Landlubber Mike

I blame you for getting me into seaplanes 😝  
 
The JRS-1 at 1/72 is a pretty big model with the wingspan as you know.  I also have a 1/48 PBY-5a kit that I was thinking of starting soon - mostly to free up shelf space as it is a big box, but then the question is where do I put it as that’s a big one for sure.  
 
If you want a really big seaplane, Revell I think is  reissuing the Bv 222.  The model is really nice and doesn’t really require any aftermarket.  I’ve got that one but again, will need quite a bit of space for it.
 
One thing I was thinking was to do a cutaway on a 1/72 Emily since there is a lot of aftermarket that could make the interior look pretty impressive.  One side would have full exterior and wing with mechanics, etc. and other side would be open with pilots and gunners, with only a portion of the wing attached.  That would cut down on the overall size. 

Just need to find time!

I blame you for getting me into seaplanes 😝  
 
The JRS-1 at 1/72 is a pretty big model with the wingspan as you know.  I also have a 1/48 PBY-5a kit that I was thinking of starting soon - mostly to free up shelf space as it is a big box, but then the question is where do I put it as that’s a big one for sure.  
 
If you want a really big seaplane, Revell I think is  reissuing the Bv 222.  The model is really nice and doesn’t really require any aftermarket.  I’ve got that one but again, will need quite a bit of space for it.
 
One thing I was thinking was to do a cutaway on a 1/72 Emily since there is a lot of aftermarket that could make the interior look pretty impressive.  One side would have full exterior and wing with mechanics, etc. and other side would be open with pilots and gunners, with only a portion of the wing attached.  That would cut down on the overall size. 

Just need to find time!

Hi Mike
 
I have been tempted to start several of my stash of seaplanes several times. One issue is where to put them when I am done? Not so bad with the JRS-1 or my 1/144 Martin and Boeing 314, but the 1/72 Boeing 314, the Martin Seamaster, and Martin Mariner, and Sunderland are another matter! Even the Gruman Albatross and Catalina are pretty big in that scale. You are building the Walrus but That is one seaplane I don't have. But who knows what I will latch onto in a weak moment. I need another model sitting around here like I need another hole in my head.
 
What I really need is to find good homes for some I already have!
 
Whatching you CLOSELEY!   

Hi Lou, great to hear from you and thanks for the kind words.  I have the following book which has a lot of great pictures of both the civilian craft (including the Howard Hughes plane) and the military craft.  It's definitely worth buying if you're going to build this kit I think.  
 

Interestingly, the interior of the military craft looks very similar to that of the civilian craft, down to the interior curtains.  I decided not to open the model up in part because I wasn't too certain about whether the interior from the kit was accurate or not.  
 
For the wheel wells, the photo etch actually adds some nice detail like the rivets and the panels which seems very consistent with the pictures I've seen of the actual wells.  The PE is also really helpful to cover up that dreadful, hard to get to, ejector pin mark in the deep recess of the well.  Though, this is not an issue if you use the CMK wheel well replacement parts which actually fit better.
 
The kit is ok, and the CMK set is a nice add-on, but things like the need to clean up pretty much every piece, as well as the fit of the pieces, including the windows, the canopy, and the engine cowlings, make this a bit frustrating.  There's also the issue of no interlocking connecting points for the wing and tail struts (as well as a number of other detail parts) which is annoying.  Then there is the matter of certain details that are helpful to add, like the nose center rib in the book picture above, and the location and angle of the antenna mast in the center wing that is different from plane to plane.  Also, the tail wheel in the kit looks nothing like either of the two versions of the tail wheel on the real thing, so of course now that I've seen the actual pictures (the book above has great close-ups)  I feel obligated to scratch build a more accurate one, though not really looking forward to it.
 
I've started to lose interest in finishing the model, but am going to try to push through to get it finished by the beginning of June for the group build on LSM.  It didn't help that the model took a nose dive off the table last week and three of the interior windows fell off.  Thankfully the top two pieces of the fuselage had also loosened, so I was able to take them off and reinstall the windows.  If it was one of the windows further back I probably would have had to junk the model.  If you end up building the kit, I'd probably try not to be as OCD as I have been and just enjoy building it.
 
