Which kit of the A6M2 is best for depicting one of the Pearl Harbor attackers
Hey MB,
I would go with the Hasegawa line… Over all builds are good and the detail is excellent and they go together relatively well.
Good hunting…
Flaps up, Mike
It’s not the most recent kit, but Tamiya’s A6M2 in 1/48 scale is a very nice model, and only $11.96 at Squadron. The kit itself is is from the 70’s, but it has recessed and raised panel lines, decent detail. I think it may be as low as $12 at Hobby Lobby, and with the 40% off coupon, it is a real bargain for a nice kit.
I built one a few months back, and really enjoyed the kit. It’s my favorite type of kit- low cost, well engineered, 50-60 parts.
The old Tamiya kit is very nice & a real bargain at current prices. The Hasegawa is a much newer tooling & more detailed than the Tamiya. You can’t go too far wrong with either.
Regards, Rick
Ok, do any of the kits you suggested have markings for Pearl Harbor or would I need to get an aftermarket sheet?
The Tamiya kit has markings for several aircraft, including the Akagi Air Group on December 7th.
Hyperlink has a review of the kit.
If you get a kit that doesn’t have Pearl Harbor markings, I can send you the ones from my kit, as I did not use them. Just let me know.
Go after market, more choises and “thinner”.
have some Aeromater Pearl Harbor decals left from my Zero, Val, Kate build.
The Tamiya kit is nice, but when it comes to A6M’s, Hasegawa is king (at least in 1/48…both make nice 1/32 renditions). If it comes down to budget, you won’t regret the Tamiya, but you’ll be glad you paid a few extra bucks for the Hasegawa.
I think Monograms A6M is nice.
Tower Hobbies has the Tamiya for dirt cheap…
As others have said, for the money, it’s hard to beat the Tamiya kit. However, the wing fit sucks on the bottom aft section and you have to do some fill and sanding to get it right. Also, the IP is just a decal. Still not bad for ~$7 at hobby lobby.
I haven’t tried the Hasegawa kit, but as others who are in the know have said, it’s better but more expensive. I don’t know how well the R/M kit is, but even a decent R/M probably wont be as good as the Tamiya and it would probably be around the same price.
The Monogram is an A6M5 and too late a version for Pearl Harbor, and though there is a soft spot in my heart for it it is not up to the standard of the Tamiya and Hasegawa kits.
John