1:48 A6M2b Model 21 Reisen/Zero Optical Illusion Control Surfaces (Academy)

Control surface and flap masks for the Zero model 21 in 1:48 scale

The set is intended for spraying shadows along the dividing lines of the moving surfaces. The control surfaces and flaps then look separate and slightly deflected, even though they remain a fixed part of the model. The set is intended for the Academy kit.

When the effect makes the most sense

A model built straight out of the box has smooth flying surfaces with the gaps merely suggested by engraving. In a display case, and above all in a photograph, the wing then looks like a single piece of plastic. A sprayed shadow breaks that flatness and gives the model depth without your having to cut into the parts, glue them back on and deal with filling the gaps. It is therefore a route for builders who want to see the result quickly and without the risk of ruining a finished airframe. It will not give you genuinely deflected surfaces, though; the set does not change the geometry of the parts.

Practical execution

The effect is done at the very end of painting, after the base coat and before the matte varnish. Choose a shadow shade only a little darker than the surrounding color and lay it on in very thin coats until you get a soft transition. Anyone who adds paint too quickly ends up with a sharp stripe that cancels the illusion. Press the masks down along the whole length of the line and take them off before the varnish cures. The subject is the Model 21 version, that is the carrier version with folding wingtips that allowed handling aboard an aircraft carrier.

Who the set is for

• Builders of the Zero version 21 in 1:48 scale
• Modelers who photograph their models
• Those who do not want to cut the control surfaces off and glue them back in
• Airbrush users who can manage fine layering of shades