 

Hey Lou, the kit comes with some PE, but Eduard also separately sells (or at least used to sell) this PE set which adds PE seats, engine wiring, handles, and the details around the wheel wells.  If you can find it, I think it's worth considering:
 
https://www.eduard.com/eduard/jrs-1-upgrade-set-1-72.html?cur=2&listtype=search&searchparam=jrs-1
 
The cockpit area is definitely problematic.  I added some plastic shims and it seems like the fit shouldn't be too bad.  Other people seem to have had a devil of a time trying to fill the gaps though.  It's just a little tiring spending hours to get pieces to fit right.  It's also looking at pictures of the real thing and realizing that certain details are either missing or incorrect that just add to the list of things to do.  And then there are lack of connection points which means you have to either add them or be very careful to not later break pieces off.
 
You should definitely build it though, the subject is really historically important and there are plenty of schemes to choose from.

Hey Lou, the kit comes with some PE, but Eduard also separately sells (or at least used to sell) this PE set which adds PE seats, engine wiring, handles, and the details around the wheel wells.  If you can find it, I think it's worth considering:
 
https://www.eduard.com/eduard/jrs-1-upgrade-set-1-72.html?cur=2&listtype=search&searchparam=jrs-1
 
The cockpit area is definitely problematic.  I added some plastic shims and it seems like the fit shouldn't be too bad.  Other people seem to have had a devil of a time trying to fill the gaps though.  It's just a little tiring spending hours to get pieces to fit right.  It's also looking at pictures of the real thing and realizing that certain details are either missing or incorrect that just add to the list of things to do.  And then there are lack of connection points which means you have to either add them or be very careful to not later break pieces off.
 
You should definitely build it though, the subject is really historically important and there are plenty of schemes to choose from.

Hey Lou, the kit comes with some PE, but Eduard also separately sells (or at least used to sell) this PE set which adds PE seats, engine wiring, handles, and the details around the wheel wells.  If you can find it, I think it's worth considering:
 
https://www.eduard.com/eduard/jrs-1-upgrade-set-1-72.html?cur=2&listtype=search&searchparam=jrs-1
 
The cockpit area is definitely problematic.  I added some plastic shims and it seems like the fit shouldn't be too bad.  Other people seem to have had a devil of a time trying to fill the gaps though.  It's just a little tiring spending hours to get pieces to fit right.  It's also looking at pictures of the real thing and realizing that certain details are either missing or incorrect that just add to the list of things to do.  And then there are lack of connection points which means you have to either add them or be very careful to not later break pieces off.
 
You should definitely build it though, the subject is really historically important and there are plenty of schemes to choose from.

Hey Lou, the kit comes with some PE, but Eduard also separately sells (or at least used to sell) this PE set which adds PE seats, engine wiring, handles, and the details around the wheel wells.  If you can find it, I think it's worth considering:
 
https://www.eduard.com/eduard/jrs-1-upgrade-set-1-72.html?cur=2&listtype=search&searchparam=jrs-1
 
The cockpit area is definitely problematic.  I added some plastic shims and it seems like the fit shouldn't be too bad.  Other people seem to have had a devil of a time trying to fill the gaps though.  It's just a little tiring spending hours to get pieces to fit right.  It's also looking at pictures of the real thing and realizing that certain details are either missing or incorrect that just add to the list of things to do.  And then there are lack of connection points which means you have to either add them or be very careful to not later break pieces off.
 
You should definitely build it though, the subject is really historically important and there are plenty of schemes to choose from.

