1:48 A6M3 Type 22 landing flaps PRINT

Eduard 1:48 A6M3 Type 22, landing flaps from 3D printing

Landing flaps are among the parts where the limits of injected plastic show best. A mold cannot make a surface that is thin at the edge and well drawn from the inside at the same time, so the flaps from a kit look like planks. This set from the Czech company Eduard replaces them with resin parts from 3D printing for the Mitsubishi A6M3 Type 22 version in 1:48 scale. It is not a model of an airplane but an accessory for an already purchased kit.

The real subject

The A6M3 Type 22 is a version of the Japanese carrier fighter Zero that returned to the longer wing with folding tips after the shortened square wing of the Type 32. It thereby regained both range and agility. Parked machines usually had their flaps down, so a model with the flaps retracted looks static, whereas lowered flaps give the wing depth and show a piece of the internal structure that a kit normally does not deal with.

Building and painting tips

Cut the parts off the print supports with a saw or a sharp scalpel and never break them. Level the cuts with wet sandpaper and wash the resin in soapy water before painting, so that the remains of manufacture are removed. It is bonded with super glue applied in spots. Space for the flap bay usually has to be cut in the wing, so try the fit dry first. The interior of the bay is painted on Japanese machines in the bluish green interior color, over which a dark wash and fine dry brushing of the ribs work well. Finally unify the surface with a matte varnish.

Who the set is for

• Builders of the A6M3 Type 22 model in 1:48 scale
• Modelers who want to build the aircraft with the flaps lowered
• Those who are bothered by the thickness of the plastic flaps from a kit
• More experienced builders, as the fitting calls for cutting and sanding

This is an accessory set, not a kit. The base model of the aircraft, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.