Well done Robbie. A great effort as always. That’s one for my bucket list. To have Eduard send me one of their kits to build. You’ve done them proud and show cased their kit beautifully.
Well done! Your comments about people telling you which color it is supposed to be brings back memories for me. I was involved in an actual Zero restoration and we had literally a truckload of original parts. Suffice it to say we had several variations of Aotake from the same aircraft. When it came to the skin, we had several sections of unfaded well preserved skin with perfect paint. We used those as a guide and still some people said our Aotake and skin color were wrong. You can’t win, so there’s no sense trying to make everyone happy. If you like it, that’s all that counts! BTW, your color match is pretty spot on!
@@grahamhodgson9154 agree mate..but thats what happening to this iconic plane in all the forums i go in...but we try to do our best on what latest info we get on..cant pleased all of them.
I see you guys flawlessly masking canopies and always think “Howwww??”. There’s me with a magnifier, a fine brush, a few strips of guide tape and a squint to try and see the frame edge clearly :D
I struggled with the same problems of masking canopies. Pre cut masks are a Godsend. Lots of companies make masks now, Eduard has a huge variety of masks for all scales and manufacturers. They were a life saver for the 1/48 HK Lancaster I built. Highly recommend them.
Nobody alive today even has a clue what the correct colors were, they would talk to people, but how exact can you get from a verbal description, really. Also, the pilots back then didn’t care if they were flying a plane with pink and purple polka dots on it, they had a job to do and they didn’t care. Also, if you would ask them, if they were still alive, they wouldn’t remember anyway. Yes, there’s black and white photographs, but what do they tell you about colors? …. Nothing. I personally like when someone paints them lighter, more white color, than too dark of tan. A lot of those planes were painted with different hues and tints anyway, they never had exact matching paint, they would have a ballpark idea, paint them and throw their insignias on them. They were more interested in the planes performance than cosmetics. There are restorations of different planes from WWII and they have them all shiny with clear coat, those planes back then were flat, ugly, chipped and oversprayed paint jobs, not even the cars on the street were clear coated. They never had clear coat back then. Clear coat was never introduced until the mid to late 1970’s. So this guy is right, paint them the way that you think they should look like.
I am proud this great kit came from the czech republic, awesome build as always sir, now I am just waiting for Scale-a-ton and his take. Also I love your "it's your model you have to be happy with it in the end" philosphy, very true
Hi Robbie, That is one really nice nice looking Zero. It's must be nice to have a manufacturer appreciate your previous work by entrusting you with a sample kit for review. I'm currently on a bit of a Pacific theater kick in respect to audio books, so I'm looking at adding a Zero to the stash.If the Eduard one turns up here in NZ it's going to a duel between it and the newish Tamiya.
Hey Kiwi, I was very stoked to be sent the sample. The Tamiya Zero is nice as well but doesn't have the same cockpit detail or the rivets Eduard did. I'm sure these Zeke's will end up everywhere. It's a very solid kit
Thank you sir, I was avidly anticipating this video and it does not disappoint. I'll have to go back and take notes on your colour mixes but it looks like there's enough there to guide my choices. Also appreciate the tips on sanding and filling because us absolute beginners need every single thing spelled out for us. I dare say this wins best video of the week, even up against Will Pattison's IPMS travelogue epics.* * OK OK, Will's stuff this week is for Rube Goldberg connoisseurs only, but still....
Tsurugi ! Nice work - especially like the instrument pannel super detail idea - great special origonal parts -- HOW about illuminated - nano lights - thus can see more interior detail from outside - new idea big impact ? 日本語字幕が有れば、日本のエンドユーザーに浸透するでしょう。I love your strategies!
It's an incredible build. I know you said not to get hung up with the color - it's just that I can't help seeing a "brown" Zero in the thumbnail and yours look like the gray green I'm used to other model builds. Did this IJN plane expert advise brown or gray green?
New subscriber, years ago I was an avid builder, but life and family took over my " model time". However finally retired and model time is back. Along the way models, detail, material, suppliers kit cost have changed a great deal. I have discovered Eduards have the Camel and Spitfire kits, ( I want to build a Spitfire for Gillespie), They will probably be my go to kits in future but need to get my skill set back before building them. I need to get up to speed on your and putty for filler. It looks like you used a ' wipe off filler". I recall a green putty I think by Squadron, took a lot of sanding. I have been recoomended several variations of Tamiya glue. My go to paints were Humbrol. When I was building there were no " washing kits". I have several partially built kits and some old unbuilt for retraining. But the putty and glue would be of interest. AND your skills in this video are excellent, sorry for the long post, I've found kit review videos but not too many builders and your skills and materials are definitely a lot more current on where I need to be in today's model world. Would also welcome inputs from your fans. Thanks.