Hey Lou, the kit comes with some PE, but Eduard also separately sells (or at least used to sell) this PE set which adds PE seats, engine wiring, handles, and the details around the wheel wells.  If you can find it, I think it's worth considering:
 
https://www.eduard.com/eduard/jrs-1-upgrade-set-1-72.html?cur=2&listtype=search&searchparam=jrs-1
 
The cockpit area is definitely problematic.  I added some plastic shims and it seems like the fit shouldn't be too bad.  Other people seem to have had a devil of a time trying to fill the gaps though.  It's just a little tiring spending hours to get pieces to fit right.  It's also looking at pictures of the real thing and realizing that certain details are either missing or incorrect that just add to the list of things to do.  And then there are lack of connection points which means you have to either add them or be very careful to not later break pieces off.
 
You should definitely build it though, the subject is really historically important and there are plenty of schemes to choose from.

I've been making slow but steady progress on this kit.  Part of the slow crawl is my fault in using the very nice CMK aftermarket set.  But the main reason is that there are a lot of fit issues and other things like lack of connection points for important parts like the struts holding up the tail section and the main wing.  For some examples:
 
- Main wing tips are separate parts (in halves) that you have to glue together and then do some cleanup.  I ended up adding brass rod to help secure them:
 

 
- Engine cowlings are too small, so I added thin plastic strip between the halves to fit the engines.  Figured that was much easier than filing down the engines:
 

 
- CMK tail isn't quite right, needing extra plastic on the fixed part of the tail:
 

 
At the moment, I'm mostly done with the wing.  The CMK set is nice in that it gives you the control surfaces, but still quite a bit of work to add them.  I have a few bits of PE to add along with the exhausts, and then of course the pontoons:
 

 
The body is close to being done as well.  I have a few more pieces of PE to add, along with the cockpit and landing gear and some other odds and ends that I'm waiting to add as they are fragile and will likely bust off.  But, I think so far it's looking pretty good:
 

 
I'm still debating how to go about staging the painting sessions.  I might end up painting the wing separately, then adding it to the body and painting the body once the wing is installed.  Because the wing struts don't have attachment points, I'm a bit worried about glue getting where it shouldn't be.  Still a bit to go before I get to that stage so I can think on it a little more.
 
Thanks for looking in!

Hi Mike
 
I have the same book along with the CME interior. I also have some extra PE but I am not certain if it is the full set like you have.
One of the reasons I never started mine, (other than my normal procrastranation) was all of the online builds I saw, said that  the fit, ecpecially around the cockpit was shabby at best and required considerable rework. I hope you are able to overcome this on your build. It would be a shame to loose out on your already fine work up to now. This may be a case where there are same number of kits finished as there are real aircraft preserved, (Or partly restored) two that I know of. I did run ac5ross this today though:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hi Lou, great to hear from you and thanks for the kind words.  I have the following book which has a lot of great pictures of both the civilian craft (including the Howard Hughes plane) and the military craft.  It's definitely worth buying if you're going to build this kit I think.  
 

Interestingly, the interior of the military craft looks very similar to that of the civilian craft, down to the interior curtains.  I decided not to open the model up in part because I wasn't too certain about whether the interior from the kit was accurate or not.  
 
For the wheel wells, the photo etch actually adds some nice detail like the rivets and the panels which seems very consistent with the pictures I've seen of the actual wells.  The PE is also really helpful to cover up that dreadful, hard to get to, ejector pin mark in the deep recess of the well.  Though, this is not an issue if you use the CMK wheel well replacement parts which actually fit better.
 
The kit is ok, and the CMK set is a nice add-on, but things like the need to clean up pretty much every piece, as well as the fit of the pieces, including the windows, the canopy, and the engine cowlings, make this a bit frustrating.  There's also the issue of no interlocking connecting points for the wing and tail struts (as well as a number of other detail parts) which is annoying.  Then there is the matter of certain details that are helpful to add, like the nose center rib in the book picture above, and the location and angle of the antenna mast in the center wing that is different from plane to plane.  Also, the tail wheel in the kit looks nothing like either of the two versions of the tail wheel on the real thing, so of course now that I've seen the actual pictures (the book above has great close-ups)  I feel obligated to scratch build a more accurate one, though not really looking forward to it.
 
