweeping up fallen leaves around the garage and its surrounding area, walking the dog(s), and once that's over, feeding the cat(s), take a deep breath. Oh, don't forget to feed the goldfish in the fish tank. Once the day has gone completely dark, it may be that your body will be comfortably tired, and your fingers covered in abrasions.

And then, if your wife should be standing there, filled with a combination of surprise, admiration, and suspicion, that will be enough for the day. After all, God is in the details.

Without delay, this is what you say here. “What makes me happiest is making you happy.”

How is it! Your wife's triumphant … no, affectionate expression as the thoughts go around in her head about how to thank you, and whether you've done enough for the day….. Yes, yes, that's right. This is the crucial moment. Just the simple words of “thank you” will suffice here. Because God will be everywhere throughout your house.

Any further words will simply be unnecessarily stirring up a hornet's nest, so please don't be careless here.

After this, thinking furiously but with the countenance of a victorious soldier returning triumphantly home, you can slowly, and always feigning the utmost composure, begin working on your models.

Calm down, taking deep breaths. There's no longer anyone or anything to get in your way. In other words, you can serenely, quietly, and wonderfully seclude yourself in your lair.

You must absolutely never, under any circumstances, tuck your freshly arrived SWS under your arm like a treasure and bolt straight for your lair at high speed, and Heaven forbid, with pounding footsteps.
If you do such a thing, you can completely forget anything like a secret strategy, because everything will be completely revealed as before your very eyes, your enemy will ask, “Oho~? You've bought another plastic model, haven't you?”

Please remember exactly why the landing at Normandy was such a huge success.

The road ahead of you is long, so please, comrades, never let yourselves be careless!

Today's lecture ends here. Please look forward to more someday soon.

All jokes aside, ever since Zoukei-mura announced the Ta152 as SWS No. 2 a year ago, it's truly been a long wait.
You, who have been steadily waiting for the arrival of your Ta152, are a true SWS fan. As Zoukei-mura's representative, I extend our deep gratitude for your courage and tenacity. Truly, thank you so very much.

Also, to all of you who have already opened the package and thoroughly examined everything, what do you think of the completed SWS No. 2 Ta152 kit?
Luftwaffe's, or rather, Dr. Kurt Tank's final fighter plane to see combat. To make a plastic model such that it would be as if the real thing had been recreated in plastic. Were we able to sufficiently fulfill that SWS concept? Please do let us know all of your opinions via the included survey forms.

Eventually, the “SWS Ta152 Competition” and the SWS Fan Club Regular Meeting details will also be formally announced. Hopefully, this time, everyone will be able to overcome all their obstacles in order to participate, and I myself am ardently looking forward to it.

Also, thank you very much to everyone who has purchased and read the SWS Concept Note for our previous release, the “1/32 Shinden.”

The book showcases the allure of the actual airplane and kit to the utmost.
You can cover not only the actual Shinden and kit, but you can also walk through the SWS concept itself in this book!

When we go to research actual airplanes, we usually wear clean, new jumpsuits and deck sneakers to prevent any staining or damage.

The substantial contents begin with pictures of the single surviving aircraft, sleeping in a museum, with accompanying commentary, moves on to the circumstances under which the actual aircraft was developed, and never previously released secret details on producing the plastic model kit; furthermore, there are photos of the prize-winning works from the Shinden Competition, and finally, there's even a fictional military history about the Shinden!

A companion for when you're relaxing in the evening, just out of the shower. Please do enjoy this masterwork of the Zoukei-mura Publishing Department, as a guidebook for having good dreams when you've just fallen asleep. Of course, naturally, my subordinates are currently diligently editing an SWS Concept Note for the Ta152, as No. 2 in the series.

They opened the engine cowling! It was heavier than we imagined and one person couldn’t hold it for a long time. It seems that struts were used during actual maintenance.

We left no stone unturned during the investigation of the Ta152 fuselage. We didn’t miss a thing, not even tiny panels in any tiny gaps! We found that not only the tail but also fuselage’s elongated plug was wooden!

It's expected to be fully packed, and similar to the Shinden Concept Note, it will begin with pictures of the elusive surviving aircraft and secret details on producing the kit, followed by a highly anticipated section of valuable build reports from a first-class team of international modelers. (This will definitely be something to see～)
This Zoukei-mura Concept Note will be an outstanding book, a gift to mark the beginning of 2011 for all Ta152 fans, and further, all WWII fans. Please look forward to it.

Now then, here we come to main issue.

You, who used all of your bodily strength to finally open the package, which has a harsh reputation (?) of “It's too tight,” when it comes time to open it.

Eh? You're all drenched in sweat? Oooh～. If that's really the case, before you tackle building the kit, maybe you should first go to the hospital, is your body really okay?

Anyway, for starters, from where are you going to begin working on your Ta152?

That's right, I begin with “building the propeller.” Just finishing the propeller so that it matches my own mental image gives me the peace of mind for three or four nights of sound sleep, so what do you think about doing your own in advance? Oh, yes, before that. Depending on the circumstances, it may be that a slight sink may form on one section of the back side of the propeller. If you will, as always, calmly and quietly, smiling all the while, use putty to thoroughly mend it, I will give you my applause and gratitude.

Back to that propeller. The actual thing is made of the usual wood, and is known as the Junkers VS9. See, compared to metal propellers, it has characteristically softer lines, doesn't it? I want to finish it with scrupulous care, preserving that style. If I can finish it the way I want it, all's right in my world.

