Airfix 72nd A6M2b Zero

[Col.]

First completed aircraft model for me this year so far. The new Airfix A6M2b Zero kit made almost out-of-the-box and painted with ancient Humbrol enamels to the corrected version of the kit scheme as described by Nick Millman in his AviationofJapan blog.

The only details added were;

seat belts (foil from wine bottle)

aerial wire (fine fishing line)

brake lines (5 amp fuse wire)

boarding steps/hand holds (stretched sprue and plasticard)

replacement pitot probe (turned down from piano wire)

Painted with Humbrol enamels for the main part with Revel enamels used for some smaller areas and kit decals applied over a coat of Future.

The kit went together very well with only the forward upper fuselage decking and machine gun parts causing any issues. My tip in hindsight is to fit those parts while joining the fuselage halves rather than after as shown in the instructions.

There is a partial WiP here but I was well on with construction before the photos started so it deals with painting and adding external details -

http://www2.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=234922701#entry1094534

A second example is sitting in the stash tempting me to crack it open and do an early grey machine now.

[POMPEO]

Nice work... looks like a good model this Airfix Zero...

[CPNGROATS]

Col: Very sharp looking A6M2b...!!

Cheers,

ggc

[warhawk]

We have compared Airfix with the Finemolds tooling at a local club, and shapes match up pretty well...

Apart somewhat deep paneling and shallow wheel wells, the Airfix kit pretty much is on par with its 5 TIMES (!!!) more expensive brother...

Your model is a fine example of what can be achieved quickly and easily with Airfix. Well done!

[Plasticbutcher]

Very nice build

[Nick Millman]

I'm sorry that I missed this and thank you for the kind mention! Glad to hear the issue with the fairing ahead of the windscreen was not just me!

Very nicely realised and I very much like the colours achieved. One small point though - and I hope you won't mind me mentioning it - brown painted prop blades usually had a single yellow stripe at the tip whilst the double red stripes were only applied on aluminium blades. Where the brown-painted prop was as supplied by the contractor there was also a small yellow rectangle on each blade near the spinner.

Edited August 9, 2012 by Nick Millman

[stevehnz]

I'll try & remember that for mine Nick. Col, I meant to say, thanks for the heads up about the upper deck & guns area. Handy hint.

Steve.

Edited August 9, 2012 by stevehnz

[jimbuna]

Nice one.

[Col.]

Thanks for the kind comments everyone and sorry aboutthe quality of photos. Not the best camera or operator for showing small scale model aeroplanes it seems.

Appreciate you keeping me right about the prop details Nick. Guess what I'll be doing tonight.

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good morning

Very good job

[Nick Millman]

Just a bit of further clarification on props that might be useful to kit builders - and Tamiya have a new 1/72 A6M2 out in September. Early A6M2 props had polished natural metal blades with matt red-brown paint on the rear of the blades (some sources also say matt black) to eliminate glare and either two or one red warning stripes at the tips. The spinner was painted aluminium over red-brown primer. This distinction is important as there are plenty of models that depict both the blades and the spinner as polished natural metal. From late 1943 props and spinners began to be entirely painted in a dark brown paint with a single yellow warning stripe although some Nakajima-built examples had an aluminium painted spinner and brown blades.

It is difficult to be certain about these colours from the photo of Tsu-134 but as it was an operational trainer flying in 1944 it is open to possibilities. Line ups are not much help because they show a variety of spinner colours in the same unit. The main possibilities therefore are:-

Aluminium spinner with nmf blades

Aluminium spinner with dark brown blades

All dark brown

One of the common modelling myths is that the props were painted in the red-brown primer (which was a red-oxide paint close to Humbrol 100 - approx between FS 10076 and 30109). Some might have been but the contractor applied dark brown prop paint was a different colour entirely - closer to FS 20059 - and like the colour used by Col on his model above.

Edited August 10, 2012 by Nick Millman

[Col.]

Thanks for the further detail on prop colours Nick, very useful for future projects, were these variations pecular to the A6M or found across a range of Japanese types?

As a matter of interest the dark brown I used is from the Revell enamel range - will post the number soon as I get home to check.

Edit - it's Matt 84. Got a fresh coat on earlier today and about to paint on yellow stripes and rectangles. If all goes well I'll put up some new photos over the weekend if the chance comes.

Edited August 10, 2012 by Col.

[Nick Millman]

Glad it was of use. The variations did follow a general theme but it was very much horses for courses and I'd be reluctant to apply them beyond the A6M without further qualification. I'm always around if anyone needs help with anything particular.

Thanks for the tip about the Revell paint - good to know as there isn't anything quite suitable in Humbrol.

[Col.]

Fresh paint on the props,

Hope these came out better than the last batch of photos.

Thanks again to Nick Millman for all his advice on this one. Dare say I'll be pestering you with more questions on a few future projects close to the bench soon

[Col.]

Forgot to say; the upper surface green was from a tin marked 'Roof Lead' in Humbrols old Authentics range while the lower surface yellow was 'Lufthansa Yellow'. The engine cowl was a mix of Revell Satin Black mix with a little Humbrol 'French Blue' then heavily dry brushed with Humbrol 'Night Blue' to give a faded look. Wingtip lights Humbrol dark silver overcoated with Tamiya Clear Red & Clear Green.

[AnonymousDFB1]

Nice work Col

[keefr22]

Just came across this Col,very nice indeed - lovely paintwork! Makes a neat 'before & after' with my rather more scruffy one!

Great little model!

Keef

[F-32]

Really cool build