Mitsubishi A6M Zero "ZEKE" #404 Blown to 75"

[BillParker]

Mitsubishi A6M Zero "ZEKE" #404 Blown to 75"

Build Photos at:

http://www.parkerinfo.com/ap91.htm

[John G. Jedinak]

ATTA BOY BILL!!! Big Bill builds BIG planes!!!!

[Bill Gaylord]

You must really like sawing all that wood up!
The Zero is a really good Guillows flyer too.

[ADW 123]

You must be building late into the night! looks good so far... do a nice pretty covering job and paint job... cant wait

[BillParker]

Bill Gaylord:
You must really like sawing all that wood up!

Whom-so-ever dies with the biggest trash pile.... WINS!

Bill Gaylord:
The Zero is a really good Guillows flyer too.

I've flown the 404 kit many times (many different planes) on U-Control. Never tried it with rubber, but the circle plane is a BURNER!

ADW 123:
You must be building late into the night! looks good so far... do a nice pretty covering job and paint job... cant wait

I start at 5:30 am each morning, but rules are clean-up begins at 4:00 pm, (all tools stowed, all table folded and back where theyt belong, floor swept, and cars put away) by 5:00 pm... Evenings are CINDY TIME!

I been doing alot of research for a paint job on this one...

From: http://mitsubishi_zero.tripod.com/colours.htm

The standard colours for JNAF combat aircraft from July 1943 were dark green upper surfaces with light grey (or natural metal) lower surfaces. Engine cowlings were black. Shiro Imazawa, who worked on the machine, confirms that the aircraft was painted in this manner, but with the addition of "green and grey spots here and there... ", presumably an attempt at a blotch-type camouflage. The red Hinomaru on both sides of the fuselage and on both upper and lower wings were not outlined in white - a common omission in combat areas. The aircraft identification data information was painted on the port rear fuselage in black, and the unit/aircraft numbers 2-182 were painted across the fin and rudder in a lighter colour (possibly white, red or yellow).

I am NOT going to have a 15 dollar quart of paint mixed into Japanese Imperial Navy Green, just to paint one airplane. So gray and green splotches is what it'll have to be... Maybe I can duplicate one or the other of these:



or:





bp

[BillParker]

Mitsubishi A6M Zero "ZEKE" Item Number: 404 LC Wingspan: Blown to 75"

Build Photos at:

http://www.parkerinfo.com/ap91.htm


So now, all the logerons are installed, the front section is infilled, (gives me someithing to screw the exhaust manifolds to, stay tuned...) fuse tail is finished.





Horizontal and vertical tail feathers are ready as well...





Gonna have to hit this bad boy with the sander for a little while tomorrow...





Running out of parts... Amazing how much easier this this is compared to that danged biplane... 6 days in and running out of parts... Took 3 weeks on the double wanged beast...





bp

[BillParker]

Mitsubishi A6M Zero "ZEKE" Item Number: 404 LC Wingspan: Blown to 75"

Build Photos at:

http://www.parkerinfo.com/ap91.htm

Ran out of fabric finishing the Camel, so a trip to the local Hancock's resulted in a bit higher quality muslin than we're used to. A tad thicker, and softer? Maybe? Anyway, conforms really nice in application. Good enuff, Alex?



Tail Feathers finished ready for laquer...



Fuse is ready too...



The ugliest of ducklings...



Getting better...



That's my purty girl...







bp

[kittyfritters]

I am NOT going to have a 15 dollar quart of paint mixed into Japanese Imperial Navy Green, just to paint one airplane. So gray and green splotches is what it'll have to be... Maybe I can duplicate one or the other of these

According to published accounts I have seen, the Japanese had difficulty getting good pigments and binders for their paint during the war some of them being chemicals that they had imported from Europe or the United States previously. Many of the splotched or mottled camouflage jobs reported on Japanese aircraft, or photographed on captured or downed airplanes were simply the green paint wearing off.

[BillParker]

Not even going to do any green on this thing. To do it right, it'd take another 2 weeks, and I'm bored with it. The Dauntless beckons...

[ADW 123]

yeah thats about good enough

[BillParker]

Mitsubishi A6M Zero "ZEKE" Item Number: 404 LC Wingspan: Blown to 75"

Build Photos at:

http://www.parkerinfo.com/ap91.htm

[Pauli72]

The meatballs make the perfect finishing touch. Great looking "Zeke" Bill!

[granpa]

What is a meatball on an aircraft?

[Bill Gaylord]

Can't say I've ever come across the term: "The Rising Meatball".

Not even going to do any green on this thing. To do it right, it'd take another 2 weeks, and I'm bored with it. The Dauntless beckons...

That's a pretty one. Can I talk you into building it from balsa? We'll even take up a fund here to send you the gear. Good thing that gear is cheaper than ever. I'm ready to get back on the Dauntless myself. I think it's the last one that I built, and haven't flown, other than the B25 of course. Fully equipped with retracts and all, but with solid sheet tail feathers I just can't get over the amount of noseweight it needs. Ready to put the P51 in the air, with it's new lighter tail and wing today. Probably the Dauntless will next get a new lighter tail, if the 51 goes well. The B25, well maybe someday again with really light wood.

[BillParker]

the last one I built in balsa...



200 bucks...

questions?

(I can build in pine plywood for 17 bucks...

questions?