Profile Photo
Ben Walmsley
11 articles

Eduard’s Zero Type 11

September 13, 2024 · in Aviation · · 33 · 273

G'day folks, here is an early zero from .

Nice kit but I managed to find a way to make it difficult. Despite exercising due care on the construction of the wheel wells and main wing, I had trouble mating it to the fuselage. I had to shave down the top of the wheel wells until they were almost translucent and even then it's not right. I don't know what I did wrong there. Otherwise it went together nicely.

It's painted with Tamiya acrylics and mostly weathered with oils. I think it's a tad heavy handed but I'm still trying to understand oil paint weathering. The smoke stains were airbrushed and, as usual, I'm disappointed with the result. I'm pretty c**p at weathering with the airbrush.

Tribulations aside, I'm happy with the model overall. Each completed project looks a little better than the last so I'm satisfied. Now, on to the next one.

Thanks for checking it out.

Reader reactions:
16  Awesome 1 

9 additional images. Click to enlarge.


33 responses

  1. You very likely didn't get the wheel wells properly placed during construction. I've built six Eduard Zeros and never experienced this problem. You have to be very careful with modern Eduard kits - the mating surfaces must be clean, no sprue nubs etc., and then the parts have to be positioned carefully to get exact placement. You can't throw these kits together like a 30 year old Tamiya kit. Even when you are careful you can mess something. It's why they're called "fiddly."

    Your paintwork on the model is excellent. You got the "shade line" fading just right.

    • Thanks Tom.
      You’re right about the modern Eduard kits. I definitely cleaned up the parts properly, but I must have misaligned something in the wheel well during construction. I’ll chalk it up to experience.

      • It's the only way we learn. Fortunately, you were able to pull a good "save." I can tell you as someone who has built a lot of new Eduard kits, I worry about "getting it right" with assembly of every one of them.

  2. Paint, weathering, cockpit, and canopy detail all look great, Ben...nice job!

  3. Nice! I like the subtle pre-shading. We’ll done!

  4. Awesome weathering, looks great, Ben!

  5. Wow. Excellent result. I’d be proud to build at this level.

  6. Despite your ordeal with the wheel wells the end result is really good. I believe you nailed the colour and the cockpit looks awesome.
    I also built their Type 21 Zero some time ago (Their Zero lineage is of their best kits imo) and I second Tom opinions about this Czech maker, in their modern kits all fits perfectly if you follow instructions and do some dry runs first.
    Now personally don’t call Eduard kits fiddly…but they certainly have 0 tolerance for mistakes 😉

    • Cheers Pedro. Yes , they are challenging kits to build well. I am sometimes conflicted by them. On one hand I marvel at the design, fit and exquisite detail, but on the other I question if it’s really necessary to have a wheel well or gun bay made up of so many tiny parts. Mind you, most of the questioning coincides with me having glued my fingers together again.

  7. What everybody else said! This looks great - love the paintwork and weathering!

  8. Well for your hard work Ben the Zero looks fabulous with very realistic weathering. Fantastic 👍

  9. Excellent build, Ben @popeofchillitown
    Great paintwork and to me your airbrush weathering looks perfectly fine.

  10. Sharp looking Zero!

  11. On a scale of ‘Zero’ to ten - looks like an ‘11’ to me.
    Excellent build, Ben.

  12. This is really nice. Well done.

  13. Your Zero looks excellent in every respect, Ben! Painting and weathering are super, they look very realistic!

  14. G’day Ben (@popeofchillitown),
    Very nicely done.
    I’m still working on my weathering techniques and skills, too.
    I always feel that everyone else manages realistic and subtle effects and mine are always obvious and over done.
    We can be too self critical. 😊
    Liked!

    • Thanks for your kind words Michael @michaelt
      I think the problem is that weathering either looks great and really elevates a model, or it looks terrible. There’s no in between and there’s a fine line between just right and overdone. I haven’t quite learned where that line is yet!

  15. Very clean Job!

  16. Well done - a fine looking Zero!

Leave a Reply