Scott Jamieson's Mitsubishi A6M2b Zero in 1/72 scale

Scott Jamieson has very kindly shared these images of his Mitsubishi A6M2b Zero model made from the excellent 1/72 Tamiya kit.

Scott's extra work on the model included drilling out the cowling gun muzzles and exhausts, adding brake lines and landing gear indicator rods. In the cockpit he drilled out lightening holes in the seat and added the seat adjustment bungee cord. He used EZ Line for the antenna wire.  

Scott painted the model with a lightened mix of Model Master SAC Bomber Tan guided by the information at this blog and j-aircraft.com. He notes that the photos make the colour appear more greenish than it actually is.

Scott's model represents the Zero flown by Lt Fusata Iida from the carrier Soryu during the attack against Pearl Harbor. Lt Iida was a Buntaicho (division leader) in the second wave attack and led nine Zeros in a succession of low-level strafing attacks against the PBYs and facilities at NAS Kanehoe Bay during which his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and began streaming fuel.

Lt(jg) Iyozi Fujita was leading the second three-plane Shotai (flight or element) in Lt Iida's formation: "We were flying in formation, Iida's plane near mine. I was his senior eingman. Iiida turned and saluted me, then pointed to his mouth and shook his head. This meant he had no more fuel. His plane had been hit. Then he pointed to himself and then straight down. Then he waved goodbye, made a quick sharp turn and disappeared into the black smoke on the ground." Lt Iida's Zero was then seen by USN personnel to make a run towards an aircraft hangar but was hit again by anti-aircraft fire. It missed the hangar, rolled inverted and crashed at a shallow angle into the lower slope of Puu Hawaiiloa, a hill in the centre of the station.    


With special thanks to Scott for sharing these images of his model.

 
Image credit: All photos © Scott Jamieson