Airfix 1/72 Mitsubishi Zero A6M2b-21 (from Dogfight Doubles)

[AlasdairGF]

So this is my fourth model, and I'm really enjoying this! Still mostly using my son as an excuse, but everyone sees through it now and I'm roundly if fondly decried as a nerd and a geek. No change there then!

This is the start of Airfix's latest (I think) Zero which comes as part of a Dogfight Doubles kit I got reasonably cheaply, about £15. As I'm doing this all on a shoestring, I've really only got the paints that come with the kit and no hope of any extras. That would be premature, anyway, I'm still just using these 1/72 models (that belong to my son, remember?!) to practice on before buying myself something more substantial.

So I've just started this one, and I don't get much time on it, but I've now completed the cockpit and thought I'd post some photos because (a) I'm quite pleased how it's gone, and (b) I'd really like to know what else I can do. With this one, I've painted it (wrong shade of green I know but it's all I have), having found a reference photo of a zero cockpit that shows a black instrument panel and far more detail than could ever be fitted into a 1/72 scale afaik. So I've tried to give an impression of something like this with some black detailing and panel - fortunately the Airfix decals have lots of white on them (that you can't see before you put it on the model) so that seemed to show up OK. Drybrushed with silver to bring out some detail, and used some more silver to indicate wear on seat edge and pedals. Finally sealed with Humbrol Clear and experimented with a wash of some of my wife's old oil paints in some thinners. Another layer of clear to seal that in. Don't have anything to do a matt coat with, and not sure I'd want to anyway.

Is there anything else I could have done (or can still do) here? Ultimately none of this will be visible, but I'm learning loads as I do this.

Two issues here - firstly, the pilot included with the kit doesn't seem to fit in the cockpit!!! Not sure if he's slightly out of scale or something? You can see him (unpainted) in one of the shots below. I'll either leave him out, or perhaps I'll give him a double amputation at the thigh... we'll see.

Secondly - how do you deal with the heartbreak of doing all this work, and then sealing it up never to be seen by human eyes again...?!

So - any advice for a keen but slightly clumsy beginner?

Progress photos:

Zero cockpit - for reference. This is a modern, flying restoration, so not the original parts by any means, but at least something to aim at for an overall impression.

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Various bits - shows unpainted pilot figure who I can't make fit!!

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And the final finished cockpit! So - what do you reckon? View attachment 68477


(You know to ignore my dirty fingernails, right?! *blush* Things to remember when taking photos...)

 

[AlasdairGF]

Thanks Rick - what exactly is the issue with the gun/sight part? Just fiddly, or something more serious?

Oh, I just found this: http://www.h3.dion.ne.jp/~mokei/e-gallery-fm_zero.htm

Now my own efforts seem like finger-painting...!

 

[mossiepilot]

That looks really nice Alasdair, much better than the Airfix old tool kit which I think had only a pilot and seat for the cockpit. I'll look forward to seeing more of this.

Tony.

 

[flyjoe180]

Ah yes the old Airfix Zero. Hehe, memories of blanking off huge gaps, trying to seat a a pilot in what can only be described as an ill fitting box. This looks like a great kit, nice progress so far Alasdair.

 

[AlasdairGF]

Thanks for comments & tips... may be a little while before I get make any significant progress as new semester starting soon so work-load building up again (sob). But will update this when I manage to grab some time.

 

[colin m]

It looks like you're doing a great job Alasdair. That cockpit looks nicely detailed for 1:72, I'm suspecting it's one of Airfix's new tool offerings, which i like loads.

Colin M..

 

[papa 695]

Just seen this Alasdair A great start too

 

[AlasdairGF]

Managed a bit more before going back to work...

Cockpit entombed... getting the sights/gun assembly on was a pain... seemed easy when dryfitting, so I rushed ahead and ignored your suggestion, Rick... then repented in leisure. Bit of the old brute force and ignorance did the trick, and I'll clean up later...!

View attachment 68667


Not much to show, less still once the canopy's on... had to hack away at the sights a bit, but it was pretty much in vain as it wasn't a separate clear part, so no matter how thin I got the beam splitter part it would always have looked wrong. Gave up, painted it silver.

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A fortuitous mix of black and grey, heavily thinned, was just what I wanted for the cylinders... touch of dry-brushing with silver which may or may not have made a difference. After the cockpit heartbreak, wasn't going to put in loads more work here, as the cowling is going to almost entirely cover it up!

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Now I really must go and write some lectures...

 

[flyjoe180]

Wow, that is light years ahead of the old Airfix 72 Zero. Nicely done so far

 

[Polux]

This is looking very good so far!

Keep up the good work.

 

[treyzx10r]

Very nice progress and the kit looks a lot better than the Airfix I remember building

 

[AlasdairGF]

Quick question - having put the fuselage on, I need to pop some paint on the fuselage behind the seat that will be covered by the canopy. The instructions don't show anything under the canopy, and I can't find any photos of real zeros of the era that show this clearly enough to make out what colour this should be.