For glue Tamiya Extra Thin quick setting is a great well rounded glue. That's what I started with and only recently.l moved to a faster drying glue I use perfect plastic putty for the wipe away glue but one draw back is it shrinks after drying. So you'll need a few layers and allow it to fully dry.
@@TheModelGuy OOPS, I was researching video and a few more, forget to ask, How about the black gloves are they special kind to prevent body oils , or prevent glue from sticking. I remember getting " glue prints" from glue on finger tips. Sorry about that - so many models so little time :-)
Hey mate, just found your channel and loving it! Outstanding job with this and I really like the format of your videos. What brand of aircraft jig are you using there?
You are not kidding about the Japanese color can of worms. As a budding avid ww2 Japanese aircraft builder who's opinion matters almost none, color looks great! Glad to see this goes together so well, I'm looking forward to adding one to my stash...just as soon as I clear out some room and build the _other_ Zero's I have lol Great work as always, I'm about to try your 'sandwich shading' on a build I'm working on now, thanks for sharing your ideas and progress!
The Zeros start getting addictive fast when you see all the liveries you can do :) I like that the sandwich shading gives a lot of control over the depth to the paint. You can do so much just at that step alone to give the model life Send me some pics when you try it
@@TheModelGuy hey I tried sending them in RU-vid but apparently that didn't work I guess outside links are not welcome here. I also sent you a message on Patreon (I think) but also not sure that ever made it's way to you. Plus side it went really well! Lol
Greetings from Alberta! Amazing build as always! Would you be able to do a video that shows all the tools you use? Like the model of your airbrush, tweezers, jig that holds the models, etc. Keep up the amazing work! Cheers
Thank-you, so much, for your review of this kit - I never thought I would see the day when Eduard would produce any 1/48 Scale, Japanese aircraft, but I am so glad that they have. Thank-you, once more, for your review of the Eduard 1/48 Scale Zero - now all there is to do is to buy one!! Or two. Or, perhaps, three. Or ...
I love Japanese aircraft and so the Zero is top as standard..Your build is amazing and you’ve got my vote in colour choice..I’ve got this kit and will airbrush as much insignia as I can,I was just concerned about using the decals I can’t spray..Now seeing you can work with modern Eduard decals on this kit,I’m willing to do it.. As you suggested suggestions and as I love Japanese aircraft..How about Eduard bring a range of ki-43 Oscar’s along..Beautiful aircraft with many interesting paint scheme’s and much overlooked..ICM are bringing out a new ki-21 Sally and could name a whole bunch in 1/48 I’d love to see(E-13 jake..ki-49 Helen ..Ki-48 Lily..)… Thanks again and all the best from Blighty🇬🇧👍
Turned out great! One thing to bear mind with Japanese subjects is that nobody can really provide an authoritative answer - documentation is nearly nonexistent, information abundant and contradictory, and too little based on primary sources. Not to mention how little standardization there was between manufacturers, suppliers, production runs and individual units. Do it the way you like! One small note on aotake (青竹) - it’s less the name of a specific color, and more the family of protective finish, and similar to zinc chromate primers, color varies wildly, and use was inconsistent. The pronunciation of “ao” rhymes with “wow,” and “take” roughly with “café” but without the stress on the last syllable.
A few of the guys stating they were right were sending grainy washed out pictures from books. That had dark photos to start with. I settled on the one that sent a picture of a well lit fuselage part with some paint chips around it
Loved the video. I like to listen to your zero builds while I’m working on my Nichimo Ki-45, I’ve learned a lot of tips along the way. I wish more companies explored Japanese bombers in 1/48. The tamiya G4M1 Betty us the only one I’ve came across. So if Eduard decided to do a Ki-67 I would be all over it.
fantastic build. I definitely cant afford the Tora Tora Tora edition but this video sold me on the profipack they put out for the A6M2. I did have one question though as to what type of flat clear coat you used. It looks great!
Also watched your Tamiya Zero build from a couple of years back. Seems the Eduard one has lots of detail but from every Tamiya model I've built from the 90's up......well I just sit back and smile at how well they go together. I even built the Tamiya Zero from the 70's and it was amazing how well it went together for such an old kit. Both look like great kits. If you had your choice, considering all factors such as fit, detail, engineering, decals, cost and availability in Canada, which one would you pick?
