Long post warning!
Last year I was working on a very ambitious project (more on this some day) that required a couple of standing Japanese pilots and after much searching decided that the best bang for my buck was to simply order the Tamiya Zero kit that included four standing pilots.
then I had a Zero kit that I hadn’t planned on that could either languish in my stash for years or, since I would already have all the right paints loaded up, just get a quick build. Since the other project was complex a figured I may as well do the Zero as a simple wheels up, in flight, on a stand display.
The kit:
All the reviews rave about this kit as being one of the best of any aircraft ever so it should be a pretty straight forward event.
In case anybody doesn’t know what a new(ish) Tamiya kit looks like it is indeed beautiful even on the sprues.
It is however also one of the few where there is no gear up optional parts so I am going to have to do some alterations to close it all up.
The reviews that said this is the best Tamiya aircraft kit made were not kidding! The engineering and detail without having a massive number of small parts is truly amazing. A perfect stress free out of the box project. Even if you are not into Japanese WW2 aircraft this is worth picking up. Sort of sad I am going to close it all up and hide everything with a pilot. May pick up another to leave open.
So enough with the sales pitch (I am in no way affiliated with Tamiya nor a distributer).
Cockpit all done and ready to button up in one evening. Don’t think I have ever done that before.
Main internal assemblies assembled
Base colour
Detail painting and small parts added
Black tinted acrylic floor finish for depth
Testors Dullcoat to bring it back down. Gauges dotted with Testors clear parts cement for gloss
Of course this will all be invisible once closed up and pilot in place.
Almost ready to paint and since it will be an in flight display I had to do up the pilot.
He isn’t exactly in a great position to be flying (maybe he had an itch and had to let go of the stick mid bank) but he will do once the canopy is on.
Base coat
Detail paint
Shading. Both detail paint and shading overstated so can stand out through closed canopy.
Flat coat to blend (no his nose is not a weird colour in real life)
In the office
While digging through my spare parts bin I found a couple of tiny B-24s. Now how could they possibly be used with an in flight Zero?
All masked up and ready for first paint.
This is my first time using premarked masks and even though I had to cut then out all I can say is what a time saver. Looks like pre cuts are in my sights for future builds
Although I always knew the Zero was a small aircraft I didn’t truly realize just how small until I started this build.
The whole thing pretty much fits within the wing area of a Voodoo
Base of Modelmaster chrome silver and hairspray for later chipping. Ready to join my other project in the paint shop.
Exactly what I was after. Over top of some really nice smelling hairspray.
