1/48 Tamiya Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero Fighter

Gallery Article by Burt Gustafson on Dec 21 2016

 

      

For your viewing pleasure, here is my article and some photos of my Tamiya 1/48 scale A6M3 Mitsubishi Zero Fighter.

The Mitsubishi A6M3 "Zero" was a long-range Fighter, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It was flown by the Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M3 was designated as the Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter. Typically referred to by its pilots as the "Reisen" (zero fighter), "0" being the last digit of the Imperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service. The official Allied reporting name was "Zeke", although the use of the name "Zero" was later commonly adopted by the Allies as well.

Introduced early in World War II, the Zero was considered the most capable carrier-based fighter in the world, combining excellent maneuverability and very long range. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service ("IJNAS") also frequently used the type as a land-based fighter. In early combat operations, the Zero gained a legendary reputation as a dog fighter, achieving the outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1. By 1943, inherent design weaknesses and the failure to develop more powerful aircraft engines meant that the Zero became less effective against newer Allied fighters. During the final year of the War in the Pacific, the Zero was also adapted for use in kamikaze operations.

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Construction
This was an out of the box build. The kit went together nicely following the building instructions. Assembly illustrations were pretty clear and the parts fit was good. The kit includes five pilot figures, one for the cockpit and four standing figures. I chose to use just the standing pilot figures which went together nicely.

Painting
Painting the Zero fighter was quite easy. The engine cowling was airbrushed with MM Gloss Black, and the prop was painted with Floquil Bright Silver. The aircraft body was airbrushed with a combination of MM Light Ghost Gray and MM RAF Interior Green.

Decals
The decals for the Zero Fighter were excellent, and easily placed on the model.

Comments
With good detail, a good parts fit, and excellent decals, the 1/48 scale Tamiya Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero Fighter is an impressive finished model.

Burt Gustafson

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Photos and text © by Burt Gustafson