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

[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.

[Guest]

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...

[Guest]

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.

[Guest]

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.

[rickoshea52]

I took one look at the canopy and decided to use a pre-cut paint mask from Eduard (CX306) for £3.80 from ebay. It's well worth it and certainly didn't take three hours to apply.

I only had to fill a smal area between the wing centre section and the fuselage.

I'm starting to wish I took the time to do a build thread on mine now.

I have also lost the drop tank for mine.

[Guest]

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...

[rickoshea52]

Those fiddly bits are a pain. One of mine twanged off onto the mancave floor. I searched for ages with no luck then wifey spots straight away. That's just how it used to work on the real thing too. The amount of times you drop a screw or washer on the hangar floor and can't find it only for a fairy spot it right away.

I think those fiddly bits may be shrouds that cover the balance tab push/pull rods.

[yak face]

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

[Guest]

And more... doing a lot more of this than I thought I'd be able to... to be fair, though, I brought some work home that has remained un-done!

Here's the result of the painting - thinned the Humbrol 90 down quite a lot and did three coats. In the end, The Boy got bored off after one coat, so I got to do the rest myself! Quite pleased with the result, hardly any visible brushstrokes and the panel lines still clear after 2 x primer and 3 x paint.

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The moment of truth...

...unmasking the canopy. Gulp.

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Not looking too bad! You have to get in really close to see the iffy bits...

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That's quite highly magnified, though, so I'm not that worried. Might fiddle around with a toothpick on some of the lines, but suspect this is the point when I should leave well alone... we'll see.

There's one tiny bit where the Hu85 "coal black" bled onto the fuselage from the cowling - by the fiddly bit around the gun barrels. Will do some judicious scraping and re-touching here.

Generally, though, am v pleased with how this is going.

Next, clear gloss varnish and decals...

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[Guest]

Oh, and have now added the prop assembly. And... you can see the Curtis P-40 Warhawk in the background that came in the same kit. Well, sort of, if you squint a bit.

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[flyjoe180]

Nice work Alisdair. Your masking turned out well mate. Your Kiwi in laws would be proud, nice recovery on the nose masking.

[rickoshea52]

I can see you're enjoying building this kit as I did. Isn't it a little gem? These new tool Airfix kits are streets ahead of their older kits. I did the A4 Skyhawk which I enjoyed and I have the new Typhoon that has had good reviews so I'm really looking forward to that. Just have to knock out the Tiger Meet S.I.G first.

[Guest]

Managed a bit more this evening - had got a couple of coats of Humbrol Clear on in fits and starts over the past couple of days (with the plane hidden under an upside-down plastic mixing bowl to keep the dust off... The Loved One does give me some odd looks at times...). Left me free to sit down for a while this evening and throw some decals on.

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The plane is actually currently being held prop end up as I try to MicroSol some tiny decals onto the prop blade roots:

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Some of these decals are ridiculously small. Here's a magnified tail:

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Unfortunately, the smallest is just about hidden in the shadow of the stabilizer here, but the black one on the rudder wasn't exactly massive. Given the colour scheme, though, any missing decals are going to be pretty obvious. When I did the P-40B Warhawk, I ended up just not putting a bunch on because you couldn't see them against the dark brown body colour, not even with a magnifying glass.

So - nearly there. Don't have anything to matt the models with at the moment, any recommendations? Currently all looking far too glossy!