Zero Fighter A6M3 Model32 Imperial Japanese Navy Sweet 1/144

The plane that I made for the first time on a 1/144 scale was Zero Battle. It was completed in September 2015.

1/144 ZERO FIGHTER A6M3 Model 32 Air Battle of Solomon (SWEET)
– CV ZUIKAKU Fighter Group 1943
– X-151, 3rd Flying Group NPC 2/C Kiyoshi Ito

I made a small airplane of 1/700 scale with the carrier-based planes of the cruiser because I thought that when I made a little larger one, I made this Zero fighter.

When an upper package is turned over, it’s this illustration. It surprises me a little that the box art is a comical one.

A runner for one plane of the included part is in this picture. There isn’t so much number of components.

Because it is too delicate parts, even cutting apart and the gate forming from a runner are timidly working. It isn’t easy to use a motor tool.

I worked this Zero in the interval of the Seiran building. The work of the different scales should not run side by side, I suppose. It is a strange feeling. If I would like to build more planes, it’s better to have the same scale only in 1/144; for example, four planes run side by side.

The frames of the canopy are handwritten. Because the cockpit does not have much detail, it’s better than the canopy is moderately clouded, and looking from around 30cm is nice. Is it warped a little?

They’re delicate parts, so it isn’t put together too early.

I hardly saw it when completed, even if I painted the engine with effort. But it is a good feeling.

It isn’t the scale that sticks to a small thing, I was a little interested in being no pitot pipe, so I used a metal wire of 0.2mm and shaved half too thin. When I improve even a little, having a passion for this model.

I glued a canopy and masked it.

When paying attention, the assembly is easy, but it isn’t so different from the 1/48 scale painting process.

I am pasting decals on them. The Cartograf decal is beautiful.

I had to draw a yellow band in an air-to-air bomb number 3. I used a yellow part of the tank decals before I made it.
(19-September-2015)

Sweet’s package was in a set of 2 planes, so I made both. The 1st plane is a carrier-based plane of the aircraft carrier Zuikaku. I painted it light gray. There are theories about the aircraft color of the Zero Fighter. I’ll try next time in a thin green version.

I added a Pitot tube and an antenna line in metalworking. It is most suitable for training in careful work.

Though there is no complaining if I do it well, a little more about the painting of the cockpit frame. When I keep my distance a little more and see it, I never have any problem, even with this.

Well, this is my first 1/144. I want to do better next.

When the landing gear cover is made thinner, the feel of the material seems raised.

There is also a red decal of a fuel tank cap and a yellow band decal.

A wing-tip was a short square type, and zero type 32 became strong in combat mobility. A Spitfire of the tropical type I built before was the same concept.

I forgot the total production time, but of course, it is very simpler than 1/48.

I did the inking and washing lightly.

A size like this seems to be arranged without limit and is most suitable for collection. A feeling of this density is impressed in this littleness. It will be a valuable impression when I make it for the first time.

The second plane is the body that patriotism -994, 3rd Flying Group NPC 2/C Kiyoshi Ito, Oct.1942 – Oct.1943 Darwin Air Raid  Timor Island, Koepang. This is the plane that played an active part in the South Pacific. It would be a fight between Australia and the United States.

The rest of the masking sol attached to the cockpit that I did not see the naked eye. It was noticed to take a photograph. It was good to be removed immediately.

When I put inking in brown, I just have a good feeling of the faded surface around the panel lines.

There was also paint indication of the wing upper surface of the red and blue lights.

After all, the problem is a canopy frame. Next time I’ll mask it.

Both two planes chose metal belly tanks.

To display without sticking out on my shelf of a paperback.

Though it is difficult, it wants to challenge various models to make. I was not interested in 1/144 at all, but now I want to display 20 or more planes.

When I searched variously, much of 1/144 is released by adding a snack in Japan. It was a world that I didn’t know at all. I want to build a model from the beginning, not completed supplements.

Sweet’s precise sense is wonderful. I was impressed with this work and stocked more, so I’ll make it again. Platz 1/144 scale models have also been stocked. I want to have Kawanishi N1K, George, released by Platz, but it’s sold nowhere now.
(21-September-2015)