I've started to lose interest in finishing the model, but am going to try to push through to get it finished by the beginning of June for the group build on LSM.  It didn't help that the model took a nose dive off the table last week and three of the interior windows fell off.  Thankfully the top two pieces of the fuselage had also loosened, so I was able to take them off and reinstall the windows.  If it was one of the windows further back I probably would have had to junk the model.  If you end up building the kit, I'd probably try not to be as OCD as I have been and just enjoy building it.
 
 

Hi Lou, great to hear from you and thanks for the kind words.  I have the following book which has a lot of great pictures of both the civilian craft (including the Howard Hughes plane) and the military craft.  It's definitely worth buying if you're going to build this kit I think.  
 

Interestingly, the interior of the military craft looks very similar to that of the civilian craft, down to the interior curtains.  I decided not to open the model up in part because I wasn't too certain about whether the interior from the kit was accurate or not.  
 
For the wheel wells, the photo etch actually adds some nice detail like the rivets and the panels which seems very consistent with the pictures I've seen of the actual wells.  The PE is also really helpful to cover up that dreadful, hard to get to, ejector pin mark in the deep recess of the well.  Though, this is not an issue if you use the CMK wheel well replacement parts which actually fit better.
 
The kit is ok, and the CMK set is a nice add-on, but things like the need to clean up pretty much every piece, as well as the fit of the pieces, including the windows, the canopy, and the engine cowlings, make this a bit frustrating.  There's also the issue of no interlocking connecting points for the wing and tail struts (as well as a number of other detail parts) which is annoying.  Then there is the matter of certain details that are helpful to add, like the nose center rib in the book picture above, and the location and angle of the antenna mast in the center wing that is different from plane to plane.  Also, the tail wheel in the kit looks nothing like either of the two versions of the tail wheel on the real thing, so of course now that I've seen the actual pictures (the book above has great close-ups)  I feel obligated to scratch build a more accurate one, though not really looking forward to it.
 
I've started to lose interest in finishing the model, but am going to try to push through to get it finished by the beginning of June for the group build on LSM.  It didn't help that the model took a nose dive off the table last week and three of the interior windows fell off.  Thankfully the top two pieces of the fuselage had also loosened, so I was able to take them off and reinstall the windows.  If it was one of the windows further back I probably would have had to junk the model.  If you end up building the kit, I'd probably try not to be as OCD as I have been and just enjoy building it.
 
 

Hi Lou, great to hear from you and thanks for the kind words.  I have the following book which has a lot of great pictures of both the civilian craft (including the Howard Hughes plane) and the military craft.  It's definitely worth buying if you're going to build this kit I think.  
 

Interestingly, the interior of the military craft looks very similar to that of the civilian craft, down to the interior curtains.  I decided not to open the model up in part because I wasn't too certain about whether the interior from the kit was accurate or not.  
 
For the wheel wells, the photo etch actually adds some nice detail like the rivets and the panels which seems very consistent with the pictures I've seen of the actual wells.  The PE is also really helpful to cover up that dreadful, hard to get to, ejector pin mark in the deep recess of the well.  Though, this is not an issue if you use the CMK wheel well replacement parts which actually fit better.
 
The kit is ok, and the CMK set is a nice add-on, but things like the need to clean up pretty much every piece, as well as the fit of the pieces, including the windows, the canopy, and the engine cowlings, make this a bit frustrating.  There's also the issue of no interlocking connecting points for the wing and tail struts (as well as a number of other detail parts) which is annoying.  Then there is the matter of certain details that are helpful to add, like the nose center rib in the book picture above, and the location and angle of the antenna mast in the center wing that is different from plane to plane.  Also, the tail wheel in the kit looks nothing like either of the two versions of the tail wheel on the real thing, so of course now that I've seen the actual pictures (the book above has great close-ups)  I feel obligated to scratch build a more accurate one, though not really looking forward to it.
 
