The Wind Rises - Jiro Horikoshi's Mitsibushi Model 00 aka A6M -"Zero" (zeke)

[Mikey-1980]

For my next build the subject is Tamiya's Mitsubishi A6M2 (zeke) designed by one of the great aviation engineers Jiro Horikoshi. 

 

 

Jiro Horikoshi was born near the city of Fujioka, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, in 1903. Horikoshi graduated from the newly established Aviation Laboratory (Kōkū Kenkyūjo) within the Engineering Department of the University of Tokyo,[1] and started his career in Mitsubishi Internal Combustion Engine Company Limited, which later became Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagoya Aircraft Manufacturing Plant.

 

Jiro Horikoshi's first work was the flawed Mitsubishi 1MF10, an experimental aircraft that never passed the prototype stage after some flight tests. However, lessons learned from this design led to the development of the far more successful Mitsubishi A5M (Allied codename "Claude") which entered mass production in 1936.

In 1937, Horikoshi and his team at Mitsubishi were asked to design Prototype 12 (corresponding to the 12th year of the Shōwa era). Prototype 12 was completed in July 1940, and it was accepted by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Since 1940 was the Japanese year 2600, the new fighter was named as "Model 00" or "Zero" or A6M Zero, in Japan also known as the "Rei-sen" (literally meaning "zero fight", shortened for Model zero fighter airplane). Subsequently, he was involved with designing many other fighters manufactured by Mitsubishi, including the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden (Thunderbolt) and the Mitsubishi A7M Reppu (Strong Gale).

 

Despite Mitsubishi's close ties to the Japanese military establishment and his direct participation in the nation's buildup towards the Second World War, Horikoshi was strongly opposed to what he regarded as a futile war. Excerpts from his personal diary during the final year of the war were published in 1956 and made his position clear:

 

When we awoke on the morning of December 8, 1941, we found ourselves — without any foreknowledge — to be embroiled in war... Since then, the majority of us who had truly understood the awesome industrial strength of the United States never really believed that Japan would win this war. We were convinced that surely our government had in mind some diplomatic measures which would bring the conflict to a halt before the situation became catastrophic for Japan. But now, bereft of any strong government move to seek a diplomatic way out, we are being driven to doom. Japan is being destroyed. I cannot do [anything] other but to blame the military hierarchy and the blind politicians in power for dragging Japan into this hellish cauldron of defeat.[2]:401–2

 

After the war, Horikoshi participated in the design of the YS-11 with Hidemasa Kimura. He subsequently left Mitsubishi and taught at educational and research institutions. From 1963 to 1965, he was a lecturer at the University of Tokyo's Institute of Space and Aeronautics, and was subsequently a professor at the National Defense Academy from 1965 to 1969. Between 1972 and 1973, he was a professor of the Faculty of Engineering of Nihon University.

 

In 1956, Horikoshi collaborated on a book about the Zero with Okumiya Masatake, a general in the JASDF and a former Imperial Navy commander who had led Zero fighter squadrons during the war. The book was published in the US in 1956 as Zero: The Story of Japan's Air War in the Pacific.[2]

 

In semi-retirement by the early 1970s, he served as an advisor to the society of Japanese aircraft constructors, and continued to receive letters from aircraft enthusiasts around the world. On a trip to New York, he travelled to Long Island and stayed in the Garden City Hotel, where Charles Lindbergh had spent the night before his solo trans-Atlantic flight in 1927.[3]

In the 1973 autumn honours list, Horikoshi was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Third Class, for his achievements. His memoir regarding the development of the Zero was published in Japan in 1970, and was translated by the University of Washington Press as Eagles of Mitsubishi: The Story of the Zero Fighter, which was published in English in 1981.

 

Horikoshi died of pneumonia in a Tokyo hospital on 11 January 1982, aged 78.[4] His obituary was covered in several major newspapers around the world.[5] He was posthumously promoted to the fourth rank in the order of precedence. He was survived by five children, none of whom pursued a career in aircraft design or engineering.[3]

 

credit - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiro_Horikoshi

 

I started this build some time ago but stopped due to life and things getting in the way, so now I thought was the right time to pick this back up. I'll be using this as a self education build for paint chipping, photo etch parts etc. So it could either be a complete shambles or turn out OK?

 

I have decided to go with the Naval variant, mainly because I already have the paint in the stash,

 

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I also bought some extra detailing parts that Tamiya provided, such as the seat belt, chocs, cannons, pitot tube etc...seems straight forward to use, but never done this before.

 

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A very nice clean decal sheet too.

 

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This was pretty much the sum of what I had managed to do previously, with all intentions to do more last night, but yet again other things required my attention...smeg!!

 

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Thoughts, comments and tips for this build are, as always most welcomed.

[Mikey-1980]

I've finally managed to get some bench time for this build.

 

First up was to attempt the photo etch seat belts. This is my first time of using this type of detailing so please bear with me. I think the seat turned out ok, but then it came to paint the Tamiya acrylics really didn't like the teeeeeeeny tiny amount of superglue that I used to set them down. If there is a better glue to use, I am more that happy to learn more. Alot of this build will be mostly experimental techniques, such as paint chipping. Either through maskol or the hairspray/salt combo technique. 

