Howdy. I just got a 1:32 scale Zero type 21 ( The 21st Century one), and I got to studying the life of Japanese pilot Saburo Sakai.
What I would like to do is build it in the colors and markings that he flew most often. According to what I read, Lt. Sakai said the aircraft themselves were rotated quite frequently after so many hours flying time, and none of the pilots had a specifically assigned aircraft, save for the squadron commander.
Most all the art work I have seen depicts Lt. Sakai’s aircraft(s) Model 21s, as silver in color, and the two shown most often are aircraft #V-103, and #V-128. The others I could find were a model 11, and an A6M5 model 52 shown in green, so the first two are the ones I’m really after. Could I build it with the marking supplied for the silver carrier version shown in the kit, which is actually labeled for Lt. Sumio Nono of the carrier IJN Hiryu, and this be sufficient with slight modifiaction, or does anyone know of a set that definately calls out one of Lt. Sakai’s aircraft?
I don’tnow of any 1/32 scale decals for Sakai’s A/C. IJN zeros weren’t silver they were grey with a slight tanish green tint. I like to use Floquil’s concrete. Here’s a Tamiya zero I built.
mkhoot is correct, the Japanese used a colour called “ameiro” which I think is Japanese for “caramel” or something like that. There is much discussion on what it actually was. What is known is it’s a tannish grey colour and as far as I know, no paint manufacturer makes that colour.
I made a Pearl Harbour Zero a couple years ago and to simplify things, I used Tamyia IJN grey which in some peoples opinion is too grey. I just wanted a nice looking model and it worked for me. If you go onto http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/otherres.htm#Camo you can get more info. Good luck!
Tamiya makes an acrylic paint for the A6M2 Zeros that were in the Pearl Harbor strike force. It is XF-76 Gray-Green. As stated before, they were not silver. Hope this helps.
Thanks folks, it just goes to show ya how much a car modeller knows about aircraft accuracy. I explored the links, and did reshearch, and after careful consideration, I’m going with the two color dark green top, and medium pale green-gray underneath. The cowl will be black of course, with the leading edges of the wings yellow- well, you get the picture.
Thanks for all your help, I’ll show it when finished.[8D]
Well, since I’m a car guy (kustombuilder1 over at SA), I had to do lots of research before I even opened the first bag of parts on the Zero. (still haven’t ha ha)
Well, I’m back to overall grey for it’s color scheme. One thing I did notice though, and it’ll be easy to correct, is it’s an A6M2 model 21, right? From what I can find in my studies, the upper cowl included in the kit is for an A6M5 model 52, as it has the smooth top panel with individual openings near the front for the machine guns, instead of full length grooves like the model 21 has.
Easy fix, if I choose to, not so bad if I don’t, what do you think?
Also, I’m kinda Tamiya Color dumb too, does Tamiya have a spray can version of XF-76 gray-green? I dont have an airbrush, and can’t afford one right now.[:(]
If they got the Model 52 cowl correct, it will be a little more involved. The Model 52 cowl is larger in diameter because of the air inlet scoop incorporated into the top leading edge of the cowl. The 21 cowl is smaller in diameter, and uses an external scoop on the bottom.
You might be able to fake it out convincingly by grinding out the opening of the cowl to a round shape and then cutting your gun troughs in the plastic, I’d bet it is thick enough to withstand that.
Just thought you might like a little more help with your research for the A6M2 Type 21. The engine cowl color is not black as you buy it in a bottle. It is in fact a blue/black. I do not know of anyone that makes it but it is not hard to mix.I made my own with Tamiya’s US Navy dark sea blue and just keep adding black until it looks right to your eye. It sould appear black at first glance but upon closer inspection your can notice the blue tint to it. Hope this helps you in your quest.
Yeah, it’s definately a large model 52 cowl, complete with top mounted integral air inlet scoop! I opened the parts bags, and compared size of the cowl with the fuselage. No doubt. It also has a seperate part for the internal duct and machine gun tubes.
Ah, I may just leave it as is. Well, back to studying… I wonder what else I’ll find?[(-D]
