A6M2b Zero - shades of grey

[CANicoll]

Hey Sean, amazing work and attention to detail, very cool!  Love the work but also agree with Tim that the hand-painted effect is really cool too.  That three part mask really did the trick and looks amazing - keep it up!

 

I have had the same problem with Vallejo Model Air paints too - they just are not very accurate when it comes to replicating the color they are supposed to.  Frustrating.

Chris

Edited March 28, 2020 by CANicoll

[A6M]

That Zero is looking really great. I wish my modeling skills were half as good.

 

I’ve considered using the HGW decals but I have a good stash of the Hobbydecal dry transfer decals for the Zero so I think I’m set for a while.

 

I took another look at the instruction sheet on the HGW website and saw several problems. For the most part the instructions differentiate between Mitsubishi and Nakajima specific markings, but several times a ”?” is next to a decal. Let’s see if those questions can be clarified.

 

Decals 3 or 4 - use Decal 3 (black) if the Zero is painted olive gray.

Decal 5 - Mitsubishi A6M2 with external aileron balance weights

Decals 6 or 7 - I can’t see the individual kanji on the decal but see below.

Decal 14 - Mitsubishi

Decal 15 - Nakajima

The instructions should include the 14/15 option on the rudder as well.

Decals 16 or 17 – Use the red decals as shown below. The black decals are wrong.

Decal 18 (long arrow) – Mitsubishi

Decal 19 (short arrow) – Nakajima

Decal 19 goes in the same location as Decal 18. It is not an option for Decal 20.

Decal 20 - do not use (see below in Decal Research)

Decal 30 – Mitsubishi and Nakajima used different sized arrows. I am not sure which decal is supplied by HGW (or Tamiya)

Decals 31 and 33 - Nakajima

Decal 32 - Mitsubishi

 

Last of all neither HGW or Tamiya provide the yellow jack point marker found just top the rear of the tail hook. This marking measures 110 x110 mm in size. Again see below.

 

Decal Research

 

Way back in 2004 Kim Keumho, the owner of Hobbydecal.com, contacted me and asked if I would provide the research for a decal sheet for the recently released A6M5 Tamiya. Accordingly, I sent him the drawings of what I had already done for the 1:1 scale Blayd Zero. Keumho added an additional marking decal at the last minute – a small square and arrow pointing to a lifting point on the front wing spar on the underside of the wing. However, this marking was based on a photo of the restoration of the A6M5 found on Guam in the early 60’s. No problem, when the instruction sheet was printed up it simply did not mention this particular marking.

 

Shortly after the decals went on the market I received an e-mail from Keumho. He had found out that Tamiya was about to release a 1/32^nd scale kit of the A6M2. He had been told about this at a model show in Seoul from some reps from the Tamiya booth. And they had also bought several sets of the Zero decal sheet.

 

In 2006 the Tamiya kit was released and included Decal 135; a small square and arrow that was supposed to be applied to the front wing spar on the underside of the wing. Interesting…

 

So now if I see a new Zero decal sheet out on the market the first thing I do is look to see if any decals are indicated to be placed on the front spar on the underside of the wing. As they say - imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. LOL

 

Ryan

 

 

 

 

[Madmax]

Thanks Tom, Mike and crobinsonh! 

 

15 hours ago, BiggTim said:

I have to admit that I sort of like the way the stenciled one looks over the sharp perfection of the decals. As talented as you are, it seems like you could touch up the sprayed symbols with a small brush and have a much more authentic look than the decals. More like the original hand painted feel. Just my opinion, though. This is amazing work!!

 

Tim

 

Tim, in Rugby (and I'm sure in American Football) this is called a hospital pass!  As you were typing I imagine you were chuckling to yourself thinking "I bet he'll try it"... 

Well, I'm now thinking about it  Thing is, the carrier film on the decals I made is more like a transparent pancake than a film, and I will have to wait for the Covid-curfew to lift to get hold of properly made decals. Hmm, what to do, what to do?

 

14 hours ago, CANicoll said:

Hey Sean, amazing work and attention to detail, very cool!  Love the work but also agree with Tim that the hand-painted effect is really cool too.  That three part mask really did the trick and looks amazing - keep it up!

Chris

 

You too Chris!

 

8 hours ago, A6M said:

 

In 2006 the Tamiya kit was released and included Decal 135; a small square and arrow that was supposed to be applied to the front wing spar on the underside of the wing. Interesting…

 

Thanks as always for your fantastic inputs Ryan. 

