What is the difference A6M2 and A6M5?

[Brock]

Can any one tell me the difference in the A6M5 body and the body of a A6M2n for making float plane from a A6M5 1/35 scale Nichimo brand model kit is this historically correct did this ever happen? Can I get away with adding floats?

[Dave Williams]

I don’t believe any of the Rufes ever used any Zero versions other than the A6M2 Model 11.  I don’t think the Japanese ever felt there was any value in using later A6M versions for conversions.  As far as fuselage differences between the Model 11 and Model 52, the big visible differences are in the engine cowling and exhaust arrangement.  For just adding floats, the Rufe had a modified tail section that was specific to that version.

[Juggernut]

Well, you can't get there from here...   The A6M2N is a lot closer to the A6M2 than to an A6M5.  Offhand the differences between the A6M2N and the A6M5 are:

1. totally different wing.

2. completely different cowl

3. completely different vertical stabilizer and rudder

4. Completely different engine

5. Lots of cockpit differences

6. No ventral strake on the A6M5

7. A6M2N does not have folding wingtips that the  regular A6M2 Model 21 has.

8, Due to the upgraded engine, the A6M5 fuselage is a bit longer.

 

If you want an A6M2N in 1/32 scale, your best bet is to sell off/trade that Nichimo A6M5 and pick up a Tamiya 1/32 A6M2 kit along with an MDC A6M2N conversion (if you can find one).  My choice is to model one of the already available kits in 1/48 (Tamiya, Hasegawa, or Eduard with Eduard being the better option of the three).

Edited January 8 by Juggernut

[Out2gtcha]

Juggernut is correct there are a slew of differences, although others like he are much better MSEs than I. I did however build a A6M2N with the aforementioned MDC conversion, based on the also aforementioned Tamiya A6M2 kit.

 

If you can indeed find one, I feel its the best and apparently easiest path to a fairly in line Rufe;

 

 

 

The conversion was fairly straight forward, and with the exception the highly flimsy resin landing cart, was high quality and worked out well.  I ended up using brass stock to reproduce the cart, as the MDC conversion contains a solid resin center float which was extremely heavy.

 

 

 

 

[Bob MDC]

No problem with the MDC conversion,  still available in fact we have sold one this year already 

 

https://www.modeldesignconstruction.co.uk/details-conversions/36-a6m2-n-rufe-zero-float-plane-conversion.html

 

 

Bob

[John1]

3 hours ago, Out2gtcha said:

Juggernut is correct there are a slew of differences, although others like he are much better MSEs than I. I did however build a A6M2N with the aforementioned MDC conversion, based on the also aforementioned Tamiya A6M2 kit.

 

If you can indeed find one, I feel its the best and apparently easiest path to a fairly in line Rufe;

 

 

 

The conversion was fairly straight forward, and with the exception the highly flimsy resin landing cart, was high quality and worked out well.  I ended up using brass stock to reproduce the cart, as the MDC conversion contains a solid resin center float which was extremely heavy.

 

 

 

 

What a beautiful model! 

[Out2gtcha]

8 minutes ago, Bob MDC said:

No problem with the MDC conversion,  still available in fact we have sold one this year already 

 

https://www.modeldesignconstruction.co.uk/details-conversions/36-a6m2-n-rufe-zero-float-plane-conversion.html

 

 

Bob

 

 

Good to know!

 

It was a fun build, and thanks to you guys, I built a model I had on my bucket list for a long time!