Tamiya 1/48 A6M5 Zero dead

[mz3]

Thank you. It's been a challenge at times, obviously, but I think it will turn out ok. Not what I was expecting a year ago when I started back in.

Mar 4, 2024 19:42:34 GMT -5 cbaltrin said:

May 1, 2023 17:31:15 GMT -5 mz3 said:

Honestly I don't think it will be too bad.

Here's a test fit shot...

Your cockpit looks spectacular. What color did you use for the cockpit green?

It is Mr color 127 cockpit color for nakajima aircraft.

[mz3]

Shiny...




It's the same aluminum paint I used with all the problems. I think I got a handle on it. If you look real close, you can see the rivets I rolled on when I was pissed about the decal rivets not working at all. I wasn't caring if they were straight or inline or nothing. We'll see how they look after paint and chipping. I might have to redo this part. Don't build models when your mad.

[dodgy]

This build is amazing. Truly inspiring. Top work my friend.

[jmarc]

NNNNNNNNNeat !

[mz3]

Small update today...

I've just been going through and getting the small things done.




Got some of the exhaust on. Simple paint, just testors rust enamel and drybrushed with testors flat black.

Added the head pad into the cockpit. Just tamiya flat brown. I will probably drybrush it with a lighter color sooner or later.

Installed the vertical stabilizer.

Few more chips here and there.

Started on the landing gear...






Unfortunately, Eduard's intructions kind of tell you to cut off the plastic parts that you are supposed to attach the pe parts to. So...




I started to try rebuilding them. I cut away the extra styrene. I'll post more pics of that later.

And finally...





I decided to use brass gun barrels and pitot. I have broken sooooooooooooo many of those damn things off over the years. This is just a no brainer for me.

[mz3]

The cowling turned into a mess of all kinds. So I stripped the paint, sanded all the rivets off, rolled some generic rivets in and described some of the panels. I must have touched it with some grease on my fingers, some of the aluminum paint fell off during the chipping. And the rivets I rolled in a few days ago looked like crap.

[buddho]

Mar 17, 2024 21:51:00 GMT -5 mz3 said:

Small update today...

I've just been going through and getting the small things done.




Got some of the exhaust on. Simple paint, just testors rust enamel and drybrushed with testors flat black.

Added the head pad into the cockpit. Just tamiya flat brown. I will probably drybrush it with a lighter color sooner or later.

Installed the vertical stabilizer.

Few more chips here and there.

Started on the landing gear...






Unfortunately, Eduard's intructions kind of tell you to cut off the plastic parts that you are supposed to attach the pe parts to. So...




I started to try rebuilding them. I cut away the extra styrene. I'll post more pics of that later.

And finally...





I decided to use brass gun barrels and pitot. I have broken sooooooooooooo many of those damn things off over the years. This is just a no brainer for me.

Boy oh boy is this one beautiful finish! All the extra details really take this build to another level. Gorgeous work.

[dodgy]

Mar 17, 2024 21:55:03 GMT -5 mz3 said:

The cowling turned into a mess of all kinds. So I stripped the paint, sanded all the rivets off, rolled some generic rivets in and described some of the panels. I must have touched it with some grease on my fingers, some of the aluminum paint fell off during the chipping. And the rivets I rolled in a few days ago looked like crap.

Bugger!! When they challenge us as builders, they really pull out all the stops.........  keep going mate, nearly there.

[mz3]

They really do. I haven't posted an update because I think I need to adjust the rework I did.

[TJ]

Those last few pics look really good

[mz3]

Captured...






Just made a bad template with tape. Wasn't worried about chips. I'll sand on it later to wear it down a bit. It is a little bit large, but I don't care, I like the way it looks.

Then landing gears...




I had this big idea to add a bit of styrene and cut it down and shape it and blah blah blah. I ended up just glueing the pe parts straight onto the plastic. I actually got all the cutting and shaping done, but they held the panels off of the struts too far and looked funny.

Still have to run a wire through it.

Hopefully these pics load. There's an error on the other pics above.

[kyledehart5]

Looking awesome!!

[mz3]

.Udpate..