 

Any hints or tips are most welcomed and encouraged please.

 

The seat was also drilled out to represent the weight saving measures employed.

 

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Cockpit assembled and reasonably painted.

 

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I've also started on the engine cover and engine itself, but that will be looked at in more detail tonight.

 

In the mean time I am awaiting the arrival of Jiro Horikoshi's book, "Eagles of Mitsubishi".

 

 

Quite why the Zero represented on the cover has the star of the USAAF I don't know...perhaps because it was published by the Washington Post and they didn't want the Red dot of the Japanese Airforce / Navy on there?

 

Anyways....this should provide some interesting insights into the design and engineering of the A6M

 

 

[Mikey-1980]

Small update......Lots of interest it seems in my build...

 

Engine painted but no weathering as yet. Cover is constructed and awaiting paint.

 

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Main fuselage is fitted with seemingly not alot of sanding or filler needed. The PS is pretty soft and doesn't take much sanding. The panel lines are raised and if you're not careful, you will sand them away.

 

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Wings were made up, with great ease, although one of the locator pins doesn't really match up, but thankfully doesn't cause much of an issue. 

 

Dry fit with a few panel gaps. I think they can be resolved once the wings are glued into place.

 

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Another view of the dry test fit.

 

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The book, Eagles of Mitsubishi turned up yesterday too. A few chapters in, and its a very fascinating read. If you can find a copy, I highly recommend it.

 

Hints, tips and critique are all welcome

[Mikey-1980]

**Bump

[Uncle Uncool]

Nice build, Mikey!

I've bought the Master guns and pitot for this kit, as well as the Eduard flap set which is for the Hasegawa kit, but I'm sure I'll make it fit.

Following yer build.

Cheers,

 

Unc² 

[rob85]

I have this kit waiting in the stash. it looks beautiful but I have always been intimidated by the level of detail and that it is a Japanese aircraft, something I know little about.

 

looks like your doing a great job here! Nice work

 

Rob

[cocky05d]

Hi ,re the super glue ,there is a product called Tricky Stick .It helps to stick shiny surfaces together .I have used it on vinyl /rubber Tank Tracks .

Very nice work so far .

[Mikey-1980]

Cheers gents, and thanks for the tip for the tricky sticky. 

 

Wings are now all on with vey little seem work needed. Just a bit of a sand down and that's about it. Tamiya TS-17 Aluminium paint has been ordered ready for the paint job. Chipping is going to be the grand experiment with this build 

[Mikey-1980]

Small update,

 

Principle build is done and now awaiting the aluminum paint base coat prior to chip treatment., The canopy was a nightmare to mask up, but worth the effort. Metal parts for the 20mm cannons and the pitot tube.

 

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The rest of the under carriage, external fuel tank and engine cover all prepped and ready for paint.

 

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I have decided on the paint scheme of Lieutenant Commander Shigeru Itaya who was a part of the Agaki Aircract fighter group responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbour, December 8th 1941.  

 

Itaya was born July 10, 1909, and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1929. He was a veteran of the China War and by 1937 is listed as a division officer on the Ryujo aircraft carrier. By 1940, he is listed as group leader on the Hiryu aircraft carrier. By April 1941, Lieutenant Commander Itaya had been named group leader on the Akagi, the flagship of the Japanese Imperial Navy’s First Fleet.

 

According to Jim Rearden in Cracking the Zero Mystery, Itaya himself trained the Zero pilots for the Pearl Harbor raid. He was in overall command of the 43 Zero fighters in the first wave from all six carriers, including the nine from the Akagi, Itaya’s carrier. He was the first to take off, guiding the other 42 Zeros to their destination. Once in Hawaii, Itaya and the eight other pilots of the Akagi attacked Hickam Field, Ewa Air Control, and Ford Island, while the Zeros of the five other carriers had different assigned targets. According to Peter Smith in Mitsubishi Zero, Itaya and his two wingmen shot down an unsuspecting B-17 bomber at Hickam Field that had at that precise moment improvidentially flown in from California. The B-17 crew managed to land the crippled bomber and run for cover, though one unfortunate member was killed in the ensuing strafing by the Japanese Zeros.

 

credit - https://ww2in172.com/?p=2840

 

Itaya went on to fight in the Port Darwin raid, Ceylon, Midway eventually being shot down due to friendly fire in the Kuril Islands.

 

On July 24, 1944, just after his 35th birthday, while flying on a Mitsubishi G3M aircraft in the Kuril Islands, Itaya’s plane was accidentally shot down by friendly fire. Although his death is listed as an accident on lists of WWII Japanese pilots, it’s unclear to me whether he was shot down by ground anti-aircraft fire or by a Japanese Army plane. Either way, the G3M bomber went down and Itaya was killed in the crash. It is an interesting coincidence and perhaps a fitting end that a man who had dedicated his entire career to serving Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy, who was also killed when his G3M aircraft was shot down, would meet his fate the same way.

 

I suspect quite a bit of weathering will be needed to show a battle hardened A6M. 

 

 

Thoughts, tips and ideas for weathering as most welcomed.

