DaveCov's Airfix 1/72 Mitsubishi A6M2b-21 'Zero' (A01005)

[davecov]

Thanks to Andy @The Smythe Meister for suggesting this GB. I will be building the Airfix 1/72 Mitsubishi A6M2b-21 'Zero' (A01005)

Box artwork:

Rear of box shows painting profile and decal placement for a machine of the 201st Kokuta, Tobera Airfield, Keravat, East New Britian, Papua New Guinea, 1944:

Parts are moulded in a grey plastic. Sprue A:

Sprue B:

Sprue C:

Cockpit transparency is crisply moulded and clear. Decals are well printed and in register:

Instructions are printed on two sides of an A3 sheet. Pages 1 and 4:

Pages 2 and 3:

That is all for now.

Dave

 

[papa 695]

It's a nice kit Dave.

 

[The Smythe Meister]

Yes indeed,that does look very nice

 

[Ian M]

Another one joins the fray. More the merrier!

 

[Mickc1440]

Nice one Dave, good luck

 

[davecov]

Glad to have you all along. I have managed to get a bit of work done despite my impending absence from my modelling bench.

All required parts were removed and are now awaiting cleaning up:

Once everything was cleaned up, I got started with the H226 Matt Interior Green. This is the first of two coats:

After drilling two holes for a stand, I glued the wing top and bottom halves together. I found that the inner wheel well covers slipped through their locating holes so I glued small squares of plastic card on the reverse to prevent this from happening:

I then got out some H56 Aluminium and painted the drop tank, propeller, spinner and engine:

That is all for a while. In the words of Captain "Titus" Oates, "I am just going outside and may be some time".

Dave

 

[Tim Marlow]

Yet another Zero…..and yet another great looking start Nice one Dave.

 

[davecov]

Thanks Tim.

I lied at the end of my previous post as I returned to the tent and got another session at the workbench!

The propeller blades have now been painted black on their reverse and fitted to the spinner:

Undercarriage legs and wheels have been painted:

Even though the view inside the cockpit is limited, I extended the interior green forward and back just in case. The decals were applied to the instrument panel and the cockpit tub glued inside the fuselage. Pilot has been painted but getting him seated was problematic. I had to spread his legs quite a bit and if I was to repeat this build I would have fitted him before affixing the instrument panel:

The fuselage halves were joined and the rudder glued in place. The wings, tailplanes, cowling, propeller and engine are all dry-fitted at the moment because the fuselage joins need cleaning up first:

That is definitely it for now and I can leave the tent once more.

Dave

 

[The Smythe Meister]

Thanks Tim.

I lied at the end of my previous post as I returned to the tent and got another session at the workbench!

The propeller blades have now been painted black on their reverse and fitted to the spinner:

Undercarriage legs and wheels have been painted:

Even though the view inside the cockpit is limited, I extended the interior green forward and back just in case. The decals were applied to the instrument panel and the cockpit tub glued inside the fuselage. Pilot has been painted but getting him seated was problematic. I had to spread his legs quite a bit and if I was to repeat this build I would have fitted him before affixing the instrument panel.:

The fuselage halves were joined and the rudder glued in place. The wings, tailplanes, cowling, propeller and engine are all dry-fitted at the moment because the fuselage joins need cleaning up first:

That is definitely it for now and I can leave the tent once more.

Dave

Blimey Dave, that's looking great already!!
.... Rach has just seen this and has decided that I should be banished to a tent in our garden!!? ....
Thanks mate!!

 

[yak face]

Lovely work dave , cheers tony

 

[davecov]

After an extended period away from my modelling bench, I got back to work.

The joins in the fuselage needed filling, here is the underside:

Topside:

Filler has been sanded along the top:

Same underneath:

I glued the tailplanes on and gave everything a coat of primer/microfiller:

That's all for now.

Dave

 

[papa 695]

Looking good Dave.

 

[Mickc1440]

Nice progress Dave, just consigned mine to the finished pile.

 

[davecov]

Time for painting.

I decided that I would paint this with a hairy stick as I find it more satisfying than using my airbrush. First off, I gave the underside a coat of H90 Matt Beige Green:

Turning to the topside, a first coat of H75 Matt Bronze Green:

That was followed by a second:

I still need to apply two more coats of green to the fuselage and I have started on the cockpit canopy which won't be glued in place until painting is finished. Masking tape was put on the inside of the canopy to make seeing the framing a bit easier. The framing has been painted freehand and will need at least one more coat:

That's all for now.

Dave

 

[Valeron]

Time for painting.

I decided that I would paint this with a hairy stick as I find it more satisfying than using my airbrush. First off, I gave the underside a coat of H90 Matt Beige Green:

Turning to the topside, a first coat of H75 Matt Bronze Green:

That was followed by a second:

I still need to apply two more coats of green to the fuselage and I have started on the cockpit canopy which won't be glued in place until painting is finished. Masking tape was put on the inside of the canopy to make seeing the framing a bit easier. The framing has been painted freehand and will need at least one more coat:

That's all for now.

Dave

I brush paint my aircraft and have never thought of masking inside the canopy to aid visibility when painting it. I'm trying that next time.

 

[Tim Marlow]

I brush paint my aircraft and have never thought of masking inside the canopy to aid visibility when painting it. I'm trying that next time.

That’s a new one on me as well….now filed in the brain for future use

 

[stillp]

+1!
Pete

 

[davecov]

Latest update.

Painting of the canopy framing continued:

I assembled the undercarriage and applied decals. The cowling has been given a first coat of Black/Blue:

The third coat of green has just been applied and which was followed by a fourth:

The engine was glued to the bulkhead and the whole plane was given a coat of Klear in readiness for decalling. The canopy has not been glued:

That's all for now.

Dave

 

[The Smythe Meister]

Looking rather superb there Dave..
.. cracking mate

 

[davecov]

Thanks Andy.

Another little update.

Decalling finally gets underway and they have been going on rather nicely:

All decals have been applied now but I still have a bit of work to do:

That's all for now but my next report should be the final one.

Dave