Lifelike Decals 48-062 Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighters Part 2

Lifelike Decals Set 48-062 Part 2 is the second of two recently released sets of beautifully printed decals for Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters in 1/48 scale (and more Zero sets are planned and being prepared). This set contains markings for 13 subjects of different variants, including an A6M2-K two-seat trainer and two A6M2-N 'Rufe' floatplane fighters. It also includes the comprehensive notes as provided in 48-061 and the sheet of Hinomaru decals 48-SP-01 for which the previous comments also apply. 

The subjects in this second set, shown above, are as follows:-

• A6M2 Type 21 'X-183' as flown by PO 2/c Yoshiro Hashiguchi of 3 Ku from Kendari in February 1942; in overall grey-green, depicted with a blue fuselage band, white tail stripe and 11 cherry blossom kill marks on tail fin.
• A6M2 Type 21 'V-117' as flown by Lt Masuzo Seto of Tainan Ku from Balikpapan or Denpasar, Bali during January and February 1942; in overall grey-green, depicted with two blue fuselage bands and red tail stripes above and below the tail code. This well known aircraft has been depicted with various colour combinations for the fuselage bands and tail stripes but the caption presents the sound reasoning for the choice of colours in this set.
• A6M2 Type 21 '81-1146' of 381 Ku flown from Sorong airfield on Efman (or Jefman) Island in May 1944; in dark green over grey with theatre markings of grey painted tail fin and wing tips. white cowling front and white fin stripe, speculated as command markings. This aircraft has been previously depicted with various garish cowling front and tail fin colours but Lifelike set the record straight. The airfield was known as 'Sorong' to the Japanese even though the town and harbour of that name were across the sea to the east of the island on the north-western tip of New Guinea also incorporating a seaplane base.  
• A6M2 Type 21 'EI-111' as flown by Lt Hideki Shingo of Shokaku Fighter Group during the Battle of Santa Cruz on 26 October 1942; in overall grey-green with white fuselageband and three white tail stripes, all outlined red. 
• A6M2 Type 21 '虎-143' (Tora - Tiger-143) of 261 Ku flown from Kagoshima from end of 1943 to early 1944; in dark green over grey with white fuselage bands, tail stripe and wing stripes. Although the caption describes the spinner as speculatively depicted as dark brown the accompanying profile depicts a dark green spinner. 
• A6M2 Type 21 '雷-134' (Rai - Thunder-134) of 265 Ku flown from Xinzhu (Hsinchu), Taiwan at the beginning of 1944; in dark green over grey with yellow lightning flash across tail fin and rudder and red tail code outlined in white. 
• A6M3 Type 22 '191' as flown by Lt jg Usaburo Suzuki of 582 Ku from Buin on 7 April 1944; in field applied dark green over grey leaving some parts of the upper surfaces uncamouflaged, with two yellow fuselage chevrons and red tail code outlined white. The code '191' is speculative. 
• A6M3 Type 22 '173' as flown by Lt Cdr Saburo Shindo from Buin on 16 June 1944; in factory applied dark green over grey with two yellow fuselage chevrons and red tail code 173 outlined white. Two pairs of fuselage chevrons are included for this and the previous subject with slightly different yellow hues.
• A6M2 Type 21 '81-1138' of 381 Ku flown from Sorong airfield on Efman (or Jefman) Island, Western New Guinea in May 1944; in dark green over grey with theatre markings of grey painted tail fin and wing tips, but differenced from subject # 3 by a non standard Houkoku-type marking in white on the rear fuselage. This aircraft is noted as carrying air-to-air bombs under its wings. 
• A6M2-K 'ツ-415' (Tu-415) of Tsukuba Ku flown from Misawa, Aomori Prefecture, Japan during September 1944; in dark green over orange yellow with yellow painted upper fin and rudder. Although the caption describes the spinner as speculatively depicted dark brown the accompanying profile depicts aluminium.
• A6M2 Type 21 'BII-124' as flown by NAP 1/c Hajime Toyoshima of Hiryu Fighter Group, and force landed on Melville Island on 19 February 1942; in overall grey-green with two blue fuselage bands and blue tail stripe. 
•  A6M2-N '34-116' of 934 Ku flown from Halong seaplane base on Ambon Island in March 1943; in dark green over grey with yellow lightning flash insignia on fuselage.  The white borders of the Hinomaru have been overpainted on this aircraft. Ambon was part of the Molucca Island group in the Banda sea between Sulawesi and western New Guinea.
• A6M2-N '934-06' as flown by PO 1/c Hidenori Matsunaga of 934 Ku from Halong, Ambon Island from March 1943 to April 1944; in dark green over grey with yellow lightning flash insignia on fuselage. Although the caption shows '934-116' this is a different aircraft to subject # 12 and the profile and decals are correctly shown and printed as '934-06'.

