Fine Molds 1/48 A6M5 Mitsubishi Mid-Production
Here we go. Kit FZ01. New tooling with December release. Found it on eBay, hence the screen caps with post. FZ02 will be the Nakajima A6M5 kit.
People have been talking about the fuselage, look at that canopy. Wow.
Looks like a wonderful kit, David @kahu
Would love to see that you start a WIP topic for this build, so that we can follow the progress.
Agree with John...please keep us in the loop on WIP on this one.
John @johnb and Bob @bails
I posted this for those who build Japanese aircraft in case it slipped by. Not sure if I will get it as I still have in stash unbuilt the Eduard Tora Tora Tora! Combo.
It looks spiffy though.
Looks a wonderful kit, David!
Thanks for posting!
Gotta give FM a lot of credit for removing a lot of the annoying headaches of model building from their kits. I'm sure a number of purists are probably upset, but I enjoy the painting part of the modeling more so than the construction. While it is satisfying to do some scratch building and such, but it takes quite a long time to do it which takes away from building more models. Mask free bird cage canopy?
Recently I build their 1/72 F-4C and F-15DJ. I didn't spend too much time on dealing with the seams or assembling the kit. I only had to sand/fill two minor seams on each nor did I have to reinforce a butt join (like I did when I built the 1/48 Hasegawa F-15C) because they really do a bang up job of designing the kit so it goes together well. I did have to use some filler (vallejo plastic putty) here and there, but they have been one of the most filler free kits I've built.
That canopy frame separate from the clear panels is brilliant. Sure will make painting soooo much easier. I just worry about snapping parts of the frame trying to remove it from the sprue.
^^^^This! Removing the frames will be a delicate exercise but man, what a great concept! đź‘Ť
Large set of photos, assembled and painted model and CAD images, here: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/11115414. Next release, the Nakajima version, here: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/11115415. The new molding parts divisions looks generally good, but especially the N version shows that careful cutting of the gates and neat clean-up will be essential for best results. Both completed models look to have been done somewhat hurriedly, with alignment gaps &c that one hopes are not representative of a more patient build. I have both on order to be shipped when both are available.
Wonder how it will stand up against Eduard's A6M5's, which will how up in February.
Tom @tcinla
Comparison build?
This looks like a magnificent kit, one that is definitely worthy of grabbing. I especially like how the joint seams appear to be molded on the panel lines. This should help with the elimination for the need to use putty.
The main thing that really caught my eye was how the canopy has two different options. The one that has the framing molded separately is a brilliant idea, but it would definitely need some careful work to remove it safely from the parts tree. I would recommend keeping a Tamiya razor saw handy for this.
I sincerely appreciate your texting me the information earlier yesterday. I was surprised by your article this morning. It looks great and will take some serious willpower to resist.
That’s not going to happen, so who am I kidding ? My poor wallet. First the 1/48 Eduard P-40E, and now this one. The hits keep coming.
We indeed are living in the golden age of model building and design technology.
Thanks for sharing this with us. It would really make a great addition to the Empire of Japan group build we have.
I’m definitely clicking on several of the various “like” buttons.
Louis @lgardner
Resist 🙂