Review of this recent classic Tamiya 1/48 kit of the 1943 Zero, which includes figures, PE & mask set. For more similar content, please check out my channel: / @peter-oxley-modelling... . Please like, share, comment & subscribe!
Great comprehensive review and totally entertaining and informative. I will acquire one to go with my Hellcat ( late war ) model soon. All this and figures too! I once read the Japanese planners thought the design was to be on the offensive and wouldn't need armour or self-sealing fuel tanks and was to be as light as possible. Flimsy in some regard, when compared to allied aircraft. Anyway, keep up the good work as it is much appreciated! - KC, CA, USA.
I wish they'd rather not include those 5 PE parts, which seem a bit like a gimmick to me to 'check the PE-box' and instead include a color printed painting guide! B/w painting guides are a red flag for me. I don't want to spent time on the internet, researching the camouflage pattern, plus I do my hobby in the basement, with no pc at hand and it's damn small on a phone screen. Just include color prints fgs!
Nice review. The Tamiya 1/48 kits cover a wide range of aircraft but also details and prices. I have built a few of their early 1/48 Japanese aircraft kits. The earlier kits in this series come with basic decals basic detail, and do not have PE or masks and are not as detailed but they make an easy and affordable build. Prices for the early kits are 1$8 to $22 Canadian dollars and are a bargain for a Tamiya kits. And they have British and German aircraft in the lower price range. The fit and finish even on the very early kits are far better than some of the Revell and Airfix kits that cost twice as much. I did not realise the detail in this kit. Probably pick one up just for the detail.
In my humble opinion there was no armour plating because the designers of the Zero placed emphasis on having a light and very manoeuvrable fighter plane - think rapier versus broadsword here. Hellcat and Corsair were able to be fitted with armour because they have so much more powerful engines to overcome the added weight. 😊
Tamiya has a big range though. Today i picked up a 1/48 scale A6M5c zero at the hobby store for only 16. it may be older but i know its gonna be a great kit. Thats why i love them. Even their cheap kits are high quality.
I recently just finished this kit. Just put my gloss coat and decals on yesterday. It is fantastic for the age. 1983!! One thing I found however, is that the Tamiya color call-outs are pretty bad in their instructions. They recommend XF-11 for the green, and it is much too dark. I even pre-shaded the panels with flat green. XF-11 needs a good bit of white mixed in....or just get the updated IJN green. XF-70 I think. I used XF-11 and and seriously regretting it. Almost looks black! I do wish the cockpit had some more details but for $20 that kit is a steal
I will be getting this kit soon, even though I just completed Tamiya's 1/48 A6M5c. I love the fact they updated it with photo-etched parts and CANOPY MASKS!! Any build from Tamiya that comes with canopy masks is FIVE STARS by me! Lol Canopy masks are the bane of ny existence and I find myself spending insane amounts of time to make them for most kits. Especially for a kit like the Zero, where you have to cut something like 12-14 squares for the glass panes
When I was alot younger , canopies were the absolute difficult part of building model aircraft especially WWII. There wasn't the material and techniques available where I came from. Small towns just didn't have them. Now , that's all long ago. Scale modeling has had tremendous breakthroughs in all aspects and avenues. There are so many brands paints , Airbrushes are and absolute necessity and photo etch . I really like the idea of masking film added to aircraft kits .
I enjoy the line drawings included in kits especially if they are colored. They are good to frame or use for other scale measurement work if scratch building. At least in my opinion.🙂
Really great kit and I agree that all kits should come with pilots and figures. I was a Revell kit builder but I started to build some Tamiya kits and they are just in another level of quality and details.
Another superb review Peter. It's helpful to get a feel for a kit, your perception on it before purchasing - this one will be added to the build pile. Although I have not built a 1:48 scale kit before.
It's fairly expensive in my country, especially considering it only has half the stencils and pretty poor masks. Much as I love it, really don't want to be outlaying any extras for a 1/48 single engine type kit costing AUD$70.
