Hasegawa 1/72 Mitsubishi A6M5C Zero Type 52 "Hei"

HASEGAWA 1:72 A6M5C ZERO - TYPE 52 "HEI"

Reviewer: Jon Hudak (JPHUDAK@aol.com)
Kit Review submitted: 2 April 2005

Aircraft History:

The history of the Zero is pretty well known but I'll touch on it briefly for this specific type. In short by 1943 facing new Allied opposition with airplanes like the Hellcat and Corsair the Japanese military found themselves at a distinct disadvantage with their Zero fighter. What the Zero needed now was better armor protection, armament, self sealing fuel tanks and a higher top speed. The A6M5 Model 52 "Hei" or C model was a continuation in the 52 series with the most notable changes being the addition of a pair of 13 mm machine guns just outboard of the 20mm wing cannons. The original 7.7mm machine gun on the left side of the cowling was now deleted leaving the sole 13mm gun on the right side and the 4 guns in the wings for a total of five altogether. This was the heaviest armament carried by Zeros so far. An 8mm armor plate was installed behind the pilot's seat and a 55mm plate of glass was installed behind the pilot's head plus an additional 37 gallon self sealing fuel tank being installed behind the pilots' seat to increase the range. Despite all of these improvements the weight of the Zero had increased by nearly 700 pounds. The proposed higher horsepower Mitsubishi Kinsei 62 engine which would have had a much more needed 200 extra horsepower was denied for use of the type by the Navy and they suggested to use a water methanol injection system on the Sakae 21 engine. Many teething problems were encountered so they had to use the existing 1130 hp Sakae 21 engine. This meant it was grossly underpowered and coupled with the lack of quality pilots gave it a disadvantage right from the start and so it made easy prey for marauding planes like the previously mentioned Hellcats and Corsairs. Still the A6M5 was only marginally slower than a Hellcat and in the hands of a good pilot it was still a force to be reckoned with. Some 93 were produced before production was finally terminated. The Japanese military seemed to have had the right idea with all the improvements but as you can see with the lack of a better engine these changes didn't amount to much. It's interesting to note that throughout it's career the Zero had basically only used two different engines, the Sakae 12 and the Sakae type 21, thats just two different engines in five years of service! I'd like to dedicate this review to Steve Papworth as he was so kind as to compliment and refer to my previous Zero reviews and then go so far as to refer to his as a supplementary review to mine when he did his excellent A6M5 review a while back. Thanks Steve I was very honored!

The Kit:

Packaged inside are no less than 6 individual sprues of light gray plastic plus 2 smaller ones for the canopy and the head/shoulders armor. This is a very nice kit and it lives up to the quality standard that you'd expect from this firm. All the parts are crisply molded and there is some lovely detail throughout like a two piece cowling and separate exhaust pipes as well as the nicely executed recessed panel lines. The propeller assembly is a four piece affair with separate blades which attach to a backing plate. Even though it's pretty much foolproof with the tabs on the backs of the blades and mounting holes on the backing plate I'd still prefer a one piece prop as they can break down the road if you're not careful. In conclusion I'd have to say I was impressed with the overall quality of the kit and number of parts it comes with.

Instructions:

An A4 style booklet folded in four with a history in both Japanese and English starts things off. There are a total of nine assembly steps that are multi-lingual with nice well detailed illustrations to help things out as well as a sprue tree map showing which parts are not for use. Color callout is given in Gunze numbers with the translation of the color in English to the far right. That shouldn't be too hard as it's basically IJN Green over IJN Gray, etc., etc.

Decals/Markings:

Provided with the kit are markings for two aircraft, one from the 203rd Naval Air Squadron at Omura Air Base in the Nagasaki Prefecture from August 1945 which is a little more colorful with it's double banded fuselage stripe as seen on the box art and the other a machine from the 252nd Naval Air Squadron at Shigehara Air Base from the Chiba Prefecture in March 1945. Both aircraft are in the familiar green over gray schemes with blue-black cowlings and yellow leading edge wing identification bands. The decals are of the usual Hasegawa quality and look fine and are packaged separately along with the clear parts in a sealed plastic bag which is a nice touch. An added bonus on the decal sheet are three sets of numbers ranging from 0-9 in two different sizes and three different colors. So you get a set of standard sized numbers in yellow and a set each in black and white of a much smaller sized that could be used for serial numbers and the like. The fact that you get doubles of each number is also nice. Boy I wish you'd get these with all kit decal sheets! I applaud Hasegawa for doing this as you can always use the numbers for something else like a different numbered aircraft etc.