Again the chosen subjects in the 48-062 set are excellent, presenting a variety of colourful schemes and markings with the usual Lifelike attention to detail. The comprehensive notes included are an added bonus. The decals, printed for Lifelike by Microscale Industries in the USA, are sharply printed to a gloss finish with bright colours and strong saturation.  It should be mentioned that both sets 48-061 and 48-062 include stencils  and positional schematics for them (as shown below). Recommended kits are Eduard, Hasegawa or Tamiya for the A6M2 and A6M2-N, Eduard or Tamiya for the A6M3 Type 22, and Hasegawa for the A6M2-K, so this is an excellent set for finishing any older kits in the stash. What a pity that the A6M2-K trainer is not better represented in available 1/48 and 1/72 kits! Again this set is highly recommended.

With special thanks to Keishiro Nagao of Lifelike Decals for the review samples and the work put into presenting this set.

Image credit: All © 2023 Lifelike Decals

Lifelike Decals 48-061 Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighters Part 1

Lifelike Decals Set 48-061 Part 1 is the first of two recently released sets of beautifully printed decals for Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters in 1/48 scale. This set contains markings for no less than 14 subjects of different fighter variants, including an A6M2-N 'Rufe'. But the package is not just limited to decals as included is a thick wad of seven A4 sized pages of comprehensive data which, in addition to the usual detailed descriptions and discussions for each subject with biographies and anecdotes of the notable pilots, also includes detailed notes on Zero camouflage colours, with Lifelike's own take on the still contentious subject of the early Zero colour, various markings data, an explanation of Hinomaru sizes and of IJN pilot ranks (which have been variously translated and compared in the past). The amount of data incorporated into this set makes it a reference source in its own right in addition to providing the decals. 

