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Tamiya 1/32 Nakajima A6M2 finished 6-13-17


MustangManiac

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OK well maybe you guys who know more than I seem to about Zeros can just help me determine the manufacturer of each Zero I want to build. I think they're all Mitsubishi except a Rufe which I understand they all were made by Nakajima. These are the ones I intend to eventually build:

A6M2 - Koga's Zero in Blue Navy markings
A6M2 - Chinese Zero after being handed over to the U.S. forces
A6M2 -  Shimakawa Masaaki's personal mount

A6M2-N Rufe - unknown markings yet

A6M5. TAIC 7 in the paint scheme of the Air Fair at Wright Field

A6M5 TAIC 8

 

Those are what I want to build eventually.

 

Cheers,

Brady

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Bummer! It looks like I didn't do enough research here from the beginning. I've already painted this one wrong as far as internal colors. It sounds like the only build on my "To Do" list this Nakajima color scheme works for is a Rufe or I just strip it and start over.

 

Ade Rowlands thank you for the paint references. I ordered some for both manufacturers.

 

When the wheel wells were painted by Mitsubishi did they paint the tail wheel well the exterior color too? Was anything painted Aotake by Mitsubishi other than the interior of the cowling and the rings around the engine itself? Flaps?

 

Thanks,

Brady

Tail wheel well is Aotake regardless of manufacturer. Flap interiors I can't help you with. Sorry. But as far as I can tell besides the cockpit all interior surfaces were Aotake, whether the flap inners qualify as interior or exterior I don't know. On later Green over Grey Zeros the demarcation between the colours is a clue towards manufacturers. A straight line is Mitsubishi, a sweeping line up towards the tail planes is Nakajima. Search google for the j-aircraft forums. That's where I got a lot of my info from. Also from folks here. Also bought a couple of e-books by NIck Millman who knows his stuff. Edited by ade rowlands
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Based on what's written @  j-aircraft.com, the serial number of Koga's zero (4593) is a Mitsubishi built airframe and would thus have Mitsubishi factory characteristics.  Those being, cowl blue-black, turtle deck behind the cockpit blue-black, Mitsubishi rendition of cockpit green, main wheel wells (and doors) underside color (not aotake), Mitsubishi olive-grey overall (fabric control surfaces different shade of grey than the airframe).  Aotake flaps and flap wells.  Tail wheel well would not be seen due to the canvas boot covering that portion of the well above the solid rubber tire.  The boot is not provided in the Tamiya (nor any other mfg.) kit; you'll have to make it yourself. What the US Navy did to the airframe after their rebuild I can't say but it's safe to say that there were changes done to make the airframe airworthy.  

 

Chinese Captured A6M - I have no information on that airframe.

 

Shimakawa Masaaki's A6M2 - Nothing available in 1/32 that I am aware of as of this date.  I have no information about this airframe.

 

A6M2-N, All A6M2N were built by Nakajima and would thus have Nakajima attributes such as semi-gloss black cowl and turtle deck.  Aotake wheel wells, Nakajima rendition of cockpit green, Nakajima overall olive-grey with differing grey fabric control surfaces.  There are several more differences (external and internal) between the two manufacturers of the A6M and I'll refer you to the research section of j-aircraft.com for more specific and in depth information.  Flap interior's on all A6M2N were sliver paint, no aotake in there.

 

Both A6M5 airframes you mention are not familar to me so I can provide no specific information.  If you could post a photo or two of said airframes I may be able to tell you more about them.  Again, j-aircraft.com is your best reference for this type of information.  The vast majority of what I've said here was learned there and with Nick Millman's early zero color guide (which I highly recommend as an invaluable tool if you're going to delve into the A6M at any depth).  Nicks' guide is inexpensive beyond well its worth and to say it's an invaluable tool is an understatement. 

 

NOTE:  I tried to link his aviation of Japan site and it turns out you can only view it if invited. This is something that's happened since the last time I was there (admittedly a long time ago) or something in the settings on my firefox browser is amiss.  If you're interested in obtaining a copy of Nick's work, I can only suggest you send him a request and go from there.  When I purchased his work, the price was around $14 give or take a few dollars. This gives you lifetime updates to his work (if necessary.  I've not had one yet and I've owned it for several years). 

Edited by Juggernut
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Hi Juggernaut,

 

I plan to do these A6M5s also:

 

TAIC 7 as she appeared at the Air Fair at Wright Field:

 

378255_520742461321629_1444384739_n_zpsp

 

8662777969_4675823c5d_o_zps51nxptau.jpg

 

9260751768_59cd781f37_o_zpssgrbkj5c.jpg

 

These are just two previous paint schemes of TAIC 7

 

a6m5_photo_0__source_national_arhives__z

 

img_1802524_62078207_7_zpsjkmiwhoh.jpg

 

 

They say she had the nose art of "Tokyo Rose" and a rose painted on the cowling at one point.