Preamble/Intro:

Let's face it, at one point or another many of us have all gone off and started a kit with the best of intentions only to find it ending up in that "pile of misfit kits" that some of us end up developing. Sure, we get all fired up at first and can't wait to finish it but then something happens and the model starts to sit and before you know it days become weeks, weeks become months and then you pack it all up back in it's box and set it aside. There are lots of reasons why this sort of thing happens, busy schedules, priorities or worse yet, dare I say it ............you lose interest? Or at least for that moment? Maybe another modeling project with more priority pushes the former aside or maybe it's a whole nother reason entirely. I'm sure alot of you know where I'm coming from. There is light at the end of the tunnel though and the nice thing about going back to a previously started kit is that you are already ahead of yourself and usually it calls for less work than it would if you were planning on starting that newest hot item you just bought. I never used to do this kind of thing but now I too can say "it's happened to me!" It all started when I was working on my last Zero, an A6M2b Pearl Harbor one which was well over a year ago that I was building for a theme contest.

Construction:

Well lets face it, I guess I like Zeroes! While working on the former I thought I'd be wise and stretch the paint a little so I also sprayed all the related parts of this kit as well with Tamiya XF71 IJN Cockpit Green which is a pretty close match for Mitsubishi interior green. Being miserly with paint sometimes is usually what gets me into predicaments like this! Normally I will tend to see one kit through to the end before starting another one, or at least be reasonably close to finishing one before starting another! Now well over a year later I decided to finish what I started and glued everything together for the cockpit including the floor, control column, seat and rear bulkhead. The decals for the console and instrument panel were applied along with some seatbelts made from painted masking tape and then the completed assembly was secured up into the recently glued fuselage assembly from underneath. The wings came next and I decided to work on the seams of these first before gluing the completed assembly onto the fuselage. This was done with a 4-way Sentai sanding stick and a bit of liquid glue. The wing assembly was glued on next and even though a couple of spots were missed the majority of the work on it was done. The rear stabilizers came next and now the airframe was complete. Some filler was required here and there in the usual spots like where the wing assembly joins up with the fuselage on the bottom and also where the central fuselage insert piece goes that's just aft of the cowling. I should mention at this time that the cowling had also been previously painted following the kits instructions by mixing 60% of Gunze H5 Blue with 40% Gunze H2 Black for that unique Japanese blue-black cowling color.

The instructions recommend that you fill the area where the tail hook would normally goes since I think almost all of the Type 52s were land based. This took several applications of filler and next time I'd probably try fitting in a sliver of some sheet styrene plastic. The propeller assembly consists of a backing plate and three individual blades. I myself prefer a one piece prop but it's not bad and there are holes with little pins on the back of the blades to aid in alignment. The engine was painted flat black and dry brushed with aluminum for a little detail and the front hub was also painted in aluminum. I've done something new in regard to reviews as of late and did this partially while working on the Tamiya 109 and even moreso on this build and that is to write the review while building the kit. It's alot easier this way than trying to remember everything after you've already built the kit and it also shortens the time spent typing away later!

Painting & Markings:

With everything looking pretty good the cockpit was taped off and some Humbrol #34 Flat White was sprayed on as a base coat for the leading edge wing id bands.

"Yellow areas for wing bands sprayed"

Afterwards the propeller assembly and spinner were painted with Tamiya XF-64 Red Brown and the wing bands were followed up with some Floquil Reefer Yellow the next day. The bands were then masked off with Tamiya tape and the bottom of the plane and outsides of the gear doors were sprayed with Gunze acrylic H61 IJN Gray.

Next I masked off everything in preparation for the upper surface color and the model was sprayed with Gunze acrylic H59 IJN Green which I lightened with a few drops of H316 Gunze Gloss White. The green and gray were also gloss colors by the way. A few minor specks were wet sanded out with some 3000 plus grit polishing cloths and the entire model along with the propeller, cowling and gear doors were sprayed with a coat of Future to prep the surface for the decals and left to cure for a full 24 hours.

Takeo Tanimizu:

Takeo Tanimizu once said "I believe in fate. God determines at the time of birth just when and where a person shall die." Takeo joined the Navy when the Pacific War started to begin his flight training and graduated in March of 1942. This was against his mothers wishes who happened to be a pearl diver of all things. He would eventually transfer to the Shokaku in February 1943 after various assignments none of which saw any combat. In November of that year he claimed two P38 Lightnings in his first combat and would go on to score at least one B24 Liberator and a number of other aircraft. Aside from being a revered pilot he could also show compassion towards his enemy and on one occasion he dropped down and threw down his life ring to a downed Corsair pilot in the water on January 4.1944. The pilot was Captain Harvey F. Carter of VMF-321. He gave a wave of thanks to Tanimizu and recovered the ring but was never rescued. Tanimizu said the F6F Hellcat was his greatest foe for it could maneuver and roll with you whereas other planes like the Corsair and P38 were too big and too heavy and were better at high speed passes. On another mission in November of 1944 he was caught by surprise by a P51 Mustang and had to ditch his Zero which was aflame. He was later rescued by some Chinese near a beach and spent a month in the hospital before being ordered back to Japan. An admiral rejected his request for a kamikaze assignment and he was then sent to the 203rd AG in Kyushu. The kill markings on his Zero were painted on to inspire confidence to the young rookie pilots in his unit. One of them was a Corsair and another a B29 shared with Tetsuzo Iwamoto who was the top JNAF ace. Even after surrender was announced on August 15th 1945 Takeo would still not accept defeat and searched for enemy aircraft for 5 more days and also dropping leaflets to urge the public to continue the fight. He survived the war with a total of 32 victories but due to the often exaggerated claims this number may not be entirely accurate. Nevertheless he had an amazing career and fought with P38s, Hellcats, Corsairs, P47s, P51s, B24s and B29s.......in short, very impressive.

