- The Airfix Tribute Forum -

Allan31

PART 1

Opening up the kit we find some nice looking parts. Is this kit really almost 40 years old?

Hinomarus are a bit bright but all else looks great, registration is just fine.

For decades I have heard how bad these kits are supposed to be, I can't agree at all. Looking at pics and my books, the basic shape here is spot on.
The internet is a wonderful resource. Make sure you are useing accurate data, some drawings are just done wrong. I was a technical illustrator in the aerospace industry for almost 20 years, I know how to cheat on the drawings. I would always trust the drawings done in the "Aero Detail" series of books. (Number 7 is the Zero Fighter) I love all my aviation books to poor through but downloading data off the internet is tough to beat also.

I sized an accurate drawing to 1/72 scale, time to match up kit parts and see how bad the news is...

I sized all the kit parts to the drawing. Everything is almost perfect. Nothing alittle putty and styrene won't fix in a few minutes time. This kit is how old again?

This will get vac-u-formed on my Mattel machine and look much better, then cut and slid open to show cockpit. Interior color will be my own metalic blue/green based on internet research.

Exterior raised detail will be sanded smooth and my pencil panel line technique used on the outside.

Movable control surfaces will be rescribed where needed.

I will start scratch building a cockpit. If this is anything like the real cockpit, no wonder they had Kamikaze pilots...
Starting in the usual spot we find the usual cockpit from a 40 year old kit......a peg.......how nice.

With my passion for aviation books combined with the internet, I was able to get a pretty good idea of what I needed to do.

Once the floor was sized I created a front and rear bulkhead for instrument panel and something to hang a seat on. Sticky putty a must here.

Then it's study more photos and keep adding proper equipment or gizmology depending on how well it can be seen. I added detail to the sidewalls and made belts from textured foil from a yogurt cup.

Once everything was fitting well, if you can believe it, the fuselage actualy closes, I again consulted the internet and found the average truth for "Japinteriergreen" and mixed up some of that.

A blackwash and drybrushed highlights in the cockpit. Decal scrounged for instrument panel.

Glue fuselage and wings together.

A dentist friend of mine has these stainless steel tubes I like to use for gun barrels and all sorts of stuff. They come in a variety of sizes.
Fit the engine cowling to the fuselage. I know the gun troughs are overscale but they will look alright when painted flat black. Barrels do line up with cowling correctly just not when I take pictures of them....

Looking at photos of the cowling I then scribed the cooling and exhaust flaps on each side. Exhaust pipes will be shaped aluminum tubing.
I attached wings and reshaped the engine scoops. A little putty around these two guys and at the wing root will seal things up nice.

This was hardest part. She is really looking like a proper A6M2 now...

Still hard to believe this is an almost 40 year old kit that so many have berated. This is fun...

Allan31

Airfix 1/72 A6M2, kit #02093

PART 2

My Zero is getting a new arrester hook from a paper clip.

Final shaping with a file.

Tucked up below with some paint on, it should look fine.

I vac-u-formed another canopy using the kit's as a master.

Still rough cut here but will do the trick. Will cut apart and slide open.

Landing gear. I stuck these together to see how things were. I think we can improve abit.

As you can see, I built on the kit parts. First I scribed between the wheel and tire, then added rivets to the wheel. I then added tire tread with a razor saw. Looks more Me-109ish but I thinks it's my Luftnatic showing. Not true to a Zero but it looks like a tire. I then added punched styrene discs, some brass wire for hydraulic brake lines. I used the kit landing gear covers as a pattern for ones made from thin sheet styrene. Tamiya tape was wrapped around to make things more interesting, again more gizmology but with a glance at photos of the real thing.

I found a slight warp in a wing and fixed it with alittle heat from the hair dryer. A final check to make sure everything is square and straight.

When I scribed the cowling, I new I wanted some nice exhaust pipes there, now was the time.
I drilled a small pilot hole, then enlarged to 1/16" and angled it.

Some 1/16" aluminum tubing cut, beveled and thinned then glued into the cowling.

All is now puttied, sanded smooth and glued straight. I left the very heavy kit panel lines on the fuselage, I was going to fill them or sand them away but they looked fine just before they disappeared. I rescribed all the control surfaces and did a final check with my sticky putty.

Ah, the much argued and discussed Japanese Imperial Navy Grey. From the internet I took the "average truth". I mixed RLM02 with light grey and a bit of white. Done.

While that was drying I started painting details like cowling, prop and landing gear.

I was concerned about the kit decals but they went on great over a coat of Future with no setting solution. How old are these again?

Another coat of Future then oilwash grunge with Q-tip and airbrush. I wanted a well worn island aircraft that showed minimum maintenance available. I used that thin tape Su got for me on the vents behind the cowling and for the underwing ejector chutes. All sealed up with a coat of Dullcoat.

