1:48 A6M5c Zero

The last major version of the legendary Zero

The Mitsubishi A6M entered the war as a carrier fighter with exceptional range and agility, bought at the price of an almost complete absence of armor and self-sealing tanks. The A6M5c form of 1944 was an attempt to put that handicap right: an armor plate behind the seat was added, protection for the tanks and armament strengthened by heavy machine guns in the wing. The result was a heavier and less nimble, but considerably more durable aircraft.

A fight against a superior opponent

By the time this form reached the units, Hellcats and Corsairs were flying against it, which it could no longer match in speed or in rate of climb. The Imperial Japanese Navy nevertheless kept committing the type, because the intended successor could not be brought into production in time. A considerable part of the machines ended up in the last months of the war with special attack units, where neither agility nor armament mattered any more. Over 10000 of all forms of the type were built in all, which made it the most numerous Japanese combat aircraft.

Masks for the canopy frames

This item is not a kit of the aircraft but a set of cut self-adhesive masks for 1:48 scale, adapted to the kit by Hasegawa. The use is simple: the individual parts are lifted off the backing with tweezers, laid on the glazing frame and pressed down so that no air is left under the edge. The glazing is then sprayed in the fuselage color. Colored markings on the fuselage and the wings are not among the contents of the package. Once the sprayed paint is dry, the parts are carefully lifted with the tip of a scalpel.