A pair of Zeroes

1
January 15, 2023
Quite a bit of detail can be extracted from Airfix’s moulds- not as good as Tamiya’s - harnesses are from my recent Ju-88….I’ll tone them down a bit looking at these pictures! Airfix, naturally, don’t provide them at this ‘starter kit’ level
2
January 15, 2023
So here’s Tamiya….ahead in detail and intricacies- I’ve used an aluminium dry-brush to highlight. Some subtle washes to follow…
3
January 17, 2023
Airfix the quicker of the two to this stage- the least complicated- but again not too many sacrifices to detail
4
January 17, 2023
Pure artistry from Tamiya. Any
“Ham-fistedness”…model maker’s own! ?
5
January 17, 2023
Mind.
Blown.
Tamiya’s finesse in 72nd plastic is peerless
6
January 17, 2023
This little lot’s got to go together. Flawlessly it would seem.
7
January 17, 2023
This is Tamiya’s trade mark. Put your sides together and insert cockpit tub from underneath to ensure a tight, square fit.
8
January 17, 2023
Both sides together, both together!
9
January 23, 2023
Sprayed the wheel wells & inside of gear doors. Tamiya metallic blue with some drops of their clear green. Both models done. Featured here is Airfix which being the slightly simpler kit edges forward.
10
January 23, 2023
Airfix: a little Mr Surfacer for a very small gap in wing root. Otherwise spot on engineering
11
January 24, 2023
Spot the difference?
Not easy from the picture.
12
January 24, 2023
Dimensionally near-identical. Tamiya’s plastic is just that bit crisper and sharper. Probably at the limit for styrene’s injection tolerance?
13
January 26, 2023
A pair of black birds
14
January 26, 2023
I’ve preshaded Airfix with Xtreme dark aluminium
15
January 27, 2023
Trying Tamiya’s lacquer paints. This is on Airfix. Omens are good so far. May try to spray the red circles too. May.
16
January 27, 2023
Trying 2 methods of roundel painting- 1st the red over the base IJN grey-green…
17
January 27, 2023
The 2nd, the red over the primer with a mask to go over it.
18
January 27, 2023
AI-102 about to depart.
19
January 27, 2023
Another grainy close up of the tail shows the yellow bands.
20
January 28, 2023
21
January 28, 2023
Not bad: first attempt in 72nd at hinomarus.
22
January 28, 2023
I think I’m better masking over the grey-green as I did on the undersides, then spray the red.
Better control versus the red first, then grey-green
23
January 29, 2023
Undercarriage hydraulics - simply small electric wires
24
January 29, 2023
Airfix decals and added the yellow bands on the tail. Airfix don’t provide the prominent red propellor markings, so will need to find some from the decal spares.
25
January 29, 2023
Airfix: IJN grey-green from Tamiya lacquers.
26
January 29, 2023
Tamiya: decided to spray the identification bands rather than use the kits. 50-50 Gunze yellow and Tamiya orange.
27
January 29, 2023
I will, however, use the decals' hinomarus.
28
January 31, 2023
Decals I
29
January 31, 2023
Decals II
30
January 31, 2023
Decals III:
naturally the Tamiya kit offers the complete set with stencils.
31
January 31, 2023
Side by side.
32
February 3, 2023
Short finals. Undercarriage, engine and propeller all went together well. A little wire for the hydraulics
33
February 3, 2023
A bit of a tone down for the decals to be done.
34
February 3, 2023
Short finals no.2 sees Airfix nearly complete. By no means an inferior kit, but the undercarriage is that little bit less defined and difficult to display. Same with cowel and propeller
35
February 3, 2023
Underside of the Pearl Harbor attacker.
36
March 15, 2023
Airfix I
37
March 15, 2023
Airfix II (I know I'm a bit knock-kneed on this, but will learn for next time)
38
March 15, 2023
Airfix III
39
March 15, 2023
Airfix IV
40
March 15, 2023
Airfix V
41
March 15, 2023
Tamiya I - sublime moulding and engineering.....art in plastic....bravo Tamiya!!
42
March 15, 2023
Tamiya II
43
March 15, 2023
Tamiya III
44
March 15, 2023
Tamiya IV
45
March 15, 2023
Tamiya V

Komentáre

67 15 January 2023, 14:17

Andy Ball
Thanks Pietro, glad to have your 'like'

15 January 2023, 16:09

Andy Ball
Thanks again Franck!

