My second completed build, and the first since my Spitfire. I was building this parallel with the Hawker Hurricane restoration which is nearly completed too (just waiting for the temperature to rise and humidity to drop before applying a flat coat). This was another really old Airfix kit with all the associated issues that an old kit has.
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No cockpit detail was included, not even a seat. So the box of spares was raided and a seat was scratch built. The decals had gone moldy and were quite fragile and needed a bit of attention. A few of them broke but I managed to blend them in and sealed them with a gloss coat.
The kit represents Saburo Sakai's A6M2 in 1942. I omitted the kill markings from the tail as references online show he didn't add these until much later. Also omitted was the aerial mast. Sakai had his entire radio set and mast removed. I'm unsure whether he was saving weight or disliked radios. This required a delicate bit of filling at the rear of the canopy.
The Zero is finished in a semi gloss as referenced to Mitsubishi's factory paint details.
Anyway here it is, I hope you like it. I think I have done some justice to a very old kit and fragile decals.
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View attachment 45323
No cockpit detail was included, not even a seat. So the box of spares was raided and a seat was scratch built. The decals had gone moldy and were quite fragile and needed a bit of attention. A few of them broke but I managed to blend them in and sealed them with a gloss coat.
The kit represents Saburo Sakai's A6M2 in 1942. I omitted the kill markings from the tail as references online show he didn't add these until much later. Also omitted was the aerial mast. Sakai had his entire radio set and mast removed. I'm unsure whether he was saving weight or disliked radios. This required a delicate bit of filling at the rear of the canopy.
The Zero is finished in a semi gloss as referenced to Mitsubishi's factory paint details.
Anyway here it is, I hope you like it. I think I have done some justice to a very old kit and fragile decals.
View attachment 45324View attachment 45325View attachment 45326View attachment 45327View attachment 45328View attachment 45329View attachment 45330View attachment 45331
View attachment 48421
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View attachment 48423
View attachment 48424
View attachment 48425
View attachment 48426
View attachment 48427
View attachment 48428
View attachment 48429
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