Zero but not zilch **Finished**

[Johnson]

Hi Rob,

No problem!

We’re away for a week and I needed to take something simple to while away the evenings and chose the new tool Airfix Zero. Looks like a lovely little kit.

But simple? Hah!   I’m now learning all about Japanese aircraft paint  .

 

Transporting finished models is always a nightmare! But you did a good job and a very nice selection.

Cheers.

Charlie

[Zephyr91]

1 minute ago, Johnson said:

But simple? Hah!   I’m now learning all about Japanese aircraft paint  .

This whole build has been an education.  I had no idea until people shared all this knowledge with me us.   Apparently, there's a chap in IPMS Lancs who won a prize at Telford for one of his Zeros - 1:48th scale.   Must chat with him some time.

 

Enjoy your hols Charlie.   I made the suggestion before our hols that I could take some modelling distraction.   Let's just say that that was not a popular  choice        and I won't be mooting that idea again ..........

 

cheers

 

Rob

[marvinneko]

Just caught up. I enjoyed building my Ken and doing the research so it was interesting to review your build and the paint discussions.

 

I got a Hasegawa Zero for free from a flood sale... I might paint it orange  some day to join Ken.

 

Hope you finish this little guy! 

[Zephyr91]

Hi!  Apologies it's been so long since I updated.  Time flies.

 

I've been badly struggling with this.  I'd got to the stage of applying decals, but messed up the fuselage band.  No problem I thought, I can mask and paint it..   What a nightmare.  Total fail.    Skills deserted me and I just couldn't get the lines straight.   So that was sanded off. 😱

 

I also messed up the simple upper wing and fuselage roundels.  In mitigation, I suppose the decals were 40yrs old but i've managed with others of that age previously.  So I decided to create masks and paint them.  Simpe circles.  For all the good the masks were, with leaks/bleed everywhere, I might as well have done them freehand  .  So they had to be sorted and touched up. 

 

Then came the topper.  The decals for the decidely "Army" looking fin patterns.  Decals just wouldn't settle down - age plus very prominent rivets and rudder hinges.  So they had to come off and my distress was complete. 

 

Now, if you remember, I was hoping that this was to be a quick and simple build.  Everyone kindly chipped in with excellent information about IJN colours and details that would have enabled a more realistic finish.  Thanks.  I still have some reading to do but will do a "proper" scheme one day. 

 

For now, I just want to get this finished.  It has sapped my willpower like no other model I've done since I came back to the hobby!  So we are now in the realms of what CAN i do? (Very little groans the audeinec).   Apologies to the perferctionists but I decided that the fin needed something - in the absence of a fuselage stripe or 2.    So we have this ....

 

 

I dont think the flash has helped the look of the finish, but it'll have to do for now.

 

Meanwhile I was still wondering what to do about the cowling, with which I'd also had struggles.  Just look at this .....

 

 

The gun "troughs" are just too far apart.  They don't align with the guns.  When I was a kid it didn't bother me.  So I'm leaving it.  Just as an academic (?) exercise I compared the model with a plan.  Let's just say that, from a distance, this model is a bit Zero-like.      Fuselage is a bit rotund, and the tailplane span is too small are the 2 most obvious things.  But hey, this is a "classic" build. 

 

I need to get the cockpit finished, the undercarriage stuck on and the prop completed.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Rob

 

 

[silverfox63]

Hi Rob. Sorry to hear this is fighting you every inch of the way. Keep at it, you're almost there.

Cheers,

Chris.

[marvinneko]

2 hours ago, Zephyr91 said:

The gun "troughs" are just too far apart.  They don't align with the guns

 

It's to do this, right?

 

 

[Johnson]

Blimey Rob, it's certainly been giving you a hard time!

 

But it will look OK (for a classic) when complete.

 

Good luck with the rest of the build.

 

Charlie

[2996 Victor]

8 hours ago, marvinneko said:

It's to do this, right?

An aerial krummlauf, perhaps!

 

11 hours ago, Zephyr91 said:

For now, I just want to get this finished.  It has sapped my willpower like no other model I've done since I came back to the hobby!  So we are now in the realms of what CAN i do? (Very little groans the audeinec).   Apologies to the perferctionists but I decided that the fin needed something - in the absence of a fuselage stripe or 2.    So we have this ....

Sorry to hear this has been such a struggle, Rob, but you've nearly finished and it looks pretty darned good to me! BTW the fin stripes look fine and of course that was a form of IJN marking, so why not?