Any suggestions? (Basically is it the exterior fuselage grayish colour or the interior cockpit colour?)

 

[flyjoe180]

Hi Alisdair. I took some pics of the original A6M at Auckland War Memorial Museum in NZ and some are here in this thread: http://www.scale-models.co.uk/threads/mitsubishi-a6m-zero.14711/

If you open the pics then right click on the image you want to see and open it separately from the slide show you can enlarge it to the original size I posted. The area behind the canopy seems to be a lighter colour than the green on the aeroplane exterior. The original A6M-2 Airfix model called for a zinc-chromate colour. You could go with that or paint it a lighter green, much the same colour as your cockpit if you liked. It's hard to see the exact colour shade through the canopy.

 

[AlasdairGF]

Thanks, good to have a firm opinion and even some evidence!

This also started me on a web-amble that has left me much better informed about Zeros... Would be interesting to do my next one in post-war "surrender" markings. All in due course...

 

[AlasdairGF]

Bit more done - first, filling the wing root with Humbrol filler as there was a fairly substantial gap. Have just about finished sanding this down (that corner of the leading edge of the wing and the fuselage is proving a pain!). Don't have a scribing tool or anything to repair the odd panel line - any suggestions on what I can use that might be lying around the house? As you can see, I haven't taken Joe's advice on the paint behind the seat yet, but will get to this soon.

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My other little project has been to see if I can mask up the canopy. Spent three hours on this tonight, and not sure I'm totally happy with the results.

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That's the tip of a toothpick there for scale. What a pain this was!!! Will see how it ends up looking before I make any rash judgements thought.

Some questions on this: do people generally try to cut the right shape mask out for individual canopy panes, or build them up with smaller bits? I've tried both here, and not sure which I'm happier with. Building up with smaller bits seems slightly more accurate, but we're talking about bits of Tamiya tape approx 0.5 x 2.5mm big!!!!

Hope I'm not boring folk with such a newbie build... but it's interesting keeping a record of it. Sure I'll blush at my naivete in years to come...

 

[flyjoe180]

Yeah that canopy framing is a real pain isn't it. Looks really well done to me Alisdair. Any paint that gets past the masking where you don't want it can be easily removed, ironically using a toothpick, later. The wood will not scratch the plastic if you are not too rough, just scratch lightly at it and it will come off. As for the masking, I generally apply tape over the frame one strip at a time and use a sharp (very sharp, new if possible) blade to cut around the framing. You have a done great job on that. Also, there is no such thing as a boring build thread, it's how we get advice and learn from others, and learn without having to ask the same questions ourselves later. I for one enjoy seeing these 1/72 kit builds, as that is my main interest. I'm really impressed with the look of this new Airfix A6M, your thread has confirmed the quality and I might have to get and build one at a later date.

 

[AlasdairGF]

Hmmm feeling slightly thick now as I didn't even think of that.

Alternatively, I could have used this: http://www.modelhobbies.co.uk/shop/eduard-mitsubishi-a6m2-zero-paint-mask-cx306-p-40629.html Says it's for the Airfix A6M2, and the shapes look right... Suppose it'd suck to find the old-tool version was slightly different and this was designed for it, but it's not that expensive or anything.

How accurate do these pre-cut masks tend to be? Might try this on a future model.

 

[flyjoe180]

Sure, you can use the pre cut masks they are accurate and that one is specifically for the Airfix kit. I've never used pre cut masks, I prefer to use the tape method.

 

[AlasdairGF]

On, on...

Rudder & horizontal stabilizers on, pitot tube in (what a pain, last 2mm broke off but I'm steadfastly ignoring that), canopy on... and primed.

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Now, in retrospect, I realise I should have left the cowling off and masked up the engine block before priming, but there you go. Instruction said "cowling on" and I obeyed without thinking about the paint... lots of "living & learning" here.

Mind you, quite pleased with my ingenuity when faced with how to mask off the engine after the cowlings' already on:

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That's a wee circle of paper slightly larger than the width of the cowling, cut along a radius and folded into a cone which is slipped into the cowling. My Kiwi in-laws would be proud, only a step away from building a whole plane from a couple of bits of two-by-four and a length of baling wire.

Another question: what are these tiny bits that I forgot to fit to the upper surfaces of the wing before priming (doh)?

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Fiddly little b******s, I'll tell you that.

My son is insisting on helping with the painting, which means that I'll (he'll / we'll) be doing this with a brush. Which given the uniformity of the coating is not going to be ideal, but She Who Must Be Obeyed fixed me with a steely glare when I suggested I might just quickly paint it while The Boy is upstairs asleep. I forgot the old adage that it's easier to seek forgiveness than permission...

 

[yak face]

Looking great alasdair , this is a nice kit , might be tempted with one myself , cheers tony