The subjects in this first set, shown above, are as follows:-

• A6M2 Type 21 'AI-159' as flown by Lt Cdr Shigeru Itaya of the Akagi Fighter Group on 7 December 1941 during the attack on Pearl Harbor; in overall grey-green with red fuselage band and yellow stripes above and below tail code in red.
• A6M5 Type 52 Hei '03-09' as flown by CPO Takeo Tanimizu of 203 Ku's 303 Hikotai from Kagoshima in June 1945; in dark green over grey. This is a well known Zero due to widely circulated photographs of its rear fuselage.
• A6M3 Type 22 '53-102' as flown by WO Tetsuzo Iwamoto of 253 Ku from Tobera, Rabaul at the end of January 1944; in dark green over grey with 60 cherry blossom kill marks. There are no known photographs of this aircraft and the depiction is based on Iwamoto's diary with an interesting discussion of the kill marks on the rear fuselage.
• A6M3 Type 32 '2181'/Houkoku-877 of 582 Ku flown from Lae in the Spring of 1943; in overall grey-green.
• A6M2 Type 21 'K-108'/Houkoku-556 of Kanoya/751 Ku flown from Kavieng in November, 1942; in overall grey-green. An interesting subject offering a change from some of the more well-known Zero units with presentation legend and a red diagonal band on tail fin and rudder.
• A6M2 Type 21 'オタ-1182 of Oita Ku flown from Oita, Japan in April 1943. A fighter trainer depicted in overall dark green with white tipped spinner, cowling face and tailplanes. In addition. there are broad white bands above and below the tail code, depicted in yellow. 
• A6M3 Type 32 'V-190'/Houkoku-874 as flown by Lt Kikuichi Inano of Tainan Ku from Buna in January 1943; in overall grey-green, depicted with a blue fuselage chevron and white tail stripes above and below tail code. 
• A6M3 Type 32 'Q-102'/Houkoku-872 as flown by WO Kazuo Tsunoda of 2 Ku from Buna on 26 August 1942; in overall grey-green. 
• A6M5 Type 52 early '53-104' as flown by WO Tetsuzo Iwamoto of 253Ku from Tobera, Rabaul at the end of February, 1944; in dark green over grey. Another Zero flown by Iwamoto for which no photographs exist and the early Type 52 variant is deduced rather than confirmed. This one is depicted with 70 cheery blossom kill marks on the rear fuselage. 
• A6M3 Type 32 タイ-180 as flown by CPO Takeo Tanimizu of Tainan Ku (2nd generation training group) from Tainan on 3 September 1943; in dark green over grey with yellow inscription on rear fuselage. 
• A6M2 Type 21 'BI-151' as flown by Lt Fusata Iida of the Soryu Fighter Group on 7 December 1941 during the attack on Pearl Harbor; in overall grey-green with blue fuselage and tail bands above and below tail code in red. 
• A6M3 Type 22 '6-171' of 201 Ku flown from Rabaul East in August1943; weathered dark green over grey. This aircraft with its unusual patchy appearance has been interpreted in model form  at AoJ twice, by Mark Smith in September 2021 here,  and by Artur Domanski in April 2018 here.
• A6M2 Type 21 'EII-102' as flown by PO 1/c Tetsuzo Iwamoto of the Zuikaku Fighter Group on 7 December 1941 during the attack on Pearl Harbor; in overall grey-green with two white fuselage bands and a single white tail stripe above the tail code in red. 
• A6M2-N 'NI-118' as flown by Lt jg Keizo Yamasaki of 802 Ku from Shortland Island on 11 February 1943; in overall grey-green. The single 'Rufe' on this sheet, featuring two blue fuselage bands and red tail stripe with 'battleaxe' kill markings. 

This decal set 48-061 (and set 48-062) also includes a sheet of Hinomaru as 48-SP-01 (shown below). During  the preparation of the 48-061/062 sheets, Lifelike noticed that many Zero kits and aftermarket decals do not always include the correct sized Hinomaru, so they decided to also release 48-SP-01 as a separate set. Unfortunately Hinomaru I and K were missed from this sheet and a corrected replacement sheet should be available around late March this year. This set is also a useful reference source with detailed notes on positions and dimensions of the Hinomaru on Zero fighters. 

A correction sheet for the kill marks on the second subject of the 48-061 sheet, Tanimizu's A6M5, will also be available at that time as the two different blue colours on the US insignia on the original sheet were not as discernable as planned. When the replacement and correction sheets are available Lifelike will send them to all parties who purchased the 48-061, 48-062 or 48-SP-01 sheets. But as they cannot guarantee that retailers will retain these sheets for customers they will also announce on their website when the replacement and correction sets are available, advising modellers to contact their retailers first.  However if the retailer does not retain them then modellers can contact Lifelike to request them directly.

The chosen subjects in the 48-061 set are excellent, presenting a variety of colourful schemes and markings with the usual Lifelike attention to detail. The comprehensive notes included are an added bonus. The decals, printed for Lifelike by Microscale Industries in the USA, are sharply printed to a gloss finish with bright colours and strong saturation.  Recommended kits are Eduard, Hasegawa or Tamiya for the A6M2 and A6M2-N, Eduard or Tamiya for the A6M3 Type 22 and 32, and Hasegawa or Tamiya for the Type 52, so this is an excellent set for finishing any older kits in the stash. Highly recommended.

With special thanks to Keishiro Nagao of Lifelike Decals for the review samples and the work put into presenting this set.