Painting & Markings Continued:

It was shortly after painting that I'd decided to eschew the kit's markings and depict the aircraft of Takeo Tanimizu's A6M5C which are provided in the Academy kit. Some of you may ask why didn't you just build the Academy kit with these markings then? I wonder that myself, but that's where my frame of mind was at the time, it really was a last minute decision! Perhaps I'll build the Academy kit and use the Hasegawa markings and do a real flip flop! Anyway I used only the Academy decals where necessary and they bedded down nicely with some Micro-Set. I used a set of one piece hinomarus outlined in a black green color from an aftermarket Techmod sheet to speed things up a bit as this kit was also for an upcoming contest that was just a couple days away! These went down with no problems but the Micro Set wasn't having much of an effect getting them to snuggle into the panel lines and the same with the Micro Sol. For the rest of the markings I used the Hasegawa decals. For some of the larger decals I used Micro-Set diluted with water as more than one person has told me that Hasegawa decals and MicoSet/Sol solutions don't always mix. This helped and I'll do it again when using Hasegawa decals in the future. Some people may not have any problems, but for me, I have in the past especially with small wrinkles in the hinomarus.

In the meantime I sanded a flat spot on the tires and painted the wheels with Humbrol 27001 Metalcote Flat Aluminum and the tires with Tamiya XF-69 Nato Black. The four wing guns were painted flat black and the external balances on the wings painted with the Gunze H59. A few hours were allowed for the decals to dry and then all the areas were wiped down with a damp cloth to remove any excess setting solutions and then the model was sprayed with a coat of Testers Glosscote diluted with lacquer thinner. I used a wash made from Pollyscale black acrylic paint on the bottom and also some penciling to highlight the panel lines. After the final flat coat all the masking was removed from the canopy and wing leading edges. I did a pencil line treatment on the upper surfaces but it disappeared under the final coat of Testors Acryl clear flat sprayed straight from the bottle. Lastly the drop tanks braces were then added and to check the fit while the glue was setting up on these parts, I test fitted the assembly underneath the fuselage. This proved to be a good move and helped set everything in place allowing the unit to fit while the glue was still setting up on the braces. The completed unit was sprayed with Gunze H61 and any lost recessed line detail was rescribed and given a final flat coat with more of the Testors acryl stuff.

"Canopy and wing bands masked off, model ready for more paint"

Final Bits:

The wheel wells and inner sides of all the gear doors were brush painted in aluminum followed by a mix of "Aotake" that I did from three parts of Tamiya Clear Blue and two parts of their Clear Green, or was it two and three? This is a good match for the original and is what I always use now. I cut it with a drop or two of Tamiya thinner (Isopropyl alcohol would probably work too) which allows it to flow better into all the recesses just like the original. The main landing gear assemblies were glued on and allowed to dry and the wing guns were painted flat black and installed with white glue. The last things to be added were things like the pitot tube and the small landing gear door parts as well as the drop tank and antenna, the drop tank has four mounting pins and was such a snug fit it needed no glue and was simply pressed carefully into place. The wing tip and formation lights were painted with a base color of Model Master Chrome Silver and with Tamiya Clear Red for port and a blue-green mix also from, you guessed it, Tamiya Clear Blue and Green! Some weathering was done with artists pastels and a silver pencil and I did a light wash on the bottom in a couple of areas with some artists Burnt Umber oil paint thinned with turpentine. Now the model was finally finished and I have another Zero to add to my collection and it looks right in place next to its A6M2 and A6M3 counterparts.

Conclusion:

Now the model was finally finished and it's nice to have a late war Zero to add to my collection which looks right in place next to its A6M2 and A6M3 counterparts. Now all I have left to do are a Type 11, 22, A6M5B , Rufe and thats still not all of the ones I want to build so this ought to keep me busy for a while! This kit went together easily, requiring only a minimum of filler and presenting no problems during construction. It was really a trouble free project which builds up into a nice looking model and represents an important WW2 aircraft of late war Japan. Recommended.

References:

Aces Of The Rising Sun by Henry Sakaida
Osprey Publishing
A6M Zero In Action
Squadron Signal Publishing
Mitsubishi A6M Zero by Artur Juszczak
Mushroom Model Publications

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