I've started to lose interest in finishing the model, but am going to try to push through to get it finished by the beginning of June for the group build on LSM.  It didn't help that the model took a nose dive off the table last week and three of the interior windows fell off.  Thankfully the top two pieces of the fuselage had also loosened, so I was able to take them off and reinstall the windows.  If it was one of the windows further back I probably would have had to junk the model.  If you end up building the kit, I'd probably try not to be as OCD as I have been and just enjoy building it.
 
 

Hi Lou, great to hear from you and thanks for the kind words.  I have the following book which has a lot of great pictures of both the civilian craft (including the Howard Hughes plane) and the military craft.  It's definitely worth buying if you're going to build this kit I think.  
 

Interestingly, the interior of the military craft looks very similar to that of the civilian craft, down to the interior curtains.  I decided not to open the model up in part because I wasn't too certain about whether the interior from the kit was accurate or not.  
 
For the wheel wells, the photo etch actually adds some nice detail like the rivets and the panels which seems very consistent with the pictures I've seen of the actual wells.  The PE is also really helpful to cover up that dreadful, hard to get to, ejector pin mark in the deep recess of the well.  Though, this is not an issue if you use the CMK wheel well replacement parts which actually fit better.
 
The kit is ok, and the CMK set is a nice add-on, but things like the need to clean up pretty much every piece, as well as the fit of the pieces, including the windows, the canopy, and the engine cowlings, make this a bit frustrating.  There's also the issue of no interlocking connecting points for the wing and tail struts (as well as a number of other detail parts) which is annoying.  Then there is the matter of certain details that are helpful to add, like the nose center rib in the book picture above, and the location and angle of the antenna mast in the center wing that is different from plane to plane.  Also, the tail wheel in the kit looks nothing like either of the two versions of the tail wheel on the real thing, so of course now that I've seen the actual pictures (the book above has great close-ups)  I feel obligated to scratch build a more accurate one, though not really looking forward to it.
 
I've started to lose interest in finishing the model, but am going to try to push through to get it finished by the beginning of June for the group build on LSM.  It didn't help that the model took a nose dive off the table last week and three of the interior windows fell off.  Thankfully the top two pieces of the fuselage had also loosened, so I was able to take them off and reinstall the windows.  If it was one of the windows further back I probably would have had to junk the model.  If you end up building the kit, I'd probably try not to be as OCD as I have been and just enjoy building it.
 
 

Hi Lou, great to hear from you and thanks for the kind words.  I have the following book which has a lot of great pictures of both the civilian craft (including the Howard Hughes plane) and the military craft.  It's definitely worth buying if you're going to build this kit I think.  
 

Interestingly, the interior of the military craft looks very similar to that of the civilian craft, down to the interior curtains.  I decided not to open the model up in part because I wasn't too certain about whether the interior from the kit was accurate or not.  
 
For the wheel wells, the photo etch actually adds some nice detail like the rivets and the panels which seems very consistent with the pictures I've seen of the actual wells.  The PE is also really helpful to cover up that dreadful, hard to get to, ejector pin mark in the deep recess of the well.  Though, this is not an issue if you use the CMK wheel well replacement parts which actually fit better.
 
The kit is ok, and the CMK set is a nice add-on, but things like the need to clean up pretty much every piece, as well as the fit of the pieces, including the windows, the canopy, and the engine cowlings, make this a bit frustrating.  There's also the issue of no interlocking connecting points for the wing and tail struts (as well as a number of other detail parts) which is annoying.  Then there is the matter of certain details that are helpful to add, like the nose center rib in the book picture above, and the location and angle of the antenna mast in the center wing that is different from plane to plane.  Also, the tail wheel in the kit looks nothing like either of the two versions of the tail wheel on the real thing, so of course now that I've seen the actual pictures (the book above has great close-ups)  I feel obligated to scratch build a more accurate one, though not really looking forward to it.
 
I've started to lose interest in finishing the model, but am going to try to push through to get it finished by the beginning of June for the group build on LSM.  It didn't help that the model took a nose dive off the table last week and three of the interior windows fell off.  Thankfully the top two pieces of the fuselage had also loosened, so I was able to take them off and reinstall the windows.  If it was one of the windows further back I probably would have had to junk the model.  If you end up building the kit, I'd probably try not to be as OCD as I have been and just enjoy building it.
 
