Farley Posted April 4, 2021 Share Posted April 4, 2021 (edited) Hi Guys ! Well ive just started my first plane kit in about 40 years, a Mitsubishi Zero, and Ive crashed it already ! Its the little 1/72 Airfix model and i thought I'd try building it as a crashed/derelict plane.... there may be a diarama later to add to this ? I have a few paints on order, so for now im test fitting bits. The fuselage is not glued, as theres no interior yet ! Its a bit distracting when researching pics of this, im spending more time watching war clips than building but its all part of the fun ! Hope you like it, ANY criticism im all for, Im new so theres going to be some mistakes, feel free to point them out ok ! Thanks for looking...... Edited April 16, 2021 by Farley 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcoat Posted April 5, 2021 Share Posted April 5, 2021 I love a good crashed plane diorama! Need to rip that wing open and show us some innards and carnage though. Easy enough to do with some strip and tinfoil. Like the tail here: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farley Posted April 5, 2021 Author Share Posted April 5, 2021 Thanks Tcoat, I like the look of your tail section, very convincing ! As a first build I wasn't going to go too crazy but I'm all for trying new ideas so I'll give your suggestion a try.... Thanks ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted April 5, 2021 Share Posted April 5, 2021 Hi Farley, Welcome aboard and what a great start on your first kit in a long time! Great idea, too: I think I'd be inclined to put it on a small base, perhaps with some rocks or tree stumps around its final resting place. The Zero had folding wing-tips, so perhaps a good opportunity to use a bit of etch to show the joints? Looking forward to seeing your progress! Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcoat Posted April 5, 2021 Share Posted April 5, 2021 2 hours ago, Farley said: Thanks Tcoat, I like the look of your tail section, very convincing ! As a first build I wasn't going to go too crazy but I'm all for trying new ideas so I'll give your suggestion a try.... Thanks ! You don't need to go nuts but just a couple of panels ripped off and showing the bent structure underneath would bump it up a notch. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson Duvalier Posted April 5, 2021 Share Posted April 5, 2021 Those dents in the starboard wing invite a couple of partially knocked-over trees to your diorama. Have you thought about how fresh the crash site will be? Did the Zeke come to grief an hour ago, or will it have been mouldering in the jungle until covered in algae and saplings grow from the cockpit? The crash diorama is something of a trope, sort of like an achievement badge for modellers that everybody tries at some point. I did mine with a Monogram P-51B and went for the "mouldering in the jungle until covered in algae" aesthetic. I don't remember exactly when that was but it was before Nirvana, so that's quite a while ago. You're going to have loads of fun with this. 😎 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farley Posted April 5, 2021 Author Share Posted April 5, 2021 Thanks for the input guys, much appreciated ! Tcoat, thanks for the suggestion, hope you approve of my attempt ! Thanks Mark, i might try a bigger Zero kit later, and maybe try a bit of photoetch on that , 1/72 scale is hard enough to see ! And thanks Jackson Duvalier, yes i had tree dents in mind with the wing, once the planes finished i`ll look at a diarama. I intend to try a lot of new things with plane builds, so this zero is a bit of a testbed as far as damage is concerned. Ive wrecked car models before but planes i have to muddle along best i can ! I really liked Tcoats suggestion for ripped panels, so thought id try it as i had a bit of spare time today. Following along from pictures, its probably a bit crude for you guys, but i can bend it around depending how it looks. I used bare metal foil, as it shows the panel lines well and i can bend it out the way while painting. The frame is just thin plastic cut and drilled. Hopefully it will look better in paint, hope it arrives soon ! Oh and Farley is my dogs name, im Martin ! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted April 5, 2021 Share Posted April 5, 2021 Hi Martin, The torn wing section looks very effective to me - the bare metal foil is a brilliant idea! What paint are you planning to use? I think the Airfix Zero is a Model 11 or 21, so would probably have been finished in Mitsubishi's version of the IJN grey ameiro, at least early on in the war. Looking forward to the next instalment. Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcoat Posted April 5, 2021 Share Posted April 5, 2021 1 hour ago, Farley said: Thanks for the input guys, much appreciated ! Tcoat, thanks for the suggestion, hope you approve of my attempt ! Thanks Mark, i might try a bigger Zero kit later, and maybe try a bit of photoetch on that , 1/72 scale is hard enough to see ! And thanks Jackson Duvalier, yes i had tree dents in mind with the wing, once the planes finished i`ll look at a diarama. I intend to try a lot of new things with plane builds, so this zero is a bit of a testbed as far as damage is concerned. Ive wrecked car models before but planes i have to muddle along best i can ! I really liked Tcoats suggestion for ripped panels, so thought id try it as i had a bit of spare time today. Following along from pictures, its probably a bit crude for you guys, but i can bend it around depending how it looks. I used bare metal foil, as it shows the panel lines well and i can bend it out the way while painting. The frame is just thin plastic cut and drilled. Hopefully it will look better in paint, hope it arrives soon ! Oh and Farley is my dogs name, im Martin ! That is the beauty of damaged aircraft, crude is good! Looking good and you get the idea. Now twist up those ribs a bit and some broken and damaged stringers. Planes are not durable when they hit the ground. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farley Posted April 5, 2021 Author Share Posted April 5, 2021 (edited) Thanks Mark ! I have the Tamiya colours on order, XF11 for the top, XF14 on the base, oh and cockpit green XF71 ! And thank you Tcoat, the diagram is very useful thanks, glad i`m not that far off with the ribs ! What are Stringers made out of ? From pictures I`ve seen, are the ribs cockpit green , and what colour is the inside of the wings ? Thanks... Martin. Edited April 5, 2021 by Farley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcoat Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 (edited) The stringers are aluminum and painted the same as the ribs. Although most countries used a green corrosion resistant paint call zinc chromate as the inner structure coating the Japanese used a sort of weird teal like or even blue colour. Good info here http://colesaircraft.blogspot.com/2014/08/japanese-wwii-aircraft-aotake-primer.html Edited April 6, 2021 by Tcoat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson Duvalier Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 Welcome to our Asperger's support group, Martin. 😄 We like to be helpful. Thin wire would probably make an acceptable stringer in 1/72. ("If the crash has been rotting in the wilds for very long, any fabric covered areas on the control surfaces will have decayed and skeletonised-- an interesting modelling challenge," he helpfully added.) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcoat Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 19 hours ago, Jackson Duvalier said: Welcome to our Asperger's support group, Martin. 😄 We like to be helpful. Thin wire would probably make an acceptable stringer in 1/72. ("If the crash has been rotting in the wilds for very long, any fabric covered areas on the control surfaces will have decayed and skeletonised-- an interesting modelling challenge," he helpfully added.) Thin wire would be perfect in 1/72. Even the ribs could be wire actually. There wasn't much under the covering. https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/685743480733872317/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farley Posted April 13, 2021 Author Share Posted April 13, 2021 Thanks guys ! Jackson, im struggling along as it is with weathering ,damage etc. i think this is enough for now ! But thanks for the suggestion, Im still thinking about your diarama comments too ! And thanks Tcoat, this diagram will really help with the 1/48 Tamiya version Ive just ordered ! Bit more damage, and Paint ! One stabalizer (??) removed altogether, and drilled, and the tail has been ripped too. I added a small rip to the other wing tip too, as it helps with the broken tip hanging off ! First coat of primer and Tamiya XF11, looking forward to transfers, weathering and metal damage now, Oh and adding stringers ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farley Posted April 16, 2021 Author Share Posted April 16, 2021 Well think this ones just about done. I say that because at some time in the future there should be a diarama for it, so i might add to it then ? Enjoyed building this, certainly makes a change to the cars Ive been building on and off for years... Thankyou to everyone who commented/ responded to this, and i hope you enjoyed the build ! Just need to find the canopy too, Ive put it somewhere safe (where i cant find it ! ) Looking for Ideas for the bigger version Ive received, Tamiya 1/48 to be precise. Id like to detail this, maybe open it all up so you can see more of it ? Im thinking maybe a A6M3 restoration, a part built plane being restored.... ? Well heres some pics, thanks... Martin ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 Great work, Martin! That really pops. Are you building a diorama for it to sit in? Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VT Red Sox Fan Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 Turned out nice—best, Erwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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