We have Zero fighters in America. One day three flew over in formation. A M3 M3a and a 52. Going to the Lakeland air show. I found that funny. Like Pearl Harbor nobody notice. LOL
My dad used to tell me, that the kamikaze where locked into their aircraft, they had no choice other than crash the plane in to a ship, and if they did come back they could be discrased and possibly shot anyways! But that was my dad's stories, we all have a dad!
"Classic"? Er, no. This kit was from the 2008 new tool A6M5 and only released with A6M3 parts in 2010. 13 years, just doesn't rank it a "classic" inferring one of Tamiya's ancient or venerable kits, whichever euphemism one finds more palatable. The now 50 year old 1973 tooled A6M2, 1982 tooled A6M3 Model 32 or 40 year old 1983 tooled A6M5 might be considered classics, but not this kit.
Airfix are very set in their ways..”we’ve never provided masks and photo etch and we wont or ever will” a good product and getting better but they need to get with the times and catch up.
Hi Peter. Thanks for reviewing this one. I have never EVER built a `zero`. This has made me think again...Never too late. Been trying to keep up with the broadcasts but ZERO notifications ( looking at you you tube ) and being at work doesn't help. Keep em coming please mate. Cheers
Thanks Aubrey. Drop me an email @ MrMatchboxes@gmail.com and I will try to email you in advance. Meanwhile re-check the YT 'Notifications' bell and be sure to select 'ALL' on my channel. Might help. 👍🏻
Hey, Relax Pedro...I rotate them as there are too many for the desk...but don't worry, Portugal (Britain's oldest ally) is one of my favourite countries, I have travelled it from top to bottom, so you will be back to prominence soon, I promise! 👍🏻🇵🇹
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab The IJA and IJN were separate aviation operational entities during the Shōwa WWII period. The Type 0 was purposely designed for and operated by the IJN. The IJA's equivalent type was the Ki-43 Hayabusa referred to by the Allies as the "Oscar".
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab The Americans never had a separate Air Force either until 1947 with the creation of the USAF. During WWII they had the Army run USAAC and Navy run USN each of which ran an independent show and whose commands loathed each other too, so the ignorance of your "no wonder they lost" statement is particularly galling as it is stupid. Perhaps spend less time modelling and more time reading Clausewitz and you may come to understand why the Japanese lost to the industrial might, 150 million as was population, and quasi-infinite local resource might of the USA. "Superior numbers is the first and most general principle of victory". "Quantity has a quality all its own". See if you can tell me who uttered each of those paraphrased quotations?
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab fantastic Peter...never built any of their aircraft kits but have done a number of their motorcycle kits and i can only imagine they are to the same level of detailing and engineering
This aircraft was all about speed and manoeuvrability, and in 1941, it outdid anything. The americans had that is partly the reason that it didn't have any Armour plating. Or receiling fuel tanks. The japanese thought that this aircraft was invincible When the plane was designed, the powers to be asked for the optimum menability and speed And as it would outmanoeuvre announce speed anything the americans had it didn't need armour Plus the japanese were hoping for a quick war and get the Americans to do a deal with them plus by this time They didn't think the Americans would be able to make anything better in such a short time.
I remember when l started work which was in mid 70s for the Sunday Times in Gray's Inn Road London they was at Holbrn a Beatties Model shop and on pay day that when you use to get a little brown packet now wait for it had cash in it and even then Tamiya was something special l would get they soldiers AFV and l think they are still one of the best OH NO AM A FANBOY 👍
Silly statement really. Self-sealing tanks would have been more pragmatically useful than armour plating, although given the lightness/fragility of the Zero's airfarme, I doubt anything would have helped if hit by six .50cal MGs, and in the case of the P-38 additionally a 20mm cannon. Armour plating in the Zero absent up to the A6M5 Model 52 was forsaken for its amazing range considering its outstanding manouvreability & ROC at the time of its conception and first couple of years of its operational life when it didn't need it being able to outmanoeuvre everything in the sky, especially in its primary envelope above 15,000ft. The Zero ruled the Pacific skies against all comers until the end of 1942. But it was obsolete by mid 1943 with the appearance of the USAAC's P-38 in theatre, and a few months later the Navy's F6-F Hellcat. Largely unknown by the lay public, by 1943 the Japanese already had superior designs to the Zero which could go head to head with the Hellcats and Corsairs in the N1K2-J, and by 1944 the Ki-84, but neither the materials or more importantly manufacturing capacity to produce them in the numbers necessary in order to combat the immense output of American production. Nor the capability to refine high octane fuels to make the most of the engines they did have also restricted to radials due the skilled labour required to manufacture to tolerances required of inline air cooled engines as well as maintain them.
