Revell Zero Rebuild

[LSP_Kevin]

A minor update to this one today. I've added the gun cowling to the fuselage, and am in the process of fairing it in:

 

 

Still plenty of work to do on the fuselage scribing yet. Any advice on how best to handle the reinforcement plate at the forward base of the tail?

 

I've also installed the IP into the fuselage:

 

 

It looks serviceable I think. Here's the rear end of the cockpit, where I've been attempting the fair in the join of the my scratch built rear bulkhead to the fuselage and headrest:

 

 

I'm hoping it'll look OK once it's painted up. I'm not that far from being able to attach the wings, and then I'll no longer be able to shove it in the drawer!

 

Kev

[LSP_Ron]

Looking great. It always amazes me how much a stripped down Zero fuse looks like a single seater Dauntless?

[branchline]

Looking great Kev, I'm following your thread to get ideas for my Zero build... and with respect to Ron's comment about Zeros looking like Dauntless' is it rather how similar a stripped down Dauntless looks like a two seat Zero, true either way I think...

 

Best Regards

 

Brent

[LSP_Ron]

and with respect to Ron's comment about Zeros looking like Dauntless' is it rather how similar a stripped down Dauntless looks like a two seat Zero, true either way I think...

 

Best Regards

 

Brent

 

That's funny

 

Cheers

[LSP_Kevin]

OK guys, things are moving along now. I've been revisiting some of my previous scribing efforts around the tail area, including adding the reinforcing panel at the base of the tail. I pulled out my 1/32 plans, rummaged through my scribing templates and found a shape that closely approximated the curve of the lower panel line. I used it to make a template from styrene sheet:

 

 

Here it is after scribing:

 

 

After a light sand and the application of some liquid cement, I decided it was time for primer, as it was getting really hard to tell what was what anymore:

 

 

It's still pretty rough, but it'll pass muster under some paint.

 

Here's the whole fuselage, primed and ready:

 

 

The primer coat has revealed a few areas that still need work, so I'll attend to those before attempting to attach the wings. That task will be quite a challenge actually, as a test fit revealed a major step on each wing root between fuselage and wing, which will be quite difficult to fix. I'll provide photographic evidence in the next update!

 

Oh, I also managed to get primer all over the gunsight...

 

Kev

[perry]

Its all coming together nicely now Kev, keep it going!

[henry brown]

Hello Kev

 

Really like the recycled Zero , what an inspiring project - looking good.

 

I wish I'd kept the billions of pounds worth of kits my brother and I went through as kids.

 

I found this link - hope it is of interest

http://www.midwaysailor.com/photos/zero.html

 

Best Henry

[bcauchi]

Great work Kev, keep it up!

[LSP_Kevin]

Thanks for the kind words guys. I've built up quite a head of steam on this one now, but my George in the Rising Sun GB is suffering because of it! Anyway, on with the photos.

 

Firstly, after fairing in the gun cowl, I rescribed its panel lines:

 

 

Early on in the build, I had decided to remove the rear control surfaces so I could displace them. In hindsight this wasn't a great move, and I now regret it. However, I need to make it work. Before joining the fuselage halves together, I thinned the inside of the rear of the vertical tail:

 

 

While the rudder fits in there OK, there isn't much to glue it too, especially if I offset it (and if I don't, the entire exercise of removing the rudder becomes instantly pointless!). So, I thought I might experiment with forming a curved channel inside the tail, for the rudder to sit it:

 

 

Not sure if this will work, but the idea is to cut the tube flush with the rear of the tail to form a U-shaped channel, and hope the rudder fits in. I'm unsure what to do about the top portion, but I'm hoping it just won't be seen, and therefore won't matter. We shall see!

 

I forgot to take photos of the really poor wing fit, but I did manage to get a shot of how I plan to fix it:

 

 

As you can see, I raised the height of the upper wing by inserting a spreader made from a length of sprue. This of course caused the front wing join to spring apart on one side, but that was easily dealt with.

 

In fact, since taking this shot I've actually fitted and glued the wing, and while the fit did improve in that I no longer have a 1mm+ step down between fuselage and wing, I still have some serious gaps to fill. The worst part is actually the trailing edges, as they dip down too far now, so I have to raise them and fix them in place somehow - with virtually nothing to glue them to! For the moment, I'm leaving it all to set hard, and then I'll come back and attempt to sort it out.

 

More soon.

 

Kev

[LSP_Kevin]

After months of nothing, this build is fairly rocketing along now. First, an overall shot with the wings attached:

 

 

Here's a close up of the worst of the gaps:

 

 

You'll notice the very wonky hole in the wing leading edge for the cannon too. Fix pending.

 

I decided I didn't like the kit's cowl flaps, and that I'd have a go at scratch building some new ones. I removed the kit flaps from the cowl mounting ring and replaced them with a thinner backing made from sheet styrene:

 

 

My next task is to copy the kit's flaps in thin styrene sheet and see if I can get them to look any good.

 

I've been really amazed at how small the Zero is compared to the George I've been working on, so I thought I'd post this little comparison shot for interest's sake:

 

 

No wonder they call the George the Japanese Thunderbolt!

 

Kev

[ruzlkampf]

Looking too cool Kevin.....too cool! Nice comparison shot with the George. Dang dude, you're a scratch-building loco-man lately!! Really liking the 'Kevin style' of making the parts fly together. Neat! I love this kinda stuff.

[wingman777]

Very impressive Kevin, this thing is really coming together. I"ll bet its going to look good sitting beside the George.

[LSP_Ron]

Looking great!

[Barry]

You've got it going now!

 

Barry

[LSP_Kevin]

Thanks fellas, I appreciate the encouragement!

 

Looking too cool Kevin.....too cool! Nice comparison shot with the George. Dang dude, you're a scratch-building loco-man lately!! Really liking the 'Kevin style' of making the parts fly together. Neat! I love this kinda stuff.

 

Well, you know me Russ - I love to have a bash. I certainly feel like I'm improving in this area, though I still seem unable to bring myself to do things more than once, even if I screwed it up the first time!

 

Kev