Oh boy that's a loaded question :) First off, thanks for watching an taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it. I've done both the new tool Tamiya Zekes (A6M3 & A6M5) and they both assemble very well with no drama. The low parts count also helps it out. Now, The Model Guy from seven years getting back into this, and newer, or modelers who are happy with a build with no drama, I would suggest the Tamiya kit. The big difference with Eduard, is the surface detail and much higher parts count. There is also a lot more going on in the office. If you're put off by a high parts count, maybe steer away from this kit. But, between the Tamiya offering and Eduard, this would be my choice. I love detail and this is right up my alley. But I would happily build either.
Thanks for the reply. Got back into modelling in 2018 after a 40 year break and have been a fan of your channel for a couple of years. Built a couple of Eduard's recent kits in the past and they were great kits. Hopefully Eduard will come out with a weekend edition in the near future as they are usually great bang for your buck. The Eduard double pack is just to expensive for me. Will have to watch your 2 videos again and decide what one I will get. Eduard Profipack when it finally arrives in Canada or the Tamiya as it's readily available. Hmmmmm....
This was the reference I followed www.google.com/search?q=a6m2+landing+gear&rlz=1CDGOYI_enCA871CA871&oq=a6m2+&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j35i39l2j0i512l3.3513j0j7&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=if36LIpYVCusoM
@@TheModelGuy OK. The brake line passes through holes inside the gear cover, then twists to the leg and goes down to the wheel hub. On your link it is plainly visible. If you own the Maru Mecanic on the Zero there are very good pics of that. Regards.
Awesome A6M2!! I didn't know Eduard had one until I was Googling "1/48 A6M". Like you, I don't pay too much attention to what other modelers consider "right" or "wrong" in terms of colors. The weather and sun fading in real world environment is going to change what the colors look like to several different shades and variations of the original color. So just about any shade or tone of the original color could be considered correct. Every original photograph I've seen of Japanese aircraft, the aircraft are heavily weathered with lot's and lots of paint chipping and sun fading, and all sorts of different shades and tones of the same original color. With the weathering and chipping on your model, I would consider that a new and clean "Pearl Harbor A6M2". The paint used on Japanese aircraft before and during WWII was of very low quality, and from what I've read, they often didn't even prime them. It chipped and faded very easily. Japan didn't learn quality until after the war during the country's re-build when American engineer William Deming taught hundreds of Japanese engineers about how to engineer quality into their products.
For the white zero's I use tamiya Racing white. Don't really care about how accurate it is. I just hate mixing paint. If I mix paint I usually mix a tiny 5ml bottle of touch up and spray a bit on a styrene square to put in the box for future touch ups.
The cockpit is sort of the pearl of the kit. You know it's going to be a focus point and even if only a third of your effort shows, it looks better than stock
Really nice build. Love watching your builds as you don't make them over complicated, also the fit looks fantastic on the Zero. For my last Zero I used Vallejo Green Grey. Looked quite good.
You just make extra pointless work doing that underlayer pattern kind of pre-shading, because you basically covered the whole up with the base color. You make better, effective work if you rather do dark shading on the panel lines, chipping and washing the surface, or even changing the shade of base color just mixing some black or white to it and sparying it on different panel parts, giving the base color a bit or uneven, more interesting look. In my opinion satin or semi-gloss varnish works better for the wash, as the wash makes it flat anyway, so the glossy base make it more interesting when the wash is cleaned up at flat parts.
Strongly disagree. You get very controlled variation with the underlying mottling. This isn’t as worn out as some other examples later in the war. As for preshading every panel line? That looks too toyish in my opinion.
@@TheModelGuy but those random patterns have nothing to do with realistic worn effect or I am not sure what is the goal with those, also because you basically covered all, and can't be seen in the final result. It is still waste of time, if you can't see it. :D
Best cockpit detail is pilot from Hasegawa, Old Monogram, Fujimi or newer Tamiya kits. Option for wheels up are preferable. Why spend $130.00 on a cockpit. A 1/48 Japanese sitting pilot with a Hachimachi tied around his forehead is much better. That way you can have a dogfight with an allied fighter. Well everybody has different taste.
Excellent video, thank you, very helpful. My dad was a Pearl Harbor survivor, so he was probably shot at by one of these. One thing, though, I wish you had discussed and explained what you were doing with the Uschi mottle templates, and the colors you were using, while you were showing it, would have been helpful.
I’m actually doing this same kit. However I’m making a plane from the carrier Hiryu which had the light blue tail stripes. Any suggestions on an out of the bottle color?