 

Your "Tweak List" has been a constant companion to the Tamiya instructions, and I came to the same conclusions regarding the HGW transfers by cross referring to the Tamiya decals. Luckily you clearly pointed out that decal 135 (Tamiya) is totally spurious, and in the next sentence you mention the yellow square jacking point. I didn't know the dimensions then, so this is what I surmised.

 

 

I'm surprised at how big it actually was.

 

I was curious to see if the engine actually fitted into the mounting points, since I somehow forgot to check before starting the painting process. A risky approach! Having added a whole lot of things to the back of the engine, I suspected some trouble. It didn't fit at first, but fortunately a bit of trimming here and there was all that was required. Not as bad as in Tom Cleaver's  review where he resorted to removing the accessories and engine mounts in order to get the cowlings on. I hope I don't still have to!

 

 

 

Back to the Hōkoku drawing board 

 

Sean

[kkarlsen]

Gorgeous build Sean!!!

 

Kent

[dodgem37]

Wonderful research and execution.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

[CANicoll]

Hey Sean,

 

That radial engine looks the bomb!  Have the old Eduard FW 190 A-8 Master Class kit (two of them actually) and just.could.not figure out that radial engine and ended up just putting it away.  The second kit is there waiting for me to get it sorted.

 

Question, not being familiar with the Zero kit - when you masked the cockpit (such a clean job by the way) is the seat in there or you add that after painting everything?  With all the levers and handles and such that I've already installed in my Mustang cockpit, I can't mask the same way as much as I would love to.  I tend to just use a spare canopy with white glue to tack it into place and use that as the mask.

 

Keep it coming - looks fantastic!

 

Chris

[misha71]

fantastic build. one of the best.

stressed skin is very convincing.

i was thinking to do same with corsair but was scary.

now i will consider

 

 

[Madmax]

Hi Kent and Mark, really appreciate the comments!

 

 

22 hours ago, CANicoll said:

Question, not being familiar with the Zero kit - when you masked the cockpit (such a clean job by the way) is the seat in there or you add that after painting everything?  With all the levers and handles and such that I've already installed in my Mustang cockpit, I can't mask the same way as much as I would love to.  I tend to just use a spare canopy with white glue to tack it into place and use that as the mask.

 

Chris, I also often have a terrible time masking cockpits, largely because one wants the windscreen in place, but the canopy off. The Zero is a rare treat in that the cockpit is actually rather large, and the seat position is so far back that it doesn't stand proud of the sill. Just used a flat piece of styrene to cover the cockpit, and some masking film scraps to seal off the windscreen and rear canopy. That being said, I have made a mistake and dread the reveal (as many do) when the masks come off. I forgot to seal the antenna opening and the opening immediately behind it when I gloss coated the model!  Having a spare canopy to glue in place is an ideal situation btw.

 

20 hours ago, misha71 said:

i was thinking to do same with corsair but was scary.

now i will consider

 

Hi Misha, thanks for commenting on the stressed skin. It was fun and relatively easy to do. The Tamiya plastic is ideal for it, and most of it was just done with folded sandpaper run along the rivet lines. The biggest job is opening the rivet holes afterwards. You will certainly do a great job on the Corsair!

 

Now, Im afraid that after much contemplation and study of the masks, I feel that a professionally made decal is the best way forward. I just don't think that I can paint lines straight enough at this size to actually improve the characters! I am really committed to having the Hōkoku, so the Zero is going onto the quarantine shelf until our post office reopens. 

 

 

Maybe I can entertain you with a Starfighter until then?

 

Sean 

[Uncarina]

Sean,

 

This has been one of my favorite builds to follow, because of its subject, historical content, and quest for authenticity combined with some top modeling skills. Good things come to those who wait, and whenever you revisit this build I hope to be there. Meanwhile I’ve just revisited your MiG-29 build and it’s inspiring me to start mine up soon!

 

Cheers,  Tom

[anj4de]

Good Morning all

 

A quick and hopfully easy to answer question. slightly off topic, sorry...

 

A6M5...a friend of mine and myself we are doing a little group build using the nwe Tamiya 1/48 A6M5...very nice kit! Now, the fuselage area behind the pilot seat...is that meant to also be Aotake or plain aluminium. The instructions on Tamiya's 48 and 32 scale kit says alu...but I want to be sure. Unfortunately I could not find any reference pictures that show that area.

 

thanks

Uwe

[A6M]

Hello Uwe,

 

The answer is, it depends.

