1:32 A6M5 Zero seatbelts SPACE

Model 52, the most numerous of the whole family

The A6M5 version appeared in 1943 as an answer to faster American opponents. The designers shortened the wing and rounded off its tips so that the machine would take steep dives better, and let the exhaust gases leave through individual stubs instead of a common collector, which gained a small increase in thrust. It was this form that was built in greater numbers than any other and that accompanied the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service to the very end of the fighting in the Pacific.

How the set differs from photo-etch

The straps are printed into a three-dimensional layer with a faithful fabric texture and with the color baked in at the factory, so laborious toning is no longer needed. The layer sits on a steel base that holds its shape: a belt can be bent over the edge of the seat, left hanging freely down the side or rolled up, and it will stay put. The hardware is sharply rendered even under a magnifier, which matters in a large scale where the cockpit is open to view.

Procedure in the cockpit

Finish the seat and the frame in color first and only then fit the belts. Separate the individual strips with a sharp knife on a cutting mat, bend them with flat-jawed tweezers and secure them with a drop of glue at the edges. It pays to plan the work so that at least one loose end remains visible over the side of the seat, because that is what gives the cockpit life. If you are building the model with the canopy closed, it is enough to seat the belts taut along the seat back; with the canopy slid open it is worth giving them more time, as they become one of the first places the viewer's eye will go.