15 January 2023, 17:36

Andy Ball
Again, muchos gracias Alberto!

17 January 2023, 16:55

Cuajete
Nice start, Andy... and thanks for the comparison 👍
Following (one more time 😛 )

17 January 2023, 19:26

Andy Ball
Thanks again Cuajete…sorry to fill your eyeballs with all this plastic building!

17 January 2023, 19:56

Rui
Watching 😎

18 January 2023, 04:14

Andy Ball
Thanks Rui!

18 January 2023, 07:31

Łukasz Gliński
Thanks A for the comparison, didn't know Tamiya is that greatly detailed 👍
Good, I didn't do such pictorial with the vacu Zero I have in my stash 😄

18 January 2023, 08:54

Bernd Grün
Nice start, Andy. 👍 Following. Tamiya kits play in their own league in terms of quality .

18 January 2023, 08:56

Andy Ball
Łukasz, go on…include your kit!, would love to see it! I think you'd struggle to justify any resin on this build, but I'm sure other Japanese addicts may have an opinion?, and I have to say Bernd- yep, Tam is tops - I'm doing their Il-2 too…it's magnificent too.

18 January 2023, 10:05

Andy Ball
Thanks Nikola!

18 January 2023, 17:18

Łukasz Gliński
There you go A: Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero (JWK Model A1, 1:72)
It's really hard to take the pic of white vacu sheet.

18 January 2023, 21:44

Andy Ball
Łukasz, I guess that was a model from a previous era!? Does it pre-date the actual plane? 😂

18 January 2023, 22:06

Łukasz Gliński
Not v.much tbh 😄
Btw the boxart is a copy of Squadron/Signal book, so it surely comes from the pre-copyright era 😉

18 January 2023, 22:21

Andy Ball
Thx Villiers

19 January 2023, 07:41

Gary Kitchen
Fabulous Andy. The Airfix one looks a little longer and wider, is that a camera angle thing? I have the Airfix one (Middle at Lidl) so glad it seems ok. Chasing down an old Hasagawa one for a side by side too.

19 January 2023, 10:19

Andy Ball
Thanks for having a look Gary....I'm really not sure if its an optical illusion. They both look to my eyes near-similar dimensionally. The finesse of Tamiya's moulds is the main difference.I'll look forward to your three-way build soon!

19 January 2023, 15:08

Edward MacKenzie
Have to follow this very interesting project. Looks great so far!

27 January 2023, 11:45

Andy Ball
Cheers Eddie! I've done a wee bit more today, they'd make quite the headache against your Hellcat!
Thanks all to those who've 'liked' this project!

27 January 2023, 13:50

Andy Ball
Thanks Roland, appreciate it!

27 January 2023, 15:13

Edward MacKenzie
Yes Andy, two on one is not that fair in my view 😉

27 January 2023, 16:50

Kyle DeHart
Stopping by because I love Zeros

27 January 2023, 17:30

Cuajete
Well done so far, Andy.
It's nice to see the differences between the two kits, and both looks great even though the Tamiya kit is finer. For the price of the Airfix one, it's very good 👍

27 January 2023, 18:51

Jan Peters
Nice pair Andy 👍🏻
Watching with interest.

27 January 2023, 19:04

Andy Ball
@Kyle- cheers looking in! (Love the C-9 you're doing too!)

27 January 2023, 22:12

Andy Ball
@Cuajete: I think you have the review down to a perfect sentence. I'm actually struggling to work out which one I'm picking up in their black-coated state

27 January 2023, 22:13

Andy Ball
@Jan- always good to know you're taking a look!

27 January 2023, 22:14

Kyle DeHart
Thanks Andy! It's been a fun project.

28 January 2023, 00:00

Andy Ball
Thanks Jean-Louis and others for the likes!

28 January 2023, 08:04

David Taylor
Nice tutorial Andy.

28 January 2023, 15:20

Andy Ball
Thanks David, they're both vice less kits at the moment. Trying to stretch the skills with the new paints and the substitution of paint for decals.

28 January 2023, 17:33

Kyle DeHart
Man Andy, this is making me want to break back into my double zero build. I put it on hold while I researched and tried to decide how I wanted to paint them and haven't cracked back into it yet.

28 January 2023, 17:36

Andy Ball
What are your double zeroes Kyle? They can be quick to put together and depending on the scheme - quick to render. Thanks for the comment!! And. Go. For. It!!