My pencil panel lines were added over the dullcoat useing the technical drawings I downloaded off the internet, dividers to measure off the drawings, a mechanical drafting pencil, plastic label tape as a flexable straight edge and a plastic german eraser when I goofed.

All during the build, I'm trying to think of how to add those Do Not Step areas on the top of the wing. Decal, paint, colored tape..In a creative flash( read desperate!!) I grabed a colored pencil.

This kit is so much fun to build and so little to correct if anything I think I may go hunt up another one. A shame to think how many could have enjoyed had it not been so berated.

I framed the canopy my usual way. I loaded paint into a Drafting pen and ruled thin lines on clear decal film. When dry, I cut and applied to the vac canopy and sealed with a coat of Future. I then glued on the other bits and when finished I did my photo shoot. After photo-shop and posting, I realized I still have not remembered to paint the stupid tail wheel...

I hope you've found something here to help you enjoy our little hobby and Airfix kits alittle bit more.
Enjoy,
Allan

Digs · Posted: Wed 26 Aug 2009 09:07 am Post subject:

Thanks very much Allan - a really interesting and inspiring account.

I have one of these in the stash...

Paul

dancho · Posted: Wed 26 Aug 2009 11:13 am Post subject:

I'd really be interested in any further information you'd like to share about drawing those panel lines. I know it must seem basic to you, but it's new info to me. For example--what type of pencil? I saw a photo of a what is called a "lead holder." Is there a reason you use this instead of some other tool? How do you sharpen it? A few images of the process would be very much appreciated.

I'm normally not such a demanding guy but this technique looks like something that I could really use.

Thanks for putting up with me!
_________________
“Build what YOU want, the way YOU want to, and above all, have fun.”
- Al Superczynski (1947 - 2007)

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tanker221 · Posted: Wed 26 Aug 2009 13:51 pm Post subject:

Lets see .... no photoetch brass .... no resin ..... and a terrific result using basic modelling skills . I think this build has impressed me the most .This should inspire people to give another look at those old Airfix "classics " .
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tempestfan · Guest

Plain terrific ! The panel lines look extremely convincing, I thought you had rescribed them. But you're wrong in one aspect - the mould itself is not 40 but 50 years old...but the transfers are a youngster, being from the "Aces" series and a mere 17 to 19 years

Did I ge you right that the Aero Detail drawings were high on your references ?
The others are right - inspiring ! Thanks a lot for sharing !

Badwolf · Posted: Wed 26 Aug 2009 22:56 pm Post subject:

A superb build! The panel lines look great, drawing them on in pencil certainly sound a lot simpler than scribing them. Lovely work on the cockpit too.

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glen3312 · Posted: Wed 26 Aug 2009 23:26 pm Post subject:

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merlin1953packard · Posted: Fri 28 Aug 2009 11:46 am Post subject:

Very informative, Allan! Outstanding result with quite simple technique! I build mostly Airfix models of British airplanes, but with this eminent and inspiring demo, I think I'm going to find one of these kits!

Regards Merlin

Dirkpitt289 · Posted: Wed 24 Mar 2010 15:38 pm Post subject:

Great build. I love how you show all your steps in the build.
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Regards

Dirk

realthing · Posted: Thu 25 Mar 2010 13:48 pm Post subject:

Just great!

gauron · Posted: Mon 31 May 2010 05:59 am Post subject: A6M2 ZERO

Fantastic! An inspiration for returning old timers like me, who have large, late 60's / early 70's Airfix kits to build. Thanks. George

Jacob_R · Posted: Fri 25 Jun 2010 02:46 am Post subject: Airfix A6M2 Zeke

That is some real modeling-superb work! What kind of paint did you use-did I miss that in the text?

You have answered my unasked question of whether or not it's "worth it" to accurise an older kit.

Jonathan · Silver Star Joined: 02 May 2006 Posts: 2386

That's truly excellent Allan, some real radical thinking and good old fashgioned modelling ingenuity.

More!
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manuel · Joined: 15 Nov 2008 Posts: 6

I'm terribly impress, if I just considered top and last pics I never think it's the same kit.
Thank you for the tutorial.

Manuel

tangfastico · Posted: Mon 09 Aug 2010 11:27 am Post subject:

A brilliant build, Allan with very clear explanations and photos! I loved seeing your cockpit coming together. Very impressive!

The resulting model looks superb!

Like dancho, I'm not really familiar with doing panel lines so if it is possible, I too would appreciate a little more explanation - or is there a thread already here somewhere that describes the same technique in detail?

Anyway, a very fine model! Fantastic!
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Cheers!
Alan
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Never mind the accuracy. Just look at the precision!