Cowling was painted a blend of tamiya sea blue and flat black, 8:4. Then I started chipping it about half an hour after I sprayed it. Seemed to help with the chipping a bit. I'll do alittle more later. The propeller is straight tamiya red-brown. Chipped the same way.

[kyledehart5]

And a brilliant update it is too. Lovely work.

[handiabled]

This is coming together fantastic! I know you've been at your wits end a few times with this but the end is in site!

[lyle]

That is certainly looking the part...The chipping on these always looks overdone to me. But, when they are all finished out it is spot on. I think that nothing would be that scratched/chipped up...then you see pictures. Nice work.

[tcoat]

Apr 2, 2024 9:15:22 GMT -5 lyle said:

That is certainly looking the part...The chipping on these always looks overdone to me. But, when they are all finished out it is spot on. I think that nothing would be that scratched/chipped up...then you see pictures. Nice work.

The wear on Japanese (and a lesser extent American ones in the Pacific theater) is completely reliant on where and when the aircraft was based.

Carrier aircraft would never have that sort of wear no matter when you placed them since they were not subjected to the same conditions.

Early land (espicial mainland Japan) based would have some chipping but not usually down to bare metal since they had better paint and would fly from well constructed runways.

Later war could look like they had been beat to death! By the late war the Japanese had lost most of their captured resources and planes were sent out with no primer and poor quality camo paint. This of course meant the paint could peel off and chip right to bare metal very easily. They were very often flying from makeshift airfields with runways made of crushed coral where the prop wash would blow the very abrasive particles back and literally sandblast the paint off of even the early aircraft.


So weathering these is truly a case of timing is everything. 

[406 Silverado]

I can never get enough of what's going on in this build mz3. Great chipping effects and paintwork along with all of the detailing that you've put into this one are really adding up into a rather stellar build brother. Keep 'er comin'.

tcoat: That's some really good information and adds some insight into the worn paint jobs on these birds. 

[dodgy]

Wow mz, you are doing wonderful work here mate. This Zero is outstanding.

[deafpanzer]

Dig the chipping job!

[mz3]

Update...






Work has been slow on this kit. I'm getting to the point where I have to put on all the small fiddlely bits on. All the stuff that easily breaks off. But, I want to finish the paint before I start on those. So I gave it a basic pin wash with testors flat rubber enamel, which is basically raw umber. Then I wanted to do something a little different. Since this is a captured Zero and probably has been sitting around for a bit, I wanted the paint to look really bad. So I decided to use the oil dot technique, only using different shades of green. I think it turned out really nice. I think I'm done with painting on the top. Just a small amount of weathering left and I can move to the belly.

I'll try to get better pics later tonight. These too much light coming into my apartment right now.

[mz3]

More pics... maybe

[handiabled]

I really like the modulated coloring achieved on this!

[TJ]

Apr 21, 2024 3:38:11 GMT -5 handiabled said:

I really like the modulated coloring achieved on this!

What he said. The paint looks appropriately weather beaten

[Steve Zuleski]

I'm late to this build, but wow, this is looking really good. Great chipping and realism, awesome!

[mz3]

Update...







Landing gear installed. I'm not too happy with it. The pe is bent in some areas and some of it keeps falling off. I just want it done.




Propeller is on. I need to do a little work on it.

And finally...




I started building the cowl flaps. I test fit a few of them and I'm going to have fit issues around the exhaust, big shock.

[handiabled]

Cowl flaps have always been a pain for me to get placed correctly. I have no doubt you will win the battle and get this across the finish line. In truth this bird really looks fantastic!

[kyledehart5]

I get what you're saying about wanting it done. But it really does look awesome.

[406 Silverado]

I hear what you're saying on just wanting this done mz as I've felt this way about past builds of mine that had been ongoing for a lot longer than I had anticipated. Hang in there with this and try to resist the urge to rush to the finish line. You're doing great man.

[dodgy]

Hey MZ, I've been absent for a while and just caught up with your build. Simply awesome mate! You have done a super job with this kit, but I agree with Joe, don't rush it. That is the way to disaster it is........ I was doing great with my Zero until I dropped the pit assembly and broke it into pieces because I was trying to hurry it along. Couldn't even look at it for a few months, now it's back on the bench, but I've a lot of remedial work to do before moving forward.