1:48 A6M2 Zero open engine cooling flaps with exhausts detail set

Art Scale 1:48 A6M2 Zero, open engine cooling flaps with exhaust detail

This set from Art Scale is not a kit and not an airplane model; it is a resin detail accessory for kits of the Japanese A6M2 Zero carrier fighter in 1:48 scale. It contains the engine cooling flaps in the open position together with finely worked exhausts. Resin allows thin walls and sharp edges that injection-molded plastic cannot manage, so the open flaps look realistic even from close up and reveal the space behind the engine.

Why open flaps

The Zero was powered by an air-cooled radial engine whose temperature the pilots regulated with flaps around the rear of the cowling. On the ground and with the engine idling the flaps were usually open, which is how the aircraft looks in most period photographs from a deck or an airfield. Kits, however, usually offer them molded in the closed position; this set resolves that discrepancy and adds better rendered exhausts as well.

Use

• Intended for kits of the A6M2 Zero in 1:48 scale (primarily the Eduard kits).
• Before gluing, wash the parts in lukewarm soapy water, which removes the mold release residue so that paint will hold.
• Cut the casting blocks off with a saw (a razor saw, for example) and do not snap them, as resin is brittle.
• Glue with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue); ordinary plastic cement does not work on resin.
• When sanding and cutting resin, protect your airways (a respirator) and work wet; use a primer before painting.

Who the set is for

For builders of Japanese aircraft who want to lift the detail of the engine section of their Zero above the level of the kit. Working with resin calls for a little experience and care, so the set suits more advanced modelers.

This is a detail accessory, not a model. The base kit, glue and paints are not included in the package.