Forum member Tom (spitguy) posted his finished work on Tamiya’s nice A6M2 Zero. Great stuff Tom!
I just finished this kit – I wanted to tackle a simple kit so I could focus on pre-shading. The late 1941 IJN Grey on this Zero was the perfect pallete. I also wanted to improve on my canopy and complete my first model with an open cockpit.
On this canopy, I masked with para-film and hand painted it. Then I dipped in future and then hand painted a dull coat on the frames. The canopy was the last part to be installed – I kept it sealed in a ziploc bag until needed. I am pretty pleased with the results – it turned out much cleaner than installing on the model before painting. However, I would like to achieve a more integrated look with the fuselage – I’ll have to think about that.
This was also my first kit “save” – after attempting to prime the model with a store bought can of auto primer in sub-freezing weather, I had a gloppy, spotty finish. In a moment of panic, I wetted down a paper towel with acetone and wiped it off. Well, needless to say, the primer came right off, along with every panel line or subtle detail. So after sulking for several days, I got back on the horse and began carefully sanding and rescribing the panel lines – on the upper surface and fuselage, just about every panel line was re-scribed…I probably got them deeper than needed, but using my usual primer, a black pre-shade, and a very light wash, I was satisfied with the results.
This aircraft is from the Pearl Harbor raid – I weathered it a little heavy imaging this aircraft was used extensively after that fateful day. Thanks for looking.