 

I did a quick look through my M5 files and here is what I found:

 

Mitsubishi A6M5 c/n 4043, built Sept 43 – overall coating of green aotake

Mitsubishi A6M5 c/n 4340, built Dec 43 – Mostly NMF aluminum but ribs and some sub-assemblies with aotake.

 

Nakajima A6M5 c/n 196 – NMF aluminum

Nakajima A6M5 c/n 1303 – NMF aluminum

Nakajima A6M7 c/n 23186 – NMF aluminum

 

So if you are doing an early Mitsubishi built M5 (the kit markings of 9-151 would be one such Zero) use overall aotake. A Zero built in 1944, either Mitsubishi or Nakajima, would be in unpainted aluminum.

 

Below is a picture from a mgazine article on the restoration of the NASM A6M5 c/n 4340 (Airpower, March 1977). Up until late 1943 aotake would be repeatedly sprayed on a sub-assembly as it moved through the assembly line. Thus some components would be heavily coated with aotake while others just received a light overspray. As it appears that in late 1943 aotake was no longer being used in during the assembly of at least the rear fuselage some components (such as the ribs in this case) must have been completed a little earlier and so they still got the coat of aotake.

 

Ryan

 

[anj4de]

Hello Ryan

 

Thanks a lot for this...mine will be a "movie" bird and hence I take the liberty to call it 1944 made.. ;-) I do not want to deviate too much from this threat subject though. I have 4x 1/32 Zero waiting...just recently received the Doyusha one...which is old and tells it, but the new Cartograf decal shett looks very nice. Plan on doing an in-flight with this one...

 

cheers

Uwe

[Madmax]

We're baaaack! 

 

Received this today, and now I can finally complete my neglected A6M2. Zane, from MAV Decals here in South Africa has done a great job of the decals, and I can't wait to get them on the model.

 

 

There was some unfinished business I had to attend to first however. Whilst the model lingered in its box, I contemplated the yellow leading edge strips, and how I got them wrong. The evidence that Ryan documented clearly shows the size of the strip at the wing root, but I mistakenly just paralleled the line with the leading edge, ending up with a fairly broad "IFF" band. In retrospect it would seem to taper much as the underside does, and so a repair was required. I won't bore you with the how-to, but at least you can see how much had to be trimmed.

 

 

This now gets the attention of some micromesh and clear varnished. There was also a repair to the side of the fuselage where I had rubbed trough the paint while polishing. Ready for decals...

 

 

I hope you haven't given up on this project Ryan, because I need some more help here. We know that the Nakajima and Mitsubishi hōkoku's differed quite noticeably in style, and I was wondering where the serial number stencil would go on a Nakajima aircraft? It clearly moved on the Mitsubishi aircraft, but I'd rather see if you know before going with what the decal manufacturers believe.

 

 

 

Looking forward to continuing this!

 

Sean

[BiggTim]

Those decals are sweet!! Other people are gonna want copies of those, you know!!

[A6M]

Hello Sean,

 

Good to see you back again. As far as I can tell Nakajima did NOT reposition the fuselage stencil. Below is a pic taken of Nakajima built manufacturer number 3471, HKK 1033. The fuselage stencil can faintly be seen in the left hand image and when compared to the close-up on the right its position is quite clear.

HKK 1045 is seen in the photo below. The very left edge of the stencil is visible and I have added in the rest of the stencil. On page 10 of this thread Ed DeKiep wrote that he believed HKK 1045 to be Nakajima m/n 5459. This would place the date of manufacture in early December 1942. In November of 1942, the Japanese Navy revised the nomenclature for the Zero. The Type Zero Mark 1 Carrier-Based Fighter Model 2 was henceforth to be known as the Type Zero Carrier-Based Fighter Model 21 (Rei Shiki Kanjo Sentoki Ni Ichi Gata). Nakajima revised its stencil accordingly. Therefore use Tamiya Decal 125. Decal 126 is for the earlier named A6M2.

In October of 1942 the Navy also ordered that the date of manufacture was no longer to be applied on Navy aircraft. To comply with this order Nakajima left the third line of the stencil blank. The two “dashes” ( -  - ) printed on the third line of the stencil should also be deleted.

 

Lastly, the m/n of 5459 should be added in line two of the stencil. The same m/n should really be added to each of the stencils next the sub-assembly plates on the undersides of the ailerons, the horizontal stabs, and the elevators as well as the right side of the rudder – good luck. LOL

 

Ryan