In Box Review of Tamiya 1/48th Scale
Japanese Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero Fighter "Hamp"
Kit no. MA-125
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1982
Available at Kit Linx for $13.99, at Sprue Bros. for $13.99, at Section 8 Hobbies for $14.00 and at Megahobby for $14.35 and at 12 locations overseas on the web.
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1982
Available at Kit Linx for $13.99, at Sprue Bros. for $13.99, at Section 8 Hobbies for $14.00 and at Megahobby for $14.35 and at 12 locations overseas on the web.
HISTORY:
Much has been written over the years about the Japanese Zero Fighter aircraft series. Much was based upon hearsay and legend and little upon fact itself.
Even the Allied Forces and governments refused at first to acknowledge its existence, and when they did get a copy of it, they could hardly believe the performance it produced.
The prototype Zero or A6M1 first took place on paper on January 17, 1938, following the Japanese request for a shipboard fighter with top speed of 270 kph at 12000 ft and 6-8 hours of cruise economy endurance and 1.5-2 hours at normal combat speeds.
Armament was to be two 20 mm cannon and two 7.7 mm machine guns, plus the normal radio equipment and direction finding gear. These specifications were so far from the existing state of the art that the famous Nakajima Company dropped out of the competition, stating that they were impossible to meet.
That left the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and their design team, headed by Jiro Horikoshi, being the only company to tackle the problem. First flight was on 1 April 1939 and combat trials were concluded in July 1940 with 15 pre-production A6M2's, sent to two squadrons by the end of the month.
These aircraft had folding wing tips to accommodate aircraft carrier elevators, and were the ones first seen by Gen. Chennault in China, and at Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Although the A6M2 met or exceeded original design specifications, modifications were taking place at the Mitsubishi factory to improve roll rate, speed up handling aboard carriers, and utilize the uprated Sakae 21, 1,130 hr engine.
The first A6M3 type 32 (code names "Hamp") took to the air on 15 July 1941 with production beginning in April 1942. A total of 343 aircraft were produced by August 1943, when the type 52 A6M5 began production. The type 32 A6M5 had the most radical change in the entire series and was readily recognized by it's squared-off wing tips.
This reduced-total span to exactly 11 meters and eliminated the cumbersome folding tips, which consumed time during combat to get the aircraft down carrier elevators. The larger Sakae 21 engine gave the type 32 a better rate of climb and the shorter wingspan (1 meter shorter) lessened stick forces and increased roll rate.
The Hamp was utilized throughout the war, but saw most of its service off of land-based installations in the southern island chains of New Guinea and the Philippines.
Much has been written over the years about the Japanese Zero Fighter aircraft series. Much was based upon hearsay and legend and little upon fact itself.
Even the Allied Forces and governments refused at first to acknowledge its existence, and when they did get a copy of it, they could hardly believe the performance it produced.
The prototype Zero or A6M1 first took place on paper on January 17, 1938, following the Japanese request for a shipboard fighter with top speed of 270 kph at 12000 ft and 6-8 hours of cruise economy endurance and 1.5-2 hours at normal combat speeds.
Armament was to be two 20 mm cannon and two 7.7 mm machine guns, plus the normal radio equipment and direction finding gear. These specifications were so far from the existing state of the art that the famous Nakajima Company dropped out of the competition, stating that they were impossible to meet.
That left the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and their design team, headed by Jiro Horikoshi, being the only company to tackle the problem. First flight was on 1 April 1939 and combat trials were concluded in July 1940 with 15 pre-production A6M2's, sent to two squadrons by the end of the month.
These aircraft had folding wing tips to accommodate aircraft carrier elevators, and were the ones first seen by Gen. Chennault in China, and at Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Although the A6M2 met or exceeded original design specifications, modifications were taking place at the Mitsubishi factory to improve roll rate, speed up handling aboard carriers, and utilize the uprated Sakae 21, 1,130 hr engine.
The first A6M3 type 32 (code names "Hamp") took to the air on 15 July 1941 with production beginning in April 1942. A total of 343 aircraft were produced by August 1943, when the type 52 A6M5 began production. The type 32 A6M5 had the most radical change in the entire series and was readily recognized by it's squared-off wing tips.
This reduced-total span to exactly 11 meters and eliminated the cumbersome folding tips, which consumed time during combat to get the aircraft down carrier elevators. The larger Sakae 21 engine gave the type 32 a better rate of climb and the shorter wingspan (1 meter shorter) lessened stick forces and increased roll rate.
The Hamp was utilized throughout the war, but saw most of its service off of land-based installations in the southern island chains of New Guinea and the Philippines.
THE KIT:
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Shizuoka, Japan. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
The bos art shows 4 Zeros flying over Mt. Fuji. All are dark-green over light-grey under-carraiges, with black cowlings.
The nearest Zero has a bare metal spinner, narrow red fuselage band and a white rudder code of T2 over 197.
One side panel has a color side profile of the box art scheme.
It was with the 204th Fighter Group, Rabaul 1943.
This is followed by a one-paragraph history of the Zero and color illustrations of a seated pilot and 3 pilots that are standing and waving their caps and Tamiya's address in Shizuoka, Japan.
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Shizuoka, Japan. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
The bos art shows 4 Zeros flying over Mt. Fuji. All are dark-green over light-grey under-carraiges, with black cowlings.