[Mikey-1980]

 

First lick of paint, TS-17 Gloss Aluminum for a base before applying some latex maskol to simulate paint wear and chipping.

 

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I did have a slight issue with a small patch of pooling on the rear starboard side of the fuselage, but a rub down and respray sorted it out nicely.

 

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Ancillary parts also coated 

 

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Edited June 10, 2019 by Mikey-1980

[Mikey-1980]

Last night was a first for me in the realm of scale modelling.

 

I attempted my first try and paint chipping using Humbrol's Maskol. A liquid latex that provides a great barrier and easy'ish to clean off afterwards

 

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Drop tank, under carriage and engine cowling treated by cutting a sponge up and dabbing the maskol on in key areas where I thought abrasion could take place.

 

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A bit difficult to see as the application seemed quite light.

 

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I then applied a coat of Tamiya AS-29 Grey Green (IJN) which is recommended in the instructions and also referenced in several other texts relating to the "Zero"

 

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The results turned out better than I expected, with a pretty good base for the patina weathering I am going for. Even though the AS-29 is recommended, it does seem a little too green to me.....I'm rolling with it though.

 

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The maskol was removed by gentle rubbing and the used of a small ball of blu-tac. I think there are still some areas where the maskol needs to come off, but it gives the effect of the paint bubbling underneath.

 

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I am quite happy with the engine cowling, though I may have gone a bit OTT with the maskol....

 

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Next steps will be the undercarriage bays and to then look at how to weather the fuselage further with possibly oils, pastels etc.....Tips are welcomed from anyone who has done this please?

 

 

 

 

[Mikey-1980]

Made a start  on the decals over the past few nights, as well as attempting the patina / paint scraping of the Rising Sun and markings.

 

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The Red stripe wrap around decal was slightly larger than required, same for the yellow tail stripes too. They were over lapped and carefully trimmed once dry with a very sharp scalpel blade

 

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Undercarriage bays painted up in Citadel Colours Polished Blue from their mid '90's metalic paint set, as well as some destroying of the Rising Sun decal. This was done in the same manner as applying the maskol.....sponge cut to size and gently dabbing some Aluminum paint strategically. I think it needs a little more work but its getting there with the effect I'm looking for. 

 

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As with the yellow tail markings, the prop blade markings also over hung, but also were not big enough to wrap around the blades either......applied and then trimmed to size.

 

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and finally the undercarriage

 

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Patina, scraping and weathering will be next, though I am unsure how to do this, but I will try my best with oil, dust and grime weathering as best I can.

 

thoughts, hints and tips always welcomed.

 

 

Edited June 19, 2019 by Mikey-1980

[Mikey-1980]

brief update, as it's been a bit busy at home and work at the moment.

 

Paint chipping completed, though I'm not sure if I've done enough, or too much?

 

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I do quite like the effect on the tail and the red fuselage banding here

 

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And underneath....a little more on the Rising Sun perhaps?

 

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Undercarriage, prop and drop tank knolled and ready for final assembly

 

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And the view from the work bench at 0615 this morning......not a bad view

 

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Next up, a little more detailing paint around the engine, seal it and then to weather with exhaust streaks and dirty it up a bit.....oh, and final assembly.

 

 

Thoughts and tips always welcomed

[Andwil]

5 hours ago, Mikey-1980 said:

Paint chipping completed, though I'm not sure if I've done enough, or too much?

While you seem to have the technique mastered, if you are modelling Itaya’s aircraft from the Pear Harbour raid it would have had very little or no chipping.

 

It bugs me that so many modellers make their models of Japanese aircraft look like abandoned wrecks.

 

AW

[Mikey-1980]

It is Itaya's Zero but I was going for a more battle hardened look after the raid and before his death to friendly fire.

 

From all images of Zero's or Type 96 aircraft of the Japanese Naval Air Force, as the war progressed, care to the aesthetics to their aircraft was seemingly not kept.

 

This may be due to the ridiculously thin paint used by Mitsubishi and chipping off easily. i would imagine that this is mainly to keep the weight down as much as possible, but also the massive lack of resources available to Japan.

 

As I mentioned at the beginning of the build, this has been a build of experimentation on new techniques to add to my skill set.

 

Thanks for the compliment though chipping the paint has been oddly fun and satisfying to see the result.

[gingerbob]

On 5/29/2019 at 3:18 AM, Mikey-1980 said:

Quite why the Zero represented on the cover has the star of the USAAF I don't know...perhaps because it was published by the Washington Post and they didn't want the Red dot of the Japanese Airforce / Navy on there?

 

That's the Aleutian Zero after recovery.  Probably just a case of "we need a stock photo of a Zero for the cover".

[Mikey-1980]

Ahhh that makes sense. 

 

From reading through the book, a zero was flown to an American occupied island and then taken back for analysis. 

 

From this, the Hell at was divised and placed into production. 

 

If you can find the book, it's well worth a read 

[Mikey-1980]

Build now complete....

 

head on over to the following for a look-see

 

 

[Greg Law]

Although the Zeros suffered badly from their environment I did read that they generally kept the markings clean. It was a matter of pride.