Great work. Glad you weren't hung up about the colours. I have the added difficulty of being colour blind so I cannot mix and match a paint without help. I also tried special glasses for colour blind people and while they helped they I would never have the confidence to just 'go for it' so never actually purchased them and with corrective lenses they were very expensive. While chatting with the optician he also said that everyone perceives colours differently so what looks right to one person will look wrong to another. Maybe the people who are anal about colours should consider this.
Hi buddy just came across your channel cool looking zero you have done a fantastic job have just ordered this kit thanks for the tips on your zero will try some of these when I start building mine. cheers Gary from the UK 🇬🇧
Well 1930-40s aircraft paint is not your average DYI paint, but comes with military specs and requirements. Still does not mean that colors don’t have factory variation, period variation and environmental effects and even application techniques. Of course the best hard evidence are the aircraft samples followed by factory specs. Some of these factories still exist today. Besides what a color looks like from the factory and how it looks on a model with scaling and other considerations is something entirely different. As a side jump, you sometimes read how (some) pilots would try to get every bit of speed out of their aircraft by waxing them. You can imagine that a waxed aircraft would look very different to its drab counterparts. On the one hand everybody thinks they are an expert (after reading a couple of web sites, articles or books!) but don’t go dismiss everybody because some people have been studying the subject for decades. Also some references are quite good. Still leaves a lot of artistic interpretation, especially if some subjects are only known for photographs showing only part of the scheme and details. That’s where many heated debates can ensue as well. The A6M is a beautiful aircraft especially the early war Ameiro scheme, or the early field applied green camouflage. …and yes, people can have endless discussions on RLM colors and schemes and never come to a final conclusion.
Most accurate depictions I've seen are a olive sea grey. So, yours is spot on. I usesd to always think they were bleach white when I was a kid because of Tora, Tora, Tora and Black Sheep Squadron. I love the details to the rudder and ailerons in terms of a lighter color compared to the rest of the aircraft. A lot of builders get that wrong or totally miss it (myself included). Great work. I would love to see them do a P-40 B and A6M2 combo if they haven't already (I know Airfix did). Anyway, great build.
If I had a twonie for every person that came in here saying “you’re saying decals wrong” I’d be able to buy the Border Lancaster. Not everyone speaks English with the same accent.
Looks like an amazing kit Robbie. Great job on the build. I love your discussion on paint research. From what you said the dual boxing doesn’t include canopy masks?
Here's the thing with watching people build on RU-vid. You are seeing edited videos and people rarely show their mistakes. You have to also remember you are seeing years of experience and the only way to get that is keep building.
Never mind the controversy over Japanese colors. Let's deal with this DEKKLES thing. It's DEE-CALS. It's been Deecals since I'm 6 years old, when did it suddenly become dekkles? Drives me crazy. Anyway the model looks great despite this obvious error. :)
@@TheModelGuy thanks, but what I mean is, what make of paint? E.G. Airfix always list Humbrol and, Tamiya always list Tamiya paints (of course). So, what do Eduard lst?
@@TheModelGuy Off topic but your video did spark an idea.. And I will be getting this kit real soon. By chance what company makes a good line of JA planes.. I am trying to find ground crew, maintainers etc. and it's crazy hard.
I´ve just finishing my F4U 1/48 from Revell. I have a problem. After my Vallejo Air colours I´ve airbrushed a layer of gloss varnish (Vallejo), which i mixed with Vallejo Thinner. On some areas the gloss-varnish peals of like skin after a sunburn. Can anybody be so kind to tell me where is the reason for my problem?
Vallejo Model Air is a very delicate colour. You only need a few drops of thinner to paint to spray it. It sounds like you’ve put on too thick of a layer. I used Vallejo quite a bit starting out but being an acrylic it can be very inconsistent. If you are set on acrylic paints, I recommend moving to Mission Model Paints or the Mr Colour Aqueous Range
It might be the stupid question but, what are you applying starting 11:50 and what for? to imitate scratches on the wing edge? softened by thin glue or thiner?
@@TheModelGuy if you have alumium plane you airbrush, first you put down black primer, but how do you use mig chipping fluid to make base come through if black?
Another great model by you, it's great to see the efforts you go through to make everything look right. Keep up the good work and best wishes to you from NZ.😉. ps. I'm in the process of converting a 1.48 Revell B24D into an RAF Liberator Mk 3a from 224sqn Coastal Command, in memory of my great uncle who lost his life in a flying accident 30.10.1942. Their aircraft (FK242) hit a barrage balloon whilst attempting an emergency landing. What's the best thing or way to handle Revells horrible raised panel lines. I've looked at using the Tamiya panel line scriber but the line is too wide? Is there a better way of scribing a thiner panel line?