The nearest Zero has a bare metal spinner, narrow red fuselage band and a white rudder code of T2 over 197.
One side panel has a color side profile of the box art scheme.
It was with the 204th Fighter Group, Rabaul 1943.
This is followed by a one-paragraph history of the Zero and color illustrations of a seated pilot and 3 pilots that are standing and waving their caps and Tamiya's address in Shizuoka, Japan.
The other side panel has 3 color side views of Zeros.
One is overall base-metal with a black cowling, a diagonal blue fuselage band with 2 black Japanese characters -874 over more Japanese characters over the band. It has 2 yellow horizontal bands on the rudder with black V-190 between them.
It was with the 1st Tainan Fighter Group.
The second side view is dark-green over a light-blue under-carraige, with a black cowling and a white rudder code of 2 Japanese characters -182.
It was with the 2nd Tainan Fighter Group.
This is followed by model particulars: This is an exact 1/48th scale rendition of the type 32, A6M3 Zero fighter, code named "Hamp". Fabric covered control surfaces, panel lines and under-surface detailing are accurately depicted. Cowl flaps and canopy can be modeled in the open or closed positionl, 7 figures, including pilot, and 4 sets of authentic decals are included for finishing.
Kit was made in Japan and Tamiya's address in Shizuoka, Japan is shown.
One is overall base-metal with a black cowling, a diagonal blue fuselage band with 2 black Japanese characters -874 over more Japanese characters over the band. It has 2 yellow horizontal bands on the rudder with black V-190 between them.
It was with the 1st Tainan Fighter Group.
The second side view is dark-green over a light-blue under-carraige, with a black cowling and a white rudder code of 2 Japanese characters -182.
It was with the 2nd Tainan Fighter Group.
This is followed by model particulars: This is an exact 1/48th scale rendition of the type 32, A6M3 Zero fighter, code named "Hamp". Fabric covered control surfaces, panel lines and under-surface detailing are accurately depicted. Cowl flaps and canopy can be modeled in the open or closed positionl, 7 figures, including pilot, and 4 sets of authentic decals are included for finishing.
Kit was made in Japan and Tamiya's address in Shizuoka, Japan is shown.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds 3 light-grey trees and a clear tree in 2 stapled-shut clear cello bags, the decal sheet in another taped-shut cello bag, the instructions and 2 copies of color kit catalogs.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 7" x 11" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up in the scheme of the side panel with tail code V-190 (instead of the V-182 shown there). This is over the history of the Zero in English and German and an illustration of a Zero type 21 and a type 52.
Page 2 through 4 gives a grand total of 10 assembly steps.
Pages 5 & 6 are the painting and marking guides. Showing a top and bottom view and four side views of Zeros.
The 1st side view is overall light-grey, with a bare metal spinner, black cowling and a black fuselage code of 2 Japanese characters - 872 and a black rudder code Q102.
It was with the 2nd Fighter Group, Buna, East of New Guinea 1940.
The 2nd side view of a Zero is over the one on the side panel with rudder code V-190 (already described above)
It was with the Tainan Fighter Group, Rabaul 1943.
The 3rd side view of a Zero is in dark-green over light-grey undercarriage, with a black cowling and black rudder code of 2 Japanese characters -182.
It was with the Tainan Fighter Group, 2nd Squadron, 1944.
Trees are alphabetized.
Light-grey letter A tree holds: standing and seated figures, propeller, elevators, main wheels, seat, engine parts, cockpit floor, dashboard, bulkhead, landing-gear legs and doors, tailwheel etc. (39 parts)
The kit holds 3 light-grey trees and a clear tree in 2 stapled-shut clear cello bags, the decal sheet in another taped-shut cello bag, the instructions and 2 copies of color kit catalogs.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 7" x 11" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up in the scheme of the side panel with tail code V-190 (instead of the V-182 shown there). This is over the history of the Zero in English and German and an illustration of a Zero type 21 and a type 52.
Page 2 through 4 gives a grand total of 10 assembly steps.
Pages 5 & 6 are the painting and marking guides. Showing a top and bottom view and four side views of Zeros.
The 1st side view is overall light-grey, with a bare metal spinner, black cowling and a black fuselage code of 2 Japanese characters - 872 and a black rudder code Q102.
It was with the 2nd Fighter Group, Buna, East of New Guinea 1940.
The 2nd side view of a Zero is over the one on the side panel with rudder code V-190 (already described above)
It was with the Tainan Fighter Group, Rabaul 1943.
The 3rd side view of a Zero is in dark-green over light-grey undercarriage, with a black cowling and black rudder code of 2 Japanese characters -182.
It was with the Tainan Fighter Group, 2nd Squadron, 1944.
Trees are alphabetized.
Light-grey letter A tree holds: standing and seated figures, propeller, elevators, main wheels, seat, engine parts, cockpit floor, dashboard, bulkhead, landing-gear legs and doors, tailwheel etc. (39 parts)
Light-grey letter B tree holds: fuselage, wing's bottom halves, seated pilot figure, drop tanks, air intake, cowling flaps etc. (17 parts)
The un-alphabetized light-grey tree holds the lower wings halves etc. (3 parts)
The cowling was loose in the box.
The clear tree holds 2 canopies (one is open and one shut) (6 parts)
The decal sheet and 2 color kit catalogs complete the kit's contents. Detail is engraved.
Recommended.