 

Hi Lou, great to hear from you and thanks for the kind words.  I have the following book which has a lot of great pictures of both the civilian craft (including the Howard Hughes plane) and the military craft.  It's definitely worth buying if you're going to build this kit I think.  
 

Interestingly, the interior of the military craft looks very similar to that of the civilian craft, down to the interior curtains.  I decided not to open the model up in part because I wasn't too certain about whether the interior from the kit was accurate or not.  
 
For the wheel wells, the photo etch actually adds some nice detail like the rivets and the panels which seems very consistent with the pictures I've seen of the actual wells.  The PE is also really helpful to cover up that dreadful, hard to get to, ejector pin mark in the deep recess of the well.  Though, this is not an issue if you use the CMK wheel well replacement parts which actually fit better.
 
The kit is ok, and the CMK set is a nice add-on, but things like the need to clean up pretty much every piece, as well as the fit of the pieces, including the windows, the canopy, and the engine cowlings, make this a bit frustrating.  There's also the issue of no interlocking connecting points for the wing and tail struts (as well as a number of other detail parts) which is annoying.  Then there is the matter of certain details that are helpful to add, like the nose center rib in the book picture above, and the location and angle of the antenna mast in the center wing that is different from plane to plane.  Also, the tail wheel in the kit looks nothing like either of the two versions of the tail wheel on the real thing, so of course now that I've seen the actual pictures (the book above has great close-ups)  I feel obligated to scratch build a more accurate one, though not really looking forward to it.
 
I've started to lose interest in finishing the model, but am going to try to push through to get it finished by the beginning of June for the group build on LSM.  It didn't help that the model took a nose dive off the table last week and three of the interior windows fell off.  Thankfully the top two pieces of the fuselage had also loosened, so I was able to take them off and reinstall the windows.  If it was one of the windows further back I probably would have had to junk the model.  If you end up building the kit, I'd probably try not to be as OCD as I have been and just enjoy building it.
 
 

Hi Lou, great to hear from you and thanks for the kind words.  I have the following book which has a lot of great pictures of both the civilian craft (including the Howard Hughes plane) and the military craft.  It's definitely worth buying if you're going to build this kit I think.  
 

Interestingly, the interior of the military craft looks very similar to that of the civilian craft, down to the interior curtains.  I decided not to open the model up in part because I wasn't too certain about whether the interior from the kit was accurate or not.  
 
For the wheel wells, the photo etch actually adds some nice detail like the rivets and the panels which seems very consistent with the pictures I've seen of the actual wells.  The PE is also really helpful to cover up that dreadful, hard to get to, ejector pin mark in the deep recess of the well.  Though, this is not an issue if you use the CMK wheel well replacement parts which actually fit better.
 
The kit is ok, and the CMK set is a nice add-on, but things like the need to clean up pretty much every piece, as well as the fit of the pieces, including the windows, the canopy, and the engine cowlings, make this a bit frustrating.  There's also the issue of no interlocking connecting points for the wing and tail struts (as well as a number of other detail parts) which is annoying.  Then there is the matter of certain details that are helpful to add, like the nose center rib in the book picture above, and the location and angle of the antenna mast in the center wing that is different from plane to plane.  Also, the tail wheel in the kit looks nothing like either of the two versions of the tail wheel on the real thing, so of course now that I've seen the actual pictures (the book above has great close-ups)  I feel obligated to scratch build a more accurate one, though not really looking forward to it.
 
I've started to lose interest in finishing the model, but am going to try to push through to get it finished by the beginning of June for the group build on LSM.  It didn't help that the model took a nose dive off the table last week and three of the interior windows fell off.  Thankfully the top two pieces of the fuselage had also loosened, so I was able to take them off and reinstall the windows.  If it was one of the windows further back I probably would have had to junk the model.  If you end up building the kit, I'd probably try not to be as OCD as I have been and just enjoy building it.
 