 

Cheers,

Mark

[marvinneko]

4 hours ago, 2996 Victor said:

An aerial krummlauf

 

I learned something today!

[Zephyr91]

1 hour ago, marvinneko said:

 

I learned something today!

  Me too!    So you CAN shoot around corners.  Brill!

[2996 Victor]

2 hours ago, Zephyr91 said:

  Me too!    So you CAN shoot around corners.  Brill!

 

3 hours ago, marvinneko said:

I learned something today!

I like the mirror! 

[AdrianMF]

Sorry to hear you are having such a torrid time with the Zero. Probably time to give it a coat of matt varnish and move on! Some old kits are simply not worth stressing about.

 

However, you've got a pretty nice result from it, even if it does have some wonky gun channels. At least it's not the Airfix Fiat G.50, which has a tiny cowling.
 

Looking forward to your next project. (And I guess you might be too!)

 

(edit) I was getting all excited about a "krummlauf" ("crumb loaf"?), expecting a mittel European delicacy of dried fruit , candied peel and milk bread. Imagine my disappointment when I found out it's just a gun that doesn't shoot very well around corners. Imagine how frustrating it would be to have a left-handed opportunity and then finding out that your gun barrel bends to the right!

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Zephyr91]

Hi again.   Nearly there!  Taking Adrian's advice and moving to matt varnish as rapidly as possible ......

 

 

Final view of the cockpit before canopy on.   Was quite pleased with the seat and headrest, both folded from foil (if you remember from earlier).  The stick is stretched sprue and the IP is a photo reduced down to size and printed on paper.

 

Then magic happened   and we are here

 

 

 

Couple of paint touch-ups to do and possibly an aerial wire.  

 

These photos are showing all the imperfections, but on the bench the finish doesn't look quite as bad to my eye.   No one outside the domestic environment will see it, and the comments here are along the lines of "Ooh, I like the yellow"  -  which is fine.

 

Photos soon.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Rob

 

 

 

[Zephyr91]

I'm calling this done.  Phew .  I made it worse that it need have been by messing up both painting and decals.  But it's another learning experience.

 

 

 

Couple of teaser photos there.   Will do gallery very soon.

 

Despite the woes experienced on this build I have enjoyed it.  And the GB is brill.  A wonderful wallow in nostalgia with a plethora of  brilliant subjects and threads.

 

Thanks to the facilitators and to everyone who provided information and encouragement.  Much appreciated.

 

Thanks for looking, stay well.

 

cheers

 

Rob

 

More photos here https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235141028-classic-airfix-roy-cross-memorial-gallery/page/2/

 

[AdrianMF]

Despite all your woes it looks perfectly fine to me - nice matt finish, smooth and even paint work with subtle raised surface detailing showing up, clear canopy with well painted framing, and a visible detailed interior. 
 

From the starting point of a 1960s toy it's as good as you're going to get without descending into madness...

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Zephyr91]

57 minutes ago, AdrianMF said:

From the starting point of a 1960s toy it's as good as you're going to get without descending into madness...

  twas getting that way!   Many thanks for your kind words, much appreciated.

 

Now onwards.  Must buzz off  to a Hurricane .....

 

Rob

[Johnson]

2 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

without descending into madness...

Which happens when you start trying to understand the paint they used .

 

Looks fine Rob - 

Charlie

[2996 Victor]

Great work, Rob,she turned out just fine and dandy!

 

Cheers,

Mark

[Aww94]

Hi Rob, your Zero has turned out very nicely - nice job. 

 

I've enjoyed this build, especially the discussions shared on the complicated topic of WW2 Japanese colour schemes - truly an education! 🧑‍🎓

[Zephyr91]

On 21/09/2024 at 20:52, Johnson said:

Looks fine Rob - 

Thanks Charlie.

 

On 22/09/2024 at 01:49, 2996 Victor said:

she turned out just fine and dandy!

Thanks Mark.  Somehow salvaged it.  It's the closest I've come to binning a kit  😱 - but of course my Yorkshire soul wouldn't have allowed that and it would have become another paint mule. 

 

16 hours ago, Aww94 said:

I've enjoyed this build, especially the discussions shared on the complicated topic of WW2 Japanese colour schemes - truly an education! 🧑‍🎓

Thanks Aww94.  Glad you enjoyed it.  The BM members are so generous with their time and knowledge.  I found it educational too and will definitely have a look at Japanese schemes at some stage.

 

Cheers

 

Rob

[CliffB]

The Gallery photos look great Rob. All's well that ends well! 

 

Cheers