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A Late Zero. (Stash Clearance #10)


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1/72 Hasegawa A6M5c Type 52 Hei

 

1993 tool. 2002 rebox #289 '303 Fighter Squadron'

 

I started this as a WIP but rapidly came to the conclusion my ambitions outran my abilities. So I lowered my sights and consequently here is the RFI. 

 

My thoughts:

1. Box and contents shown below. It's a typical 3rd generation Hasegawa with excellent mouldings and surface detail. The cockpit is as basic as Hasegawa does with no sidewall detail and, surprisingly, no gun sight. Instruments are decals. Fit was generally OK but there was a mismatch between the wing and fuselage fillet, the cowling fit was precarious and gives the impression of being v fragile and the undercarriage just doesn't look right. I'm still unsure if that was me or the kit. 2 decal options. No real options in the build itself so, for example, only a closed canopy is provided.

2. The particularities of the -5c seem well catered for including the single cockpit gun, armoured cockpit screen, underwing rocket points (but not the rockets themselves), seat armour plate and new seat design and the individual exhausts. The new wing shape is also there.The arrestor hook cavity has to be filled in (as is made clear in the instructions). The starboard gas port has to be drilled out and the port one filled (which isn't mentioned).

3. OOB save for Eduard seat belts and masks which I had in the man cave already ( I subsequently found the masks were for the Fujimi Zero and so were not precisely matched to my canopy) and Uschi thread.

4. As the late Zeros were made by Nakajima my colour scheme reflects that with Nakajima topside Green, the curved demarcation to the tail, the black turtle deck and the yellow green cockpit interior colour with Aotake for the wheel wells. All paints were Colour Coats. Tamiya Weathering Powders were also used.

5. As I refer to 'Mitsubishi Green' and 'Nakajima Green' I've posed the Raiden next to this kit to, hopefully, show the difference. The Nakajima colour is, to my eyes, a darker, blue-grey tinted green. Note also that, as per the kit instructions, the fuel tank is painted 'Mitsubishi Green' and the contrast between the greens may be easier to see if you just look at the fuel tank

 

Right, after a week of almost daily postings you won't be hearing from me with anything new for a while as the next thing on my workbench is a 4 engined heavy. In the words of Titus Oates 'I may be some time'.spacer.pngspacer.pngspacer.pngspacer.pngspacer.pngspacer.pngspacer.png

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Edited by Properjob56
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Once again, a nice model - and the pics of the box contents are also very stimulating.

Pretty sure I have built this kit too (perhaps with different box art, but the same late-war subject nonetheless).

Hasegawa tend to lavish that little bit extra on their Japanese subjects; which is really saying something, as I find practically all their kits to be nice productions.

I particularly like your colour choices for the propeller, spinner and the radial exhausts.

:goodjob:

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3 hours ago, kapam said:

Once again, a nice model - and the pics of the box contents are also very stimulating.

Pretty sure I have built this kit too (perhaps with different box art, but the same late-war subject nonetheless).

Hasegawa tend to lavish that little bit extra on their Japanese subjects; which is really saying something, as I find practically all their kits to be nice productions.

I particularly like your colour choices for the propeller, spinner and the radial exhausts.

:goodjob:

Thank you.

 

The colours were Colourcoats for the prop and a 50:50 mix of Humbrol Dull Aluminium and copper for the exhausts with some black pastel(very) lightly brushed over. Photos seem to show they were quite bright.

 

👍

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