Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero [Hasegawa 1/48]

[Rémi]

Hi

 

For my new build I decided to make a model for a friend.

I let him the choose of the subject and he choosed the A6M Zero. Like he prefere the "light grey" scheme, I proposed him the A6M2 version

 

When I searched a model, it is a suprise to find only few model by the kit maker for this early war version.
In the 1/48th scale I find only two kit ; the old Tamiya who have more 30 years old and the Hasegawa kit

 

Because the Hasegawa have more details than the Tamiya kit I choosed it.

 

I start the kit with the cockpit

I glued the panel side directly on the fuselage.
I haven't have the "mitsubishi interior color". I seen some photo and try to capture the color with a mix of the H312 and H308 paint

I painted some buttons in red/yellow

 

I maked the seatbelt after have look the photoetched part by eduard.

I drilled also the holes on the seat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I painted the engine.

Hasegawa give a descent representation of the Sakae 12

 

 

 

Now I can verify the fit of the wing-fuselage and it is a big disapointement

The gap between the two pieces is very great.

 

 

I think, the best way is to glue plastic card on each upper wing part to fill the gap

[billn53]

Excellent start! Your friend will be very happy with your work. 

[Farley]

 

Good start, I'll be following this as I'm building the A6M3 by Tamiya.

 

[Sturmovik]

4 hours ago, Rémi said:

best way is to glue plastic card on each upper wing part to fill the gap

Instead of doing that, I'd try to use a spreader bar under the cockpit floor to spread the fuselage halves outwards. That's what I did with my Dragon 190D-9.

[k5054nz]

Maybe the gap will be smaller with the cockpit in place?

 

An A6M2 in 1/48 has been on my wishlist for a long time so I'm eagerly following.

[Rémi]

Hi

 

I added the wings.
On another forum, they advice me to glue the upper wing on the fuselage to avoid the gap show on my first photo

With this, the putty need is minimal

 

 

 

 

Now I can start the paint.
For this kit, I will use the AK real color paint for the japanese plane

[shortCummins]

good save on the wing roots, a tip worth remembering 

 

rgds

John(shortCummins)

[Rémi]

The paint

 

I used the Ak Real Color RC303

I'm not a specialist of the japanese aircraft but I lile the rendering of this shade.

 

I painted the japanese insign mark because it is very simple to make the paint mask. I created the serial mask too but i see that I used the wrong serial and make the mask for the second plane of the box

 

I painted too the stripes on the propellers

 

 

 

 

[Rémi]

I seated the few decals after to have sprayed a gloss varnish on the model

I use a Tamiya Brown panel line on the structural line

 

I sprayed the final semi gloss varnish.