 

Cheers,

Brady

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This is TAIC 8

 

07308_zpsve0myief.jpg

 

01063%201_zps1wwpnwim.jpg

 

This is TAIC 5 another A6M5 I forgot to mention earlier.

 

img20_zps2pxbtnfl.jpg

 

img21_zps2celsmer.jpg

 

img22_zpsjwsh3upl.jpg

 

These are the three captured A6M5s I plan to build. I plan to have custom paint masks made for them for their individual markings. I also plan to do this for Shimakawa Masaaki's A6M2, I would however love to see a photo of his actual Zero with his individualized insignia and not just one of him by himself.

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Thanks for the pix and the information.  I had seen the natural metal A6M5 before but not the other one.  From the sweeping demarcation line on the fuselage camouflage of TAIC 5, that aircraft was built by Nakajima and would have Nakajima attributes.  

 

EDIT:  By examining the photos of TAIC 7 at Wright Field, the paint job (unless you've already noticed) is a fantasy.  The fuselage Hinomaru is nowhere near where it should be and the tail marking resembles one from an Army unit if memory serves.   Someone at j-aircraft.com will undoubtedly know about these airframes.  Jim Lansdale probably is your best shot at information about them.  

Edited by Juggernut
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  • 1 month later...

Hello everyone,

 

Did you guys think I fell off the face of the earth?....lol.

 

Anyway, I've been trying to do some research over at J-aircraft.com to find a Nakajima built Zero I liked the looks of. There are a few I'm considering still but my list is getting shorter.

 

First off, here's what my build looks like as of now:

 

IMG_20150817_185447_050_zpsneau2znt.jpg

 

Here's a few schemes I'm considering still:

 

Houkoku Number 439, Houkoku Number 1053, or what I believe belonged to the squadron leader of the 381st. I have been told by Jim Landsdale over at J-aircraft that 439 wasn't actually a Nakajima bird though so I'm leaning more towards one of the other two. Here's what I'm considering:

 

HK no. 1053:

RD_32-003_instruction_zpsstxdc9hy.jpg

 

HK no. 439:

YHD32015-3-big_zpstqnxo4e1.jpg

 

Or this from the 381st:

images_zpsbfuctuvs.jpg

More....

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More shots of the bird from the 381st created for a flight simulator game:

 

8c4a62f3bd1feb4461b5d0cdba46face4585df14

 

SKqinZz_zpswdwkaqms.jpg

 

ZnpovjQ_zps1hlovmyn.jpg

 

A set of masks I thought I could get in 1/32 from Montex but I guess they just post the wrong picture with the masking set and this is only available in 1/24.

 

_57_zpsamikaj7j.jpg

 

That's where we are for now since all the captured Zeros were Mitsubishi built Zeros.

 

Cheers,

Brady

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello everyone,

 

Well I'm having a bit of a problem getting the decals. I did find the Rising Decals set I posted a picture of above and bought and paid for a set on the 11th of August but I've still not seen them. Does anyone know anything about the website www.1001models.com? This is where I found the set and it's still there to purchase again, but I get no answer to emails and their phone goes to an automated system I'm a foreign language. I just wondered if this is a place we don't want to order from EVER.

 

Thanks,

Brady

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MARU5137,

That link takes me to a long list of decals, like over 8,000 options. If you're referring to the "contact us" button at the bottom I've used that multiple times and gotten no response from them yet, but they sure kept my money. I may find myself just asking Randy to make me another paint masking set if I ever decide which scheme I want to make.

 

Cheers,

Brady

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello everyone,

 

I got some bench time in today and did some work on my engine even though it's not necessarily the next thing in line in the instructions. Here's the first bank of cylinders before any Vallejo wash:IMG_20150912_221543_696_zpspdzhmatr.jpg

 

And after:

IMG_20150912_221535_469_zpsux2dkw1r.jpg

 

Dry fitted assembly without prop shaft:

IMG_20150912_225434_801_zpsdcgxlnln.jpg

 

Angular shot:

 

IMG_20150912_225608_065_zpshkmnrcnb.jpg

Do you guys think the color I used on the crankcase is acceptable for the Sakae engine? I didn't use the Vallejo wash on the front of the crankcase because you can see how much it darkened it between the cylinders in the angular shot. That's all for now.

 

Cheers,

Brady

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