SPA Modeler

So here it is in a proper all angles session, my last completion of 2021, Hasegawa’s 1982 vintage A6M5 Zero. I bought and started it in 2016, barely, then sidelined it for unknown reasons. I restarted it a bit over a month ago and wrapped it up on the 30th. I added a PE harness in the cockpit, and used some Aeromaster Hinomarus for the green outline types that the actual aircraft wore when it was captured on Saipan. I figured it must have had a decent pilot to survive the Marianas Turkey Shoot, as it was captured intact and in flying condition on Saipan after that battle. It was brought back to the US for evaluation. Today it is the only flying Zero still equipped with the original Sakae engine. All others still flying today have had their engines replaced by other types that fit the airframe. Decals aside from the Hinomarus are from the kit, and the paint colors are Tamiya.























It’s nice to finish another old shelf queen. Thanks for looking, comments and critiques are welcome.

Man Stik, that's awesome! So very well done!!

Thank you Mike. It sure was a fun little project.

As told already in another post, wonderful build!

The base is outstanding and the detail that makes this setup way out of the ordinary, are those 3 figures waving!

Excellent!

- Kari

Seeing those two together (assuming they are the same scale) is a good comparison! And they look great, too!

Yes they are the same scale. It's so cool seeing them sitting together like that. I remember a mock dogfight between a Japanese Zero and the Hellcat at a Chino Air Show one year. That was cool!

Beautiful work once again Carlos!

Kari, Lyle, & Mark, thank you.

KSaarni wrote:As told already in another post, wonderful build!

The base is outstanding and the detail that makes this setup way out of the ordinary, are those 3 figures waving!

Excellent!

- Kari

Yes, the figures come with a couple 80’s vintage Tamiya Zero kits. The figures are doing the often photographed farewell wave with or without their caps.

LyleW wrote:Seeing those two together (assuming they are the same scale) is a good comparison! And they look great, too!

They are indeed both in the same scale. The Hellcat is the old Otaki/ARII kit.

Duke Maddog wrote:Yes they are the same scale. It's so cool seeing them sitting together like that. I remember a mock dogfight between a Japanese Zero and the Hellcat at a Chino Air Show one year. That was cool!

Beautiful work once again Carlos!

That air show mock dogfight would be very cool to see! This Zero is the one that Planes of Fame in Chino actually has.

I thought I recognized it!

Excellent Zero Stik! I have a 2 seat trainer that hopefully will hit the bench this year.

Thank you Scruffy

Mark, for awhile Chino had the Zero marked with some white chevron fuselage bands and white outlined hinomarus. But I do believe that they now have it painted in its original scheme as here.