Looks like a really nice kit. Looking forward to your build!

To Ulterior Modem,

It really is and I concur, I also cannot wait to start my build.

Toshi

I think I'm going to have to change my opinion of Tamiya.  I'm seeing photo etch, canopy masks, generous decals- stuff you would have to go AM on other kits.

To Wirraway,

I'm sorry that in the past apparently Tamiya has disappointed you.  Please note that it is only the 1:32 kits that have the complete aftermarket kits included in the builds.  These kits run at or around $100.00 plus.  On that note, if you purchase a kit and add the same included aftermarket items, you get to the same price point.  So it evens things out.  

What's cool is the amount of detail there is for the aircraft.  I've built two 1:32 kits, a P-51D Mustang and a F4U-1 Corsair Bird Cage Canopy.  There is one more propeller driven aircraft, a Supermarine Spitfire.  If you're a fan of modern day jets, the 1:32 kits cater to this genre of jets.  Ultimately, there's a lot to choose from.

Going back to my zero, there's a display stand, the box turns into a storage and a display.  The engine can be displayed, wings fold, landing gears are styrene wrapped around metal with actual spring action and so on and so forth.  The accuracy and detail is something I've never seen before.  

I hope that you continue to follow this thread as I'm going to do a complete WIP.  I'm currently awaiting my Tamiya paints, it should arrive sometime this week, upon it's arrival I'll start this build ASAP.  Thank you for the read and reply.

Toshi

Looking forward to seeing the amount of detail this kit offers.

Man, it's amazing BrandonK!  I thought the Tamiya 1:32 Mustang and Corsair build were extremely detailed, this blows it out of the water.  It's as if I'm building a real zero.  I should be able to start this build in a few days.  I'm just waiting on my Tamiya paints.  As with the majority of all model kit builds, the first thing to tackle is the cockpit.  I need something called Japanese aircraft cockpit green, this color is part of my delivery.

Toshi

Wow, that's just amazing Toshi. I still haven't bought any of the new 1/32nd Tamiya kits but gosh that's tempting! Though I have a 1/32nd Hasegawa P-47 I really need to build first...

And as to the interior colour the Mitsubishi Zeros had an interior that looks pretty darn close to US interior green/zinc chromate green to me. Those built under license by Nakajima the interior looks really close to RAF interior green. Or so they seem to my tired old eyes!

To Gamera,

I highly recommend this series, especially in the hands of a pro like you!  I tried mixing paints until 1:00am.  Mrs. Toshi got really mad, she said; "Stop wasting paint and just buy the correct one"!  I heard and I shall obey.  LOL!  No, Really.

At the very least, I'll have the correct Tamiya XF-3108766003275 or whatever it is!  Ha,Ha!

You should see the correct exterior color, it's horendous.  It's called Japanese Navy Green-Gray.  Yuk.  I hope that when I spray this on that this will look authentic and not some type of lime colored custom airplane.  

Get this, a section of the engine frame requires a paint called Metallic Blue.  What am I building here?  A "1967 Shelby Cobra Mustang with a 428ci double pumper"!  Hah!

Thanks for the visit, I'm always honored sir.

Toshi

I have one of these in the stash I picked up for $65 online.  Looking forward to building it one day

Hey Toshi- yeah the Green-grey is something called either ame-iro (caramel candy colour) or mei-kaishoku  (ash green colour) or something like that. Here is an article on the colour but I've read it several times and it just makes my head hurt- I'd just go with whatever Mr. Tamiya says is correct! 

The metallic blue is aotake. The Japanese factories painted the interior parts with a bluish varnish as an anti-corrosion measure. It was translucent so you can see the shiny metallic though the blue. I've painted parts with aluminum paint and then put a light coat of Tamiya clear blue over them before but the metallic blue paint looks almost as good. The aotake did slightly shift colour as it aged though becoming more green so on a old battered plane you can can go with a metallic greenish-blue or just straight metallic blue on a new plane.

Sorry hope I didn't bore you, some people really get into American or German aircraft but I love Japanese planes- don't ask me why- I'm Scotch-Irish by heritage!  

To Gamera,

Wow, not only is your knowledge superb but the mastery of such a difficult language is so mastered by you sir, I'm beyond impressed.  Since my accident, I forgot everything pertaining to the Japanese language.  I used to be able to read, write, and speak fluent Japanese.  

Believe me you, just by your explanation of the Tamiya colors in Japanese, you've actually jogged my memory.  I'm in tears right now!  Thank you, thank you, and thank you!  You've healed me, all this just from a FSM forum.  Oh, wow!

Allan Toshio Miura Jr.

Wow, God bless you sir! I'm afraid I don't know much Japanese at all, I took a few courses but frankly was pretty terrible. About all I know is technical terms and I'm not even sure I pronounce them correctly! I enjoy your stories and am happy to help out in return if I can.

Cliff

Toshi - You're quite a fortunate man, to have so many members for "pen pal's." I truly love to see the interest it has rekindled in your modeling, then you sharing so much of your and your families history with them. Well done, Cliff, and all the other members that are so kind and encouraging.

Toshi, when you finish this Zero I'll bet it will be your best one of all. I'm looking forward to it.

Patrick

To SubarooMike,

That's a great price, mines came out to $110.00 including S&H via EBay.  I'm still in shock that the box itself turns into a presentation and storage facility for the "Zeke".  Thank you for visiting this thread and the reply.

Toshi

To Patrick206,

Yes, I agree with what you've written.  Technically, I should be dead, so says all my doctors.  So I feel I'm fortunate and blessed as you so correctly wrote.  It is members like you that uplift me everyday with your encouragement and general day to day activities.