Thanks for another great review. I live in Malaysia, which has some issues modelling wise - shipping costs are horrendous - but has a great advantage. Japan is 5-6 hours away so I can easily do an overnight flight on Friday and be in the model shops of Tokyo or Osaka on Saturday morning. The prices of the domestically produced Japanese products are about 50% of what I’d pay locally and as an added bonus there are the wonderful 2nd hand shops in Akihabara. Swings and roundabouts. Keep up the good work, chill and have a glass of wine 🍷.
Happy to see the review but this kit came out 13 years ago and was originally tooled 23 years ago. Not sure why it would be relevant to compare it's quality to modern kits? The fact it had masks at all, let alone pre-cut masks, was ahead of its time for example.
Everyone is well aware of it's age...it is relevant in that it shows up more modern kits and reminds us how good these Tamiya kits really are at very sensible prices. 👍🏻
Another good review. Great value seeing as you get the figures, mask and photo etch although limited and masks aren't cut. Lack of stencilling at 1:48 is also disappointing. I bet it slips together a treat though! Will David get it back?
Hi Peter, I was wondering if you have heard any news (good or bad) about the Revell 1:48 Rafale? Academy have made a reboxing of the C version and the details look quite nice but I haven't seen anyone put it together. Cheers for the video too :D
Yes, they actually did add armour to later model Zeros (A6M5 and later) but they never did add self sealing fuel tanks (Weight consuderations - more weight, less agile) The original thesis was the Zero whould be able to minimise damage through agility... ie do not be where the bullets are!
Zeke IS phonetically pronounced "Zeek". "Zeke" NOT the ubiquitious "Zero" (the contracted pronunciation of "Type 0") was the American MALE NAME code assigned the Japanese fighter Type 0. No? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bCiPTJI3nf4.html The exception to this was the clipped wing A6M3 Type 0 Model 32 which was named "Hamp" although it too was generally referred to by the ubiquitious slang "Zero" handle.
@@timcvetic5054 No it was always Zeke for the A6M3 Model 22. The name "Hamp" was assigned ONLY to the A6M3 Model 32. By the time of the later A6M3 Model 22 it had been recognised both were just another Zeke/'Zero' and they were referred to as such differentiated by Zeke32 as necessary for the Model 32. Generally in everyday service, all of the Type 0s were referred to by Allied pilots as Zeros rather than Zekes regardless Zeke being the official American designation. The latter part of your assertion re the change from the intial allocation of Hap (General Arnold's nickname) to Hamp is accurate.
Yes - the Names were American Male and Female names names, applied by them easier to pronounce, and identify. Often when Actual name was not known. Much the same as NATO reporting names in use today.
I don't want to pay extra for a kit with figures. Kits are getting expensive enough now ( this kit was from when they weren't too expensive ) , so figures should be a separate item if people want them, because not everyone does.
You will now have the same problem with Eduard. Though the last two new Tamiya kits I reviewed (F-14a late and F-35A) seemed to have better (thinner) decals to be fair. 👍🏻
@@garfieldsmith332 true but still "head protection".....pretty piontless when you are going to crash your plane into an enemy ship on purpose and kill yourself in the process
@@jaws848 Well if the guy banged his head and died he could not follow up on his mission. I think it had a lot to do with their code and being fully dressed in full uniform. Only the Kamikaze know why, and they are not talking.🙂🙂🙂
There's no heating in the cockpit, so at 25,000 ft your gonna freez ya nutz iff ya not rugged up...including you're head...before you crash into a ship.
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab .....TAKOM.BORDER MODEL.G.W.H MODEL.MINIBASE-ооооооочень красивые китайские компанииииии,и они еще не разогрелисьььььь -пройдет какое-то количество лет и они засыпят!.засыпят всех нас шииииикарными копиями........