 

Hi Lou, great to hear from you and thanks for the kind words.  I have the following book which has a lot of great pictures of both the civilian craft (including the Howard Hughes plane) and the military craft.  It's definitely worth buying if you're going to build this kit I think.  
 

Interestingly, the interior of the military craft looks very similar to that of the civilian craft, down to the interior curtains.  I decided not to open the model up in part because I wasn't too certain about whether the interior from the kit was accurate or not.  
 
For the wheel wells, the photo etch actually adds some nice detail like the rivets and the panels which seems very consistent with the pictures I've seen of the actual wells.  The PE is also really helpful to cover up that dreadful, hard to get to, ejector pin mark in the deep recess of the well.  Though, this is not an issue if you use the CMK wheel well replacement parts which actually fit better.
 
The kit is ok, and the CMK set is a nice add-on, but things like the need to clean up pretty much every piece, as well as the fit of the pieces, including the windows, the canopy, and the engine cowlings, make this a bit frustrating.  There's also the issue of no interlocking connecting points for the wing and tail struts (as well as a number of other detail parts) which is annoying.  Then there is the matter of certain details that are helpful to add, like the nose center rib in the book picture above, and the location and angle of the antenna mast in the center wing that is different from plane to plane.  Also, the tail wheel in the kit looks nothing like either of the two versions of the tail wheel on the real thing, so of course now that I've seen the actual pictures (the book above has great close-ups)  I feel obligated to scratch build a more accurate one, though not really looking forward to it.
 
I've started to lose interest in finishing the model, but am going to try to push through to get it finished by the beginning of June for the group build on LSM.  It didn't help that the model took a nose dive off the table last week and three of the interior windows fell off.  Thankfully the top two pieces of the fuselage had also loosened, so I was able to take them off and reinstall the windows.  If it was one of the windows further back I probably would have had to junk the model.  If you end up building the kit, I'd probably try not to be as OCD as I have been and just enjoy building it.
 
 

Hi Lou, great to hear from you and thanks for the kind words.  I have the following book which has a lot of great pictures of both the civilian craft (including the Howard Hughes plane) and the military craft.  It's definitely worth buying if you're going to build this kit I think.  
 

Interestingly, the interior of the military craft looks very similar to that of the civilian craft, down to the interior curtains.  I decided not to open the model up in part because I wasn't too certain about whether the interior from the kit was accurate or not.  
 
For the wheel wells, the photo etch actually adds some nice detail like the rivets and the panels which seems very consistent with the pictures I've seen of the actual wells.  The PE is also really helpful to cover up that dreadful, hard to get to, ejector pin mark in the deep recess of the well.  Though, this is not an issue if you use the CMK wheel well replacement parts which actually fit better.
 
The kit is ok, and the CMK set is a nice add-on, but things like the need to clean up pretty much every piece, as well as the fit of the pieces, including the windows, the canopy, and the engine cowlings, make this a bit frustrating.  There's also the issue of no interlocking connecting points for the wing and tail struts (as well as a number of other detail parts) which is annoying.  Then there is the matter of certain details that are helpful to add, like the nose center rib in the book picture above, and the location and angle of the antenna mast in the center wing that is different from plane to plane.  Also, the tail wheel in the kit looks nothing like either of the two versions of the tail wheel on the real thing, so of course now that I've seen the actual pictures (the book above has great close-ups)  I feel obligated to scratch build a more accurate one, though not really looking forward to it.
 
I've started to lose interest in finishing the model, but am going to try to push through to get it finished by the beginning of June for the group build on LSM.  It didn't help that the model took a nose dive off the table last week and three of the interior windows fell off.  Thankfully the top two pieces of the fuselage had also loosened, so I was able to take them off and reinstall the windows.  If it was one of the windows further back I probably would have had to junk the model.  If you end up building the kit, I'd probably try not to be as OCD as I have been and just enjoy building it.
 
