Tamiya 1:32 A6M5 Zero Zeke

[Danthegoat]

It's 2019 and I have been back in the hobby for a while now. I have learnt some new stuff, built a shed for it, and reckon I am ready to give a, 'Proper Man's Kit' a go. I have been buying 32nd props for a while and I have a few in my stash because of the reviews and builds of others. Complete sheep cannot resist a professional recommendation.
However, like an Italian soldier I have been a little apprehensive to get stuck in. They are expensive kits and they are much bigger than anything else I have previously attempted. Then there is the problem of where to stick it once I have built it. All these excuses have all been me just procrastinating, through fear of bodging it up. Well no longer, a new year means a new attitude. If I have bought it, I am going to build it. No good to me sat on a shelf. Just cash that could be spent on something else. Unlike some kits they are still in production and not gaining any value, so I am going to build one. And then hopefully another one and another....... You get the idea. Or try to build it give up and sell them off.

So after the waffle here is the first 32nd plane I will be attempting to build. The very nice Tamiya Zero. I think it was the first of their 32nd prop super kits and a massive leap forward in modelling. It also is a Tamiya so it should just fall together!


The planes are good lookers too, here is a reference pic I have found on the web.


I am going to take my time and enjoy it. Put the fear of bodging to one side, and just build. I took the first step last night which was to cut the fuselage halves off the A-sprue. No going back now bags have been opened and pieces off the sprue. Resale value has plummeted like the post Brexit referendum pound. So its value to me is now a model I build!


I am going to prime it tonight if I get the chance and crack on. It is such a gorgeous kit!

[Danthegoat]

So I had a bit of time tonight to get my head around the build and start planning paint and how I am going to attack it. Read through some sections of my modelling encyclopaedias. Talked to a few of the guy on the Hangouts and Paul recommended that I just cut off parts of one colour at a time and batch paint. So I have cut several pieces from the sprue tonight for the cockpit that will be XF-71 and will prime them in Ultimate Black primer when I next go in the shed along with the fuselage halves.
I have test fitted pieces and the kit is like a jigsaw it just fits to together so nicely!

[DoubleDigit12]

Nice start Dan.
James

[Danthegoat]

Ultimate Black Primer on some of the cockpit parts. All the bits that are mainly xf-71. That’s it really.

[Danthegoat]

Had a bit of Time on Friday Night after my wife went to bed so I painted up the parts that are predominately the Interior cockpit colour of XF-71 Cockpit Green. Thinned it with MLT a sprayed through my Iwata HP-B Plus at 20 PSI. Went down really nice. Wanted to be careful because of the rivet detail.
Masked it off first.


Then sprayed the XF-71



Will have to detail paint the pieces up. Also have two other colours to down on the fuselage. The main part is going to be AK Extreme 488 Matt Aluminium. The other colour is that odd Japanese Aotake Metallic Blue in the undercarriage areas. Will test spray that before putting it down as its a Tamiya Mix!

Finally, I took parts off the sprue for batch colours of Matt Aluminium, Gold and X-18.

[Danthegoat]

Biting and bobbing tonight. Cocktail stick painted some Matt Aluminium bits with some Vallejo Metal colour and painted the red bits white. Had a couple of hours in hangout, did not really get that much done. Need a good session in the spray booth with no distractions to get all the black parts done then can assemble properly and get to work on detailing and weathering.

[Danthegoat]

Tonight I fancied a play around with the seat. Inspired by Migs Encyclopaedia volume 1, I went to work. I started by using Model Air 71.315 Tyre Rubber to put chips on the XF-71 base colour. I used a silver pencil to add a little shine in the bigger chips. Then used white and light green watercolour pencils to change the base colour tone. Blended them in with spit and a cotton bud. Then I added Abteilung 502 160 engine grease raw around the rivets and seats. Using oudourless thinners I blended these in creating a subtle brown grime. Pleased with the result. Like the larger scale so far as every part you can experiment with.

[Kevthemodeller]

She's coming along nicely

[Danthegoat]

Back for a cheeky update on my Zero. Firstly I just want say how much I am enjoying building this kit. A bigger scale means you can try more and detail in ways you can’t do at 48th and 72nd.
Right so onto the build, I started by having a go at doing the vinylseat belts that came with the kit. But they were terrible. Looked like something out of play mobile. So I ordered a generic HGW Zero set from Hannants.
This took me about 3 hours over a few days. But they are so worth it as they look the business. Finished them with a burnt sienna. They look amazing well worth the effort.



Once that has been done played around withwashes and pigments on a few of the cockpit parts

[Danthegoat]

Spent a bit of time on the cockpit over the last week been using mainly oils to weather and Vallejo model colour to brush paint the details. I really like the Tamiya reverse decals for the instruments they are really effective.

I mocked her up the other night just to see the size. While it is not as big as I am used to it is not enormous.


Reached a point now where I am really happy with all the parts except for the firewall which needs a bit more grime on it. Will start putting everything together.


Then I can move on to the engine which looks lovely. I might try adding a little more detail to it with wire etc.