As for my Zero, I don't know if it'll be my best yet, but you can count on me to ensure that I'll assemble and build the "Zeke" to the best of my abilities.  Thank you sir for everything!

Toshi

Toshi

May I suggest with respect you check out a fella on YouTube he goes by"International British Modeler"

He currently has a "Group Build" contest. He built 2 1/48 Tamaya "Zeke"s. He is a superb modeler and informs you step by step how he builds and what paints the models. His colours are spot on and the finished product is a sight to behold.

Please check him out.!!

Looking forward to this one as always, Toshi!

The Type 21...my favorite zero.  Tamiya's XF-76 is their reprepresentation of Ame-hiro.  It's what I use for this elusive color and I like it. I look forward to your progress Toshi.

Joe  

Hurray! I found your next build! I was hopping I wouldn't miss this.

Steve

To BlackTulip109,

That's why I love you forum members, there's always, always something new to learn!  I will check out "International British Modeler" ASAP!  Thank you for the read and reply, especially the tip.  There's no disrespect on my end, I have an abundance of respect for you and forum members.

Toshi

To Devil Dawg,

I too can't wait to build this kit, hence my build of the P-47 Thunderbolt.  It's a interim kit, yet I now enjoy and am having so much fun building the P-47.  I have the OG P-47 Thunderbolt and the new A-10 Thunderbolt II, this is so cool.  Thank you for everything sir!

Toshi

To lawdog114,

I'm glad we are both on the same page, there are so many variances in the Zero, I didn't know which Zero to build.  If my memory serves me right XF-76 Ame-Hiro, has arrived, I just need to pick it up at the office center here at Settlers Landing (The condo at which Mrs. Toshi and I reside at).  All I need to start this project is my Japanese Cockpit Interior Color Green.  

I purchased a special ten 35ml. bulk set from a seller named Jackrabbit via eBay, his store has so much Tamiya paint and other misc. items at reasanoble prices it was a exciting experience for me just to purchase it, imagine a little kid being told to buy toys for himself!  LOL!

The rest of the paints should be here today and or tomorrow, I'm hoping today.  Thank you lawdog114 for every thing you've done for me.

Toshi

To modelcrazy,

Yes, it will be my next build; "If my freak'in Tamiya paints arrive" LOL!  Thank you sir for the read and reply as well as following my WIP builds.  This means so much to me.

Toshi

To my fellow forum members,

I've finally received my Tamiya paints.  The seller via eBay, jackrabbit has been a upmost professional individual.  He made sure that I had ordered the correct paints for this build.  I ended up purchasing a lot of ten 23ml Tamiya acrylics.  As I've never used Tamiya paints in my life, this should be a refreshing experiment.  Remember those scientific kits when we were all children?  That's the ones where you mix things up and test your concoction with litmus paper.  I'll be following closely in what we used to do as children.

Some time tomorrow after breakfast, I'll start the Zero build.  What's unusual about this build is that the first thing to assemble is glueing the two halves of the fuselage together, how weird is that!  Normally it's the cockpit that gets all the attention, not this time.

So far things looks good, it's when you get to the cockpit at step four, that's when things get interesting.  Well, all I know is one step at a time.

Toshi

This is what held me up.

Mr Toshi,

Those are some nice pics Mrs Toshi downloaded for you, just make sure while your looking, the pictures of the real plane aren't of an AT6 modified to look like a Zero, and done very well too (the wings, gear and cowl are quick giveaways). Those are owned by the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) and were used to great extent in TV and movies. The have since purchased a real flyable A6M for their inventory. There are VERY few flying Zero's, maybe 2 I think. I could be wrong though.
The cockpit picture looks to be correct. Probably off the plane below.

Actual Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Zero at the Reno Air Races in 2013.

I have a story about the AT6 Zeros, if your interested.

After I graduated High School, I wanted to be an aircraft mechanic. So I attended an 18 mo school in Waco Tx in 1979-1980.
Well in August 1980, here comes this massive hurricane called Allen into the gulf coast. Since the Commemorative Air Force (Confederate Air Force at that time) was located in Brownsville Texas, right on the coast then, they needed to move their inventory to safer ground. The CAF spread all their planes to different locations, and our airport received their "Japanese" squadron.
Well I was walking out of a hanger at the field and heard the sound of several radial engines flying overhead. When I looked, I saw several "Zeros" flying overhead and and peeling off for a landing, and thought of what the guys at Pearl must have felt. I was so excited! I couldn't believe my luck to see those planes up close.

Steve

Looking forward to watching this one, Toshi. Looks like a great kit, and thanks for the peek inside the box.

Toshi,

You'll find alot of conflicting info on what color the Zero, inside and out, is supposed to be. Most of this is personal preference and not based on fact. To this day, no one really knows for sure exactly what the color was, so you kinda gotta go with what you feel is best to meet your own personal desires. I spent a great deal of time researching my Zero and settled on the Tamiya Grey Green XF-76 and the Mr Color Cowling Color #125, which is a black with a blue tinge. The cockpit I used Tamiya XF-71 slightly darkened with a black base and light coat to allow it to show through a bit.

Overall, everyone has their own opinion on how it should look and you are just gonna have to settle for what you feel is best. I even went so far as to have a lengthy conversation with a gentleman who had researched this for some 30+ years. I still felt like I had to guess on the colors. Keep in mind that many of the restored planes you see photos of are also just another guess. Paint this thing as YOU see best and enjoy the process. I don't think we will ever settle on any one EXACT color for the Zero.

Here is a link you can check out. I found the images very helpful.

modelingmadness.com/earlya6mcolors.htm

Good luck,

BK