Bo Roberts continues to show the great results you can get with a simple snap-tight kit, sharing with us another of his Pegasus Hobbies builds, this time a Model 21 Zero. Great work Bo!
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What fun!!! These Pegasus Hobbies 48th scale kits are really fun builds and excellent shelf sitter when finished. If you plan to capture the GOLD at the IMPS Nats, this is not the kit to start with, but to get novices into modeling, you can’t beat it!!
When I started this kit, about 3 weeks ago, I wanted to try a couple techniques, making canopy mask outta paper tape, and dipping it into soapy water to apply, and Japanese aodake(sp) blue/green finish.
One drawback of these E-Z Snapz kits for modeler is the thickness of the canopy which hides all that beautifully molded interior!! It really a shame so I wanted to vacuform my canopy using the kit’s as a master. I was going to use the Ultracast Zero seat, but when I looked at the kit one, it matched the outline so I drilled holes in the seat back and fashioned seat belts with masking tape ala the Ultracast one. I did move the seat back about a scale foot which placed it closer, not against, the rear cockpit bulkhead. I was very pleased with the overall finished cockpit!! BTW, I paint the cockpit IJN Mitsubishi Green, which looks like ZCGreen to my eye. Control panels were painted black with details picked out in silver and red/yellow to my liking. Fashioned a DF loop behind the headrest outta plastic tubing, and painted it silver. The decking under the canopy was painted black.
I elected NOT to make this an E-Z Snapz kit, so I enlarged all snap locators and used them as regular locator pins, and glued this model together. Used only filler at major seams, especially on the underside where the wing meets the fuselage.
After the major parts were assembled, the scoop just ahead of the wheel wells looked too shallow, so I added strips of plastic, and putty to contour it more to the photos I had. I think it really helped its profile.
I painted and masked the red propeller stripes and wing no-walk areas. Painted the hub and blades Model Master silver, rear of blades was painted Tamiya brown.
Painted the wheel wells silver and then shot Tamiya Clear Blue over it followed by Clear Green. Looks good to me. BTW, the kit has landing gear covers for wheels up and it makes an excellent mask for the wells during exterior painting.
Installed the canopy using Elmer’s White Glue, remove excess with wet finger and wet lint free rag. Shot Future to seal my Canopy mask, then black before apply Tamiya’s IJN Grey-Green to the overall model.
Applied Future overall to make a nice gloss finish to apply the kit decals. Painted the red/blue stripes on the landing gear cover and the #2 outta my spare decal stash. Ditto the white #2 on the lower cowl.
Scratched the aileron control horns on the top and lower sides with stretched sprue and white glue.
Grunched up the model using black water color and pastel chalk. Black pencil used as well. Added red and green food color to White Glue to make the wing Nav lights. Shot final Semi-Gloss clear finish. Silver Prisma Color pencil and Tamiya Clear Red/Green applied to the upper wing lights.
Removed all mask cleaned canopy frames as necessary added stretched sprue for antenna wire and called it quits!!
Next up is Pegasus Hobbies Me-262!! Can’t wait!! These are fun kits and don’t wreck the Model Budget either!! Try one or five!!
