Mitsubishi A6M5/5A Zero Tamiya 1/48

[Tcoat]

First I needed a figure from this kit for another project.

Then I had to wait for parts for the other one anyway.

Both needed the same paint so I may as well do a "simple" build.

Since it was going to be quick and easy I may as well just do wheels up and put it on a stand.

HMMMM this may be a good project to beat the crap outta some paint.

Then while looking for some parts in my spares I found a couple of tiny liberators.

Oh that doesn't look right with just a prop.

 

You guys know how it goes!

 

 

 

[Farley]

 

Great job on this, and a very effective little diarama too !  (How do you make spinning blades? )

Especially like the paint,  very convincing !  

[Tcoat]

6 hours ago, Farley said:

 

Great job on this, and a very effective little diarama too !  (How do you make spinning blades? )

Especially like the paint,  very convincing !  

Thanks. The diorama wasn't really part of the original plan but sort of fell together as I moved forward.

The prop blur is really easy but really hard at the same time! 

Here is how you do it:

1) Cut out at least 3 circles from clear, hard, flat plastic blister type packaging. 

2) Poke a hole in the center of each. Throw away one because somehow you missed the center.

3) Using a Dremel expansion adaptor (not sure the real name) back a disc with carboard and chuck it into a drill or Dremel tool.  

4) Slowly spin the disc and lightly touch it with a course grinding tube (or disk or whatever). Don't get carried away you just want to have some varied but circular lines. Throw one away because you got carried away (see illustration below)

5) Tape off evenly spaced triangles double the number of blades (so this one had three taped and three open spaces.

6) Using a clear dark grey or black paint (I used Tamiya Smoke) paint a moderately heavy, taped section in the center of the untapped areas and then lighter on each side.

7) Remove tape and put a light coat on the rest. Put one slightly darker straight line from the center to the edge in these spaces. Throw one away because you screwed up the pattern and it looks horrid. The idea is to make it visible yet subtle. 

8 Give the whole thing a coat of semigloss clear. Don't use flat since it doesn't look right.

 

This gives you more of an effect that the human eye sees than most of the commercially made ones which look more like what a camera captures. 

 

Edited April 18, 2021 by Tcoat

[Mark V]

That’s awesome. Thanks for the prop blur tutorial, with tongue firmly in cheek. 

[Epeeman]

Brilliant, Zero and a very clever and effective display as well - well done, mate!

 

Regards

 

Dave

[RMCS]

Niiiice 

[Tcoat]

I am thinking of adding some clouds to my display. They would be made out of some of my wife's Christmas "snow" polyester batting and would be actually pretty thin so not a big dense wad of cotton or anything. The rod doesn't show as bad in real life as it does in the pictures but there is still something missing from the whole thing.
What do you guys think? Too hoky?

 

Edited April 19, 2021 by Tcoat