[Kevthemodeller]

Some very nice work going on here

[Danthegoat]

So put things together with a bit of superglue. Have the machine guns and a few other bits to do. other than that can start moving onto the rest of the plane.

[Danthegoat]

Been bitting and bobbing with the Zero after finishing the cockpit. Mocked the way lane up and dry fitted it all so far and was amazed at the fit

After that been putting together ailerons and vertices stabilisers. They combine pe, metal and plastic parts, so they are a bit fiddly. However, nothing a bit of patience can’t fix.

Finally I have put the engine together again in a dry fit.

I am trying to do all the little construction jobs so I can maximise a spraying session.

[gazmat]

Looking very nice, can't wait for more progress...

[Danthegoat]

Done a bit more over the last few days. Added the Aotake to the tail wheel well and glued the top seem of the tail together.

[Danthegoat]

So did some work on the seam onto of the tail. Put a little Ultimate Black primer on the seam. Then put Tamiya tape either side to protect the riveting detail. Some of the detail was lost, so used my Rosie the riveter for the first time. What a tool! Will just pop another thin layer of primer on to check the seam and then will finish gluing the rest of the tail together.

[Danthegoat]

Once I had done the base colour on my At At my attention turned back to the Zero. I had already primed these engine parts in Ultimate Black Primer, and put down several thin layer of AK Extreme Matt Aluminium which I still think looks a bit too shiny, however, I can weather that down a bit. Started painting the black parts with Model Colour.

[Danthegoat]

So something else off the modelling bucket list, wiring an engine. Now for all you rivet counters this is not a perfect rendition of the Zero’s radial. However, it is my first go so I’m not that bothered.
I put down a base of AK extremes Metal Matt Aluminium and painted the black with model colour with a brush. I then dry brushed the black with Mr Metal Stainless Steel to bring out the detail on the cylinders. Each cylinder has two wires so I drilled out the spark plugs with a 0.6mm bit. My wire was 0.4mm and I read somewhere that you always make the hole slightly bigger.
I then cut bits of 0.4mm lead wire and superglued them to the ignition ring.

With that done, I could stick the banks of cylinders together. This was the most labour intensive and frustrating part. My gluing was not the cleanest, but I thought they could be bits of insulation or the back of plugs. Each point on the ignition ring needs two wires. There was some blue language as I tried to get it done. Got there in the end.

After gluing I curved the wire round carefully because lead wire can be a bit soft. I had to replace a couple because I was a bit rough. Luckily on the engine the cylinders were hollow so I could keep feeding the wire in. I did not glue them in because the lead wire is rigid enough to maintain its shape and I have fed a significant amount of wire into the cylinder.

One aside was that there are four points on the ignition ring that do not have anything attached. The guys in the hangout were checking the internet and reference books. But we got there in the end. Jon even got down his old Zero to check! Their help was much appreciated and I would have been lost in my own indecisiveness without their moral support.



To finish things off I painted the wires Model Air Radome Yellow for contrast. Just wanted to have that bit of intrigue when you look through the propeller.



Looking at the AK FAQ book and pictures off the internet the actual engine is a lot neater. With each pair of wires clipped and put to the side of each cylinder. The whole engine is very neat compared to the US double wasps on a Corsair or Hellcat.

Going to aqua gloss the engine to protect the metal before I hit it with oils and enamel washes. The Tamiya Zero is great fun, really enjoying doing new things and building her up.

[Kevthemodeller]

Lovely engine work

[digger303]

lovely looking aircraft and kit. Definitely on my short list....it's a long list though
I shall be looking in on this build for sure.

[Danthegoat]

Rolling on now put the engine together a bit more tonight with some CA and Gator Grip.



Cut out the exhaust pipes, bloody radials. Worried about getting the pieces muddles so laid them on paper. Test fitted them and they look nice. Good old Tamiya fit.



Once they are painted will varnish ready to weather it up a bit. Looks to fresh needs a wash at least and then some oils for spillages and wear.

[Kevthemodeller]

The magneto harness is superb

These are very interesting aircraft, what are you using for reference material? I remember looking sometime ago for detailed pictures and/or rebuilds but found almost nothing. I guess due to the almost total destruction of the Japanese air force and complete lack of interest post war.

[Danthegoat]

More work on the engine last night. I primed the exhausts with Ultimate black primer, painted them with AK Extreme Steel and toned them down with some highly thinned x-1. I then ca glued them into the engine along with the rest of the back. Will Aqua Gloss the whole thing before weathering the whole thing down a bit.

[Danthegoat]

Done a bit of weathering on the exhausts and engine. AK engine washes, Tamiya black panel line wash and mig pigments

[Kevthemodeller]

What are you using for reference material on the engine?

[Danthegoat]

I am not really using anything, used AK Aircraft FAQ, Mig Encyclopaedia of Aircraft modelling and google. But, not a perfectly accurate engine.

[Danthegoat]

Did a little dry fitting with the cockpit and the tail. Tamiya fit is just as people describe legendary.

[Kruppstahl]

I just enjoyed going through the entire build thread to date. Lots of lovely work! The engine looks great as does the cockpit area.

Any idea on what paint you will use for the exterior green color?

[Kevthemodeller]

What's happen to this build?