Global Scale Modeller

As i seem to have developed a taste for larger scale planes of late i decided to make a mess of this beast of a kit for this build. Apologies for the amount of sprue shots etc but you get quite a lot in the box!

Currently on the hunt for replacement decals, look great but thicker than i would like.

Some very impressive surface detail, less than impressive decals and a clear sprue that is superb.

Nice kit John, love all the extra goodies you get when paying more for a 1:32 Tamiya kit. Getting settled in to watch this build unfold.

As always happy modeling and keep sticking styrene.

Paul

And that's yer lot finally, well, except for the hgw belt set i got to replace the not so hreat ones in the kit.

DAYUM....I'm gonna have to get one of these. The detail is amazing. Looks like its gonna be a fun build.

Looking nice plane with a lot of details to build. I have to put that plane in my list.

It has the upside of being relatively old for a tamiya 1:32, meaning that it can be had for a good price without hunting too hard.

good looking kit , best of luck with it .

She looks a beauty. Love all the extra nick nacks. That's even more than you get in the more recent releases and they're pretty awesome.

Good call on the replacement decals. Its the one thing that lets the 1/32 series down.

what a amazing kit, i likey alot.
cant wait to see it coming together mate.

Great Choice ! Braver than me that I have this one and the Corsair and i haven't get the courage to start on them ...could be ...

Good luck with the build , this kits are great in my opinion !

WOW, just WOW.

Made a start, step 3 and the fuselage goes together lol, can you say fits like a glove! The epm marks on the inside won't be visible once the rest of the interior goes in so i left them. Also as i go i will be adding random bits of cable and pipe work. My solution for the aotake lacquer is citadels coelia green shade, these parts inside the fuselage won't be visible either so i was just getting a feel for it and the trick seems to be very light coats allowed to dry individually before overcoating so that it doesn't become a wash.

Very nice work mate. Good tip on the Aotake? laquer (not a sentence I foresaw myself typing today).

Very nice kit by the looks of it.
Great progress so far

Thanks fellas, making slow but good progress on the cockpit, parts fit and finish so far has been dream like, adding an occasional cable or pipe just to tart things up a little more. The belts were nowhere near as fiddly or awkward as i had feared, thumbs up to hgw, far superior to the paper ones in the kit.

That is a smashing looking pit wookie. great work on all those smaller details.

I feel like I could climb into that cockpit and fly. Or pretend to. Amazing detail work.

Cheers again fellas, got the instrument panel and seat finished this evening, big vote for the hgw harnesses and the reverse printed ip decals.

Cockpit completed and installed, wings also together. Zero fit issues pardon the pun, some of the hinges in the gear bays were a little fiddly but went in eventually.

Fantastic work, buddy!

Cockpit looks great


Tommy

That pit looks superb!!

Confession to make, i didn't pay enough attention to the hinges for the flap on one side and assembled it with one of the pe parts sticking out too far so i swore, took it apart and readjusted, tried to put it on the wing and swore again, upside down this time! Third times a charm i thought, nope wrong again lol, by now i had had to use so much glue and sanded so much off that it no longer fit anyway, doh! So after removing the aforementioned hinges i built up the missing area with sheet styrene, fettled it and glued it into place. Other than me messing up the kit is still going together like it wants to, not even a seam gap on the wings.

Update time! Been quite busy with other things this week but have managed to get the engine painted, assembled and installed. A mix of alclads and vallejo metal colour along with the custom aotake mix. Whilst waiting for things to dry i made a start on the pilot figure, named Kato in memory of the recently departed Burt Kwouk, also got a set of maketar masks to replace the kits shall we say slightly thick decals, ok the blind could read them!
Next up is the canopy and various fiddly parts, the end is in sight!

Well the rest of it kinda flew together (pun intended) with ease, probably due to not having to paint it as i went lol so main assembly is complete, also did some more work on the pilot. Next up is masking and priming.

That is looking superb. Lovely engine. Skin detail on the wings and fuselage looks beautiful, that thing is going to look amazing when you put some paint on it.

Wow that Zero is looking so good

Given a good coat of Ultimate primer, seams checked and any surface irregularities removed with steel wool then given a mottle/dapple coat the purpose of which is to show tonal variations in the top coat, a combination of preshading and pre weathering if you will and part of my preferred black basing technique.

Top coat of paint on and I've been having fun with masking tape and the maketar mask set, everything in red or yellow is sprayed instead of a decal. Next up is the few decals and stencils remaining.

Decals all on and a panel line and rivet wash applied, mix of Ultimate light and dark dirt.

Looks awesome but how on earth did you do that mottle / dapple effect?

Gorgeous bird, sir.

Stokesy44 wrote:Looks awesome but how on earth did you do that mottle / dapple effect?

I too would like to know. Stunning work, really.

Thanks, the dapple undercoat is just a tamiya grey airbrushed in small random patterns, if you browse youtube for black basing you should find a how to.

wookiee76 wrote:Thanks, the dapple undercoat is just a tamiya grey airbrushed in small random patterns, if you browse youtube for black basing you should find a how to.

this is a good video...


and here's another (in French)

wookiee76 wrote:Thanks, the dapple undercoat is just a tamiya grey airbrushed in small random patterns, if you browse youtube for black basing you should find a how to.

Thanks Wookie.... but damn! Its a new process to learn now. Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

At least in 1:32 it's relatively simple, 1:72 on the other hand...

Finally got everything bar the fuel tank assembled and set to it with a combination of pigments, pastels and oils, finishing line in sight!

I must ask you to stop, you're exhausting my stock of superlatives. Stunning.

Thanks, more to go to tie in the chipping yet and washes for the gear bay.

Great progress on the Zero, keep up the good work !

The preshading using sponge technique really pays off, the result is stunning.


Tommy

Wow this as turned out absolutely 1st class the weathering so far is very realistic.

Got to agree with Lysus -running out of words to describe how good this is.

Top drawer mate - looks stunning.

Cheers fellas, just the fuel tank and stand to finish off and she will be done, thank a deity!

A Tamiya 1/32 Zero, what a treat!