 

Hi Lou, great to hear from you and thanks for the kind words.  I have the following book which has a lot of great pictures of both the civilian craft (including the Howard Hughes plane) and the military craft.  It's definitely worth buying if you're going to build this kit I think.  
 

Interestingly, the interior of the military craft looks very similar to that of the civilian craft, down to the interior curtains.  I decided not to open the model up in part because I wasn't too certain about whether the interior from the kit was accurate or not.  
 
For the wheel wells, the photo etch actually adds some nice detail like the rivets and the panels which seems very consistent with the pictures I've seen of the actual wells.  The PE is also really helpful to cover up that dreadful, hard to get to, ejector pin mark in the deep recess of the well.  Though, this is not an issue if you use the CMK wheel well replacement parts which actually fit better.
 
The kit is ok, and the CMK set is a nice add-on, but things like the need to clean up pretty much every piece, as well as the fit of the pieces, including the windows, the canopy, and the engine cowlings, make this a bit frustrating.  There's also the issue of no interlocking connecting points for the wing and tail struts (as well as a number of other detail parts) which is annoying.  Then there is the matter of certain details that are helpful to add, like the nose center rib in the book picture above, and the location and angle of the antenna mast in the center wing that is different from plane to plane.  Also, the tail wheel in the kit looks nothing like either of the two versions of the tail wheel on the real thing, so of course now that I've seen the actual pictures (the book above has great close-ups)  I feel obligated to scratch build a more accurate one, though not really looking forward to it.
 
I've started to lose interest in finishing the model, but am going to try to push through to get it finished by the beginning of June for the group build on LSM.  It didn't help that the model took a nose dive off the table last week and three of the interior windows fell off.  Thankfully the top two pieces of the fuselage had also loosened, so I was able to take them off and reinstall the windows.  If it was one of the windows further back I probably would have had to junk the model.  If you end up building the kit, I'd probably try not to be as OCD as I have been and just enjoy building it.
 
 

Hi Mike
I am jealous that you have taken your JRS-1 out and started building it. ALas mine, like all of my other stash and flying boats is sitting neglected and lonely.
 
That has not stopped me from doing some research now and then though. I would have probably kept the original wheels as the plain surface and lack of any real details in the real aircraft wells is very obvious even though possibly less interesting.
 
I saw a mention in a prior post about the cabin layouts. According to the only cut-a-way drawings I have been able to find these sections are the cockpit, with the bulkhead opening to the rear of the aircraft. 
 
Just to the rear of that bulkhead is the 'Stewards/mail" cabin. on the port side just behind the pilot the steward has a chair that sits against the outside hull and I believe folds down. This is so that it can be used as a stepping platform when the crew uses the top portside hatch to enter the aircraft. Next aft on the portside is the mail locker that coule possibly also serve as a table for food or drinks? Just aft of that the remaining portside space is taken up with the head that extends to the next bulkhead just in front of the landing gear section. The starboard section of this compartment is identified as baggage compartment, even though it appears to consist of lower storage, counter top and upper compartmented cabinets. The winow ports on that side have slatted covers in the drawings.
 
Next are the two bulkheads that enclose the foward and aft area of the wheel gear area and could possibly also provide limited access to the wing root from within. It appears that only the forward bulkhead had a door but that one looks to be a watertight door. 
 
Next is the main passenger cabin that had seating for 11 passengers with two seats on the starboard and one on the port with the last seats aft being single.
The aft cabin bulkhead opens into the forth compartment just forward of the rudder. This compartment is labled as the "Smoking" pasenger compartment and has two seats facing aft on each side of the forward bulkhead and two facing forward at each corner of the aft bulkhead with the collapsible companion way between them.
 
This is clearly the civilian configuration of the S-43 and I would think the military JRS-1 would have had differences, but I have not been able to find anything to date.
 
Really looking forward to seeing your results on this aircraft Mike. It is looking great so far.

That will be sweet!  Definitely go for the diorama if you can.  

Amazing work! 

Amazing work!