Back again with another Zero build. This is Zero number 5 in a row and will be the last one for a while as I switch gears and build some IJA planes. I started this build without a specific aircraft in mind, but midway through I found some photos online that really interested me and so I will be building my model to reflect them. I will be keeping the markings under wraps for now as I promised to share the final photos with a blog first.

As is typical with my Hasegawa Zero builds, I hollowed out the upper decking handholds, added a rod to the port side , , thinned the cockpit walls and the oil cooler intake.

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

The wing to fuselage by the engine was a poor fit so I filled with black CA and sanded it down. Since this was my first type 52, I also decided to hollow out the exhaust pipes a bit, with a combination of drill bits and knives.

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

After a few loops of primer/sand/primer, the fuselage was ready for paint. I started off with Mr Color Surfacer in Mahogany colour and applied various contrasting paints using my stencils. I decided to use my AK paints and 1. I had them and 2. I want to keep my MRP paints for my better model kits (I have to order MRP from Poland, nothing is available in Canada). Since this is a Nakajima Zero, I used AK RC 304 D1. As it turns out, this paint is not as dark as even MRP D2 paint (which is the lighter of the D1/D1 Nakajima/Mitsubishi black greens). I chose to live with it, and use up that paint while I had it. I might use it as a D2 paint instead, and leave my AK RC 305 D2 as a highly weathered version.

I then painted on C8 and a homebrew mixture of red primer and topped it off with hairspray and then the (supposed) deep black green). The undersides were painted with a 9:1 ratio of AK RC 303 (J3 SP/Amber grey or Olive Grey) to off white, highly diluted and painted on in thin coats. It actually took me 2 sessions to get enough paint on the model so that it didn't look like it had the pox.

7 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Up next were the hinomaru. With the introduction of the type 52, Nakajima moved in the upper wing hinomaru slightly and used a 30mm white band, as compared to Mitsubishi's 75mm band (thanks to Ryan Toews for this detail). I cut my mask out of Oramask 813 (blue) as it is more stable and rigid compared to 810, especially with such a narrow ring. 813 doesn't work well over compind curves, but for the wing this is not an issue.

First, I laid the outer mask on and then sprayed the perimeter an off white. Then I added the ring mask and sprayed the red. The white rings were usually overpainted with dark green, so I masked the red, pulled out the thin ring and sprayed hairspray and dark green. My masking method wasn't great, and resulted in imperfect circles, which I covered up with a bit more shipping of the dark green than I would have liked.

I followed the same procedure with the fuselage hinomaru and they turned out ok.

12 attached images. Click to enlarge.

For the stencil decals I used Eduard stencils and the Hasegawa M/N stencil. I was reminded that AK RC paints don't play well with decal softeners, in fact they can be removed if you touch the paint after adding the softener.

This now brings us to where the model stands as of yesterday. I started weathering yesterday and the process has gone quite well. I have used my similar method employed on the type 22 ko, where I made it dusty/dirty, like a car left out in the weather, but no so much to make it look abandoned. The photos are WIP, I only use the splatter as a first step, and then I blend it in with a brush.

Progress has been somewhat slow so far, but I hope to finish this and another plane in time for a local model show on September 9.

2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

This is really amazing, Woody @wkubacki
All the extras and especially the weathering is a work of art. Looks superb.
Did you create the black CA yourself or can it be bought in black.

Super entry and fantastic result so far, my friend @wkubacki!

The weathering looks perfect, Woody @wkubacki