1:48 Set of 2 barrels for Japanese 13,2mm Type 3 MG

Barrels for the Japanese Type 3 machine gun of 13.2 mm caliber, 1:48 (Aber)

A set of turned metal barrels in 1:48 scale from the Polish manufacturer Aber. This is not an aircraft model but an accessory for a kit of a Japanese aircraft of the late part of the Second World War. The package contains a pair of barrels for the Type 3 heavy aircraft machine gun of 13.2 mm caliber. A metal barrel has the correct section and an open muzzle, and it does not deform while it is handled or while the area around it is sanded. The exact breakdown of the parts follows the contents of the particular package.

The real subject

The Type 3 was a Japanese heavy aircraft machine gun of 13.2 mm caliber taken into service with the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in the second half of the war. In design it drew on foreign patterns of heavy machine guns and was meant to replace the weaker 7.7 mm weapons, whose effect against armored targets was not enough. It appeared in fuselage and wing installations on the late versions of the Mitsubishi A6M carrier fighter and on other naval fighters of the closing period of the war.

Building and painting tips

Separate the barrels with a fine cut, dry-fit them and only then glue them with cyanoacrylate glue. If needed, carefully redrill the holes in the wing or the cowling so that the part sits on the axis. Degrease the metal and take it over with a base coat of primer. Leave the barrel in a dark metal shade, pick out the muzzle with a dark wash and add the fine traces of gun gas staining on the skin, which show up well on Japanese machines.

Who the set is for

• Builders of Japanese aircraft of the Second World War in 1:48 scale
• Modelers building the late versions of Japanese naval fighters
• More experienced modelers used to small metal parts
• Collectors of aircraft armament accessories

The set is supplied unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.