Image credit: All © 20243 Lifelike Decals

Revell 1/72 Mitsubishi Ki-21 for May 2024

A surprise announcement by Revell of a 1/72 kit of the Mitsubishi Ki-21-1ko Type 97 bomber 'Sally' to be released in May this year. The general presumption seems to be that it is a re-release of the ICM kit but there seems to be a difference in the number of parts and the Revell website states that the kit will have 'an extensive bomb load for individual design'. Intriguing. Has there been a resurrection?

Image credit: Heading photo © 2024 Revell GmbH

Update

Added a 1974 Revell advert for Pactra paints in UK to the blog article Pactra Authentics and the Japanese Air Force published in September 2010. 

Rufe Duo in 1/144 by Mark Smith

It is a delight to feature this write up and images of a superlative build of the Sweet Suisen times two in a hard to believe 1/144 scale by AoJ Texas correspondent Mark Smith. Over to Mark then:-

Suisen Times Two

'I have a deep and inexplicable attraction to 1/144 scale aircraft.  The eight LS kits of Japanese single-engine taildraggers, along with the Imai 1/144 Japanese twins (reissued for a while by Hasegawa and more recently Doyusha), fueled this many years ago, by offering worthwhile kits that repaid a little extra care and attention with a reasonable replica instead of the toylike appearance from which earlier efforts in the scale suffered.

'Then Sweet Models of Japan came along with their Zero family, Hurricanes, Wildcats, Mustangs, and many more single engine jewels.  A new standard of excellence had emerged, and even with the nice 1/144 Platz efforts of recent years, for me Sweet still holds serve.  But with that standard came a new pattern, a dynamic that can lead to trouble, or so I’ve heard.  These kits, made to put together in an evening or a weekend, were so good on the sprues that they also came with an invisible siren song that prompted what might be possible in terms of additions if one were willing.  'That way madness lies; let me shun that; no more of that.'  Lear was right of course, tragically right.  Listen to the man!

'While I’m pleased with this pair of Suisen – pleased with anything that ends up in one piece these days – the two reminded me of the old lesson: the imagination, God bless it, is a ‘clean room’ where anything is possible; but the workbench is where reality lives, and it prefers the reasonable.  Time after time.

'I wanted to build one well-known Rufe in overall olive grey assigned to the Kimakawa Maru seaplane tender, and another that would be provisional in its markings, to represent a Takuma Ku veteran that had been through the wars, with overpainted codes and with camo applied and then touched up. 

'I enjoyed the freedom that the latter option afforded, and it led to discovering a new way of applying a mottled or worn finish that yielded far better results than any freehand airbrushing I could accomplish, especially in this scale.  This involved using a ‘clothes dryer sheet’ (‘anti-static-cling’ - one brand here in the US is Cling Free) which had been through a few clothes cycles, opening up the weave a little.  What is perfect about this method is that these dryer sheets have no perceptible pattern to their weave and the random affect imparted is what I wanted.  It must be wrapped tightly around the surfaces, and secured on the opposite surface with tape to keep it taut, but it’s a lovely stencil for camouflage. Once tried the many possibilities for any scale can be appreciated.  Re-wrapping and spraying again yields a different effect, as does changing the angle of spray, as does using a different sheet that has been through fewer or more drying cycles, or a different brand. 

'And it’s not a specialized modeling product yet, so it’s free!  For multi-color mottles (the kind Luftwaffe types bring to mind, yes, but also not unknown on Hayabusa airframes in more than one theater of war) it has great possibilities.  It’s a little labor-intensive to set up, but worth the trouble.  When I saw the first results, I thought immediately of 582 Ku in the Solomons with that thick, almost solid, mottling applied to many of their Zeros.  I could finally see that happening in a way that I liked in 1/48 or 1/72 scales.  My friend Pat Donahue can get similar effects by hand, as this blog has shown; but not all of us can, though, and here’s a way in for me. 

'The boarding ladders are from the Brengun p.e. set for this kit, as are the lovely little pilot seats. The paints are Tamiya mixes, with the Dark Green in this case being a 50/50 mix of the two Tamiya shades for this color (XF-11 and XF-70). The rest of the cockpits are from scratch. The ‘wave base’ employed in the photos is from a 1/144 Rufe, a pre-painted model by Takara and it fits nicely. The beaching dolly is from the Sweet kit. The floats have some additional details engraved.  Markings are a mix of decals and paint.