28 January 2023, 17:39

Kyle DeHart
I have the eduard dual pack and they seem to be quite lovely. I started on the cockpits last year but then got bogged down researching grey green/white and whether I wanted them in flight or on the ground or both. Overthinking really. At the end of the day it doesn't matter what color I paint them, someone will always tell me I'm wrong lol. Beautiful airplanes and the Eduard kit appears to be pretty nice. I'm really enjoying your builds here so it's making me want to pull those back out.

28 January 2023, 17:41

Andy Ball
You'll have more fun in 48th with Eduard for sure! I'd not worry about the colours, get them sorta OK (BTW Tamiya's lacquer paints are great) and by the time you've bleached them/dirtied them it won't matter! Let me know when you do!?

28 January 2023, 17:46

Andy Ball
Thanks for the extra likes, folks! Sure helps to motivate!!

28 January 2023, 17:47

Kyle DeHart
Thanks Andy. I'll let you know for sure. A couple projects to finish up first, such as the C9 but I'll get back into them.

28 January 2023, 17:53

Andy Ball
@Kyle- know that feeling!…too much plastic in the way!

28 January 2023, 17:54

Michael Kohl
The Zero is just a beautiful plane and you do it justice.

28 January 2023, 18:03

Moreno Baruffini
Mamma mia! What an interesting result! Super!

28 January 2023, 18:29

Cuajete
I agree with Moreno. That paint looks great so far 👍

28 January 2023, 18:43

Andy Ball
You're right Michael - it's a bantamweight fighter great dimensions.
Mille Grazie Moreno!
Gracias Cuajete- I love the Tamiya LPs, never used them before.

29 January 2023, 19:35

Andy Ball
Thanks Zhivko and all the 'likers'!!

29 January 2023, 19:35

Łukasz Gliński
Holy cow, how did you manage perfect circles? 👍 Lacquers are great, not only Tamiya's A.

29 January 2023, 19:43

Andy Ball
@Ł, I used some interior roundels from Maketer's 1/24th Spitfire offering- they were pretty much the correct size. Although I've now realised I actually have the sizes the wrong way 'round! Grrrr

29 January 2023, 19:47

Guy Rump
Looking good Andy, watching with interest. 👍

29 January 2023, 21:22

Andy Ball
Thanks Guy. Hope to finish soon.

29 January 2023, 22:49

Jan Peters
Painting looks spot on, pun intended 😉

30 January 2023, 05:11

Bernd Grün
Beautiful result, Andy! Like the paint job. 👍

30 January 2023, 07:03

Andy Ball
Jan: loving the Dutch humour! I think I've "rounded" up that technique. Groans…..
@Bernd: appreciate your scrutiny on the paintwork. Danke.

30 January 2023, 22:32

Daniel Klink
Good choice and very well done so far 👍

30 January 2023, 23:16

Andy Ball
Ah, cheers Daniel-as you advised Tamiya has got to be the best in this scale.

31 January 2023, 21:13

Rui S
Looking good 👍

4 February 2023, 12:00

Andy Ball
Thanks Rui S, nearly there. Now distracted by the B-26!
Thanks Arif for popping by

4 February 2023, 15:41

Jan Peters
Pre shading turned out great, especially on the grey one

4 February 2023, 15:53

Andy Ball
Yes, I'm better pleased with the Airfix all-grey pre-shade, I will add some oils to both before declaring them finished. Thanks for having a look, Jan!

4 February 2023, 16:15

Cuajete
I agree with the mates. Looks great so far, Andy 👍

4 February 2023, 19:53

Andy Ball
Thanks Cuajete!
Thanks Mark and others for your appreciative'ticks'

6 February 2023, 09:34

Andy Ball
Well, NOW that is a wrap!....I aim to improve my camera shots...
Tamiya is the winner, (but, then again if a Japanese model manufacturer can't produce the 'gold standard' 72nd Zero, who can!?)
pleased you like them bughunter!

15 March 2023, 09:38

Łukasz Gliński
Lovely couple 👍

15 March 2023, 09:48

Andy Ball
Aren't they just!?, thanks @alessandro

15 March 2023, 11:35

Kyle DeHart
Nice result on both of them. Lovely.

15 March 2023, 12:10

Andy Ball
Thanks Kyle for the reply, @Markus and @Tom B 👍👍

15 March 2023, 15:27

Guy Rump
Very nice results Andy. 👍

15 March 2023, 15:29

Cuajete
Very nice job, Andy.
Congrats!