And now for Ltn. Otersdorf's ally--and traveling companion, Yumiko "Arrow Girl" (LUFT1604). Yumiko is the Flight Commander of the Pfalz Dr.I detachment aboard the Imperial Japanese Zeppelin.
Everything said about "Die Fledermaus" applies to this kit--and then some! Yumiko is a tad short- er than Kati, which I thought most à propos. The kit is cast in 9 pieces, which will allow you to build one of two versions: one will have 6 individual components, the other 7. My iteration of this masterpiece will use but 5 of the kit-provided parts.
Insofar as a rating for the stock kit goes, I will assign it a 10+/10 without any hesitation whatso- ever! The "+" is for the overall manifest quality, and the additional parts.
Now. . . some personal reservations. Richard has created brilliant backstories to the post-war activities of the chosen subjects, but IMHO he falls somewhat short of the mark with Yumiko:
“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003
Everything said about "Die Fledermaus" applies to this kit--and then some! Yumiko is a tad short- er than Kati, which I thought most à propos. The kit is cast in 9 pieces, which will allow you to build one of two versions: one will have 6 individual components, the other 7. My iteration of this masterpiece will use but 5 of the kit-provided parts.
Insofar as a rating for the stock kit goes, I will assign it a 10+/10 without any hesitation whatso- ever! The "+" is for the overall manifest quality, and the additional parts.
Now. . . some personal reservations. Richard has created brilliant backstories to the post-war activities of the chosen subjects, but IMHO he falls somewhat short of the mark with Yumiko:
- The bow. This is a continental (Eurasian) composite bow, not a Japanese yumi.
- A more arguable point of contention is that the quiver is a yazutsu, not an ebira. Yazutsu were/are used to transport and protect arrows, limiting access.
- Even more arguable--given the quasi-fantasy element of this series--is the ability to carry, access, and use a bow in a tight single-seater cockpit. If Yumiko were an ob- server in a pusher-type a/c, or a two-seater (Junkers CL.I?), it would be much more "palatable".
- Finally, Yumiko is wearing okobo, not geta. Okobo are associated with maiko--apprentice geisha.
At this point, I am certain that the bow and quiver will not be part of my rendition. To this end, I have removed the bow from the right hand, and hollowed out the grip. As a sidebar note, to date, I have also assembled the body: careful clean-up--and critical, repetitive dry-fitting--will result in a seamless join; reduced the soles of the okobo; and fitted the head (loose-haired version) to the body--also a seamless join!
“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003
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