'Sweet’s A6M2-N is remarkably accurate in the unique fittings and panel lines the floatplane conversion required.  The ‘relofted’ tail, carefully drawn to large scale with exact measurements in a TAIC report filed on a derelict Rufe discovered, is faithfully reflected in the kit as well.  As I recall its photos noted a surprise to American analysts, and later to modelers: the folding wing tips remained. There is even a tiny blister provided, a later appearance I believe, which covers the fuel pump that is offset on the main float of applicable airframes.  I found particularly helpful notes on Rufe paint and markings in Combat Colours 9: The Mitsubishi Zero by Nick Millman, nicely illustrated by Mark Rolfe.  This is hard to find now, at least in America, so grab one if you see it. 

'To close, I’ll take this chance to say how much a comfort and connection that Aviation of Japan has been.  No one ever asked me to pay for it, and the sole proprietor (who does pay for it) has never been above helping modelers and historians with the kind of info which others might understandably hold tight for a future book or project.  It’s been of great practical help as well as that other kind one can’t easily pin down, which involves encouragement.  I’ve loved writing for the blog, too.  Here I’ve been allowed to offer a tribute to my uncle on the 75th anniversary of The Battle of the Coral Sea (technically off-topic); an extended article about the development and design of Saiun (too long probably, but again humored); and even, under the pen name of Malcolm Hood, a little jibe at our own expense, “A Short Story for Christmas: Rufe Revelations” – definitely off topic, but brought on board nevertheless.  I could not have gotten away with this anywhere else, or had as much fun doing it.  As my mom would have it, ‘say it along the way - or it might never be said.’ Thanks Nick, and thanks to all of you who have shared your work and thoughts here. '

Thank you Mark, for the write up, images and nice words about this blog. 

Image credit: All photos © 2024 Mark Smith

Aichi E7A1 'Alf' in 1/72 by Rob Ronconi

It's back to IJN floatplanes for this first blog of the New Year with a companion piece to the 1/72 scale  E7K2 'Alf' modelled from the AVI Models kit by Rob Ronconi and shown here in November, Rob's E7K1 is another convincing masterpiece from the AVI Models kit # 72074.

Rob's Hiro-engined Alf bears the kit-provided tail markings of the IJN Minelayer Okinoshima in 1941 and carries a quartet of bombs. In early 1942 Okinoshima was busy supporting the occupation of the Gilbert Islands, the invasion of Rabaul and landing troops at Tulagi. On 4 May 1942 she survived attacks by 13 SBDs and 11 TBDs, managing to evade eight torpedoes launched at her from both sides by frantic manoeuvring at 20 knots. But eight days later she was torpedoed off Buka Island by Lt Cdr Oliver G. Kirk's USS S-42 (SS-153) in a night submerged attack and sank the following day. 

Rob observes that AVI Models 'Alf' is 'a bit of a tricky fitting kit' but built the kit out of the box with just the addition of a Fine Molds Nano Aviation 72 Type 92 rear machine gun, and Tally Ho photo-etch ring and bead sight. Rob had always wanted to make one of these seabirds, and considers the AVI kit is the best version on the market. The Nano Type 92 (Lewis) machine gun sets are finely moulded plastic single piece guns with separate magazines to represent both IJN and Allied versions, coming as four sprues of two guns and eight magazines each, moderately priced by today's standards, with English language instructions and well worth the investment for those who like to work in 'plastic purity' without having to use CA glue.

With special thanks to Rob for sharing these images of his excellently presented and photographed model.

PS Have also updated information about the HMA 1/72 Ki-43-III Ko conversion set for the Hasegawa Ki-43-II kit here.

Image credit: All model photos © 2024 Rob Ronconi; Okinoshima box art © 2009 Fujimi Mokei Co., Ltd.; Nano Aviatio 72 box art © 2018 Fine Molds Corp.