By having metal sheet applied, this Ta152 was finished with the image of having just been rolled out.
This work is by Mr. Kobayashi, the meister of the Shinden which won the “President’s Special Prize” in the first Shinden competition.

The differences of texture were recreated as well, such as the reinforced wooden propeller, VS9 and the fabric of the ailerons! This work is not overdone and it makes good use of surface mold details and the inner machinery!

Moving on, the completion of the Jumo 213 engine that can be called the central part of the Ta152 is in sight.
If it's you, I'm sure that you will also enjoy the delicate work of building the engine.

When I peek onto the Internet, there are build reports surfacing here and there on international model airplane fan sites. Everyone truly seems to be enjoying it. Each and every person's Ta152 is being magnificently resurrected into the present day using a gut instinct, design, and technique distinctive of that person.

This “Fw190V29” is the basis of the H types. It was done for the upcoming Ta152 book.
The person who is known for “speaking of Fockewulf”, is the one who did it♪ Of course, the panel lines under the main wings have been recreated.

The engine cowl is detachable.
The upper nose cowl has also been modified to be opened with a hinge, but he said that the out-of-box kit is basically enough!

Oh～～! At any rate, for so many diverse and splendid works to be born one right after the other from so many identical Ta152 kits, I'm so truly happy, my vision spontaneously begins to blur from the depth of the emotion.

Each and every one of you, once you have seen the actual kit, I want to hear all of your thoughts, requests, hopes, and concerns. Speaking of which! The truth is, the other day, I was actually given that opportunity. Crossing the great distance to Kyoto in Japan, Jim and his wife came to visit the Zoukei-mura headquarters from Manchester in England.

Jim came to Japan! He’s the owner of the English model kit site “Scale Plastic & Rail” and himself also an airplane model maniac! The hobby cultural communication between the UK and Japan has really come true!

Jim is talking to us from the European modeler’s point of view. SWS, which aims to recreate the actual airplane as accurately as possible, must be a long awaited item for European modelers as well♪

SCALE PLASTIC & RAIL

They brought with them an entire suitcase packed full of delicious, authentic English biscuits, as well as a magnificent finished “Shinden” that Jim built and carefully packed in his personal carryon luggage. It was so beautifully painted that I could say with confidence, “If this model had been entered into the ‘Shinden Competition,' it would unmistakably have won a prize!” which only doubled or even tripled my surprise.

Jim created an RAF colors version of the “Shinden” as a way of melding of our hobby culture communication between the UK and Japan. It’s so like an oversea modeler to match the deep colors with the bull’s eye. Cool!

With the concept “like assembling the actual airplane”, just painting can express the full authenticity with well used atmospheric touches such as metallic textures, emission dirt, etc!

Furthermore, for the approximately one week that followed, Jim, still not having adjusted to the time difference, continuously spent all his time engaged in airplane discussions with us, before once again boarding a plane to return to England.

Goodness, no matter where you go in the world, the love of airplanes really is the same everywhere, isn't it～It was a week in which neither side could really understand the other's language very well, but it was a comfortable time which felt as if I'd reunited with a close friend from long ago. “Ji～～～im! Please go to the doctor, quickly～～～～!!” That's right.
Concerning Jim, he bravely underwent knee surgery just before he came to Japan! It seems that he boarded the plane right afterwards. In Japan, we have the custom of always removing your shoes when you go indoors. Whenever that happened, it always seemed to be very painful, so Jim, please go to the doctor as soon as you can!
As well, to his very patient wife Shirley, who stayed with us from morning until evening, not even able to eat very well due to staying with us during all of our airplane discussions, thank you so very much. I was surely able to meet Jim because he had a person like you by his side. From my heart, I extend my gratitude.

Shirley, Jim’s wife, who understands his hobby a lot. To identify with, complement and celebrate each other is necessary to carry out a hobby mindset our whole life♪

A commemorative photo in front of the Volks HQ in Kyoto. This is how the ring of SWS will spread all around the world. Someday we would like to see more people who sympathize and resonate with SWS, like Jim♪

In any case, to everyone around the world, it would be impossible for me to meet all of you in person. However, if you see this blog entry, and you also gain an interest in saying a word regarding the SWS concept, whether it's a plane that you hope we will develop, a request regarding future kit contents, things you liked, things you didn't like, things you want us to do, things you'd like to suggest, etc., etc., whatever it is, we want to hear it.
Please don't hesitate to send your opinion to the address below. I cannot guarantee that you will receive a reply, but all of the SWS Development Team members will read it, and use it as a source of energy.

Now, the next work, finally, will be that one. Yes, that one! Pre-order three of them, and a lovely bonus will also be included. Because we're currently planning an amazing bonus this time!

Well then, everyone, the time for you to use the Main Points that you learned from this blog entry has come.

The spirit of “We can do it!!” will decide the future of SWS!!

I'll pray for your good luck from here in Kyoto!!

Well then, from next time.

Hideyuki Shigeta
President Zoukei-mura

Read the Continuation

Product Name	Focke-Wulf Ta152H-1
Price	9500 JPY (+fee)
Model	Injection Plastic Model Kit, molded parts in 4 colors including clear (estimated).
Parts	182 parts (estimated)
Size	Length 338mm, Height 133mm, Width 452mm
Note	Glue is required for assembly.