Triarius Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 What are your opinions on the best A6M2 (or other variants) kit currently available in 1/48? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tomcat Fan Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 Hasegawa... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 (edited) Hasegawa by a mile for the early versions. For the A6M5, the new Tamiya kit is close to perfect. Edited December 2, 2014 by Jennings Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Triarius Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share Posted December 2, 2014 (edited) Hasegawa by a mile for the early versions. For the A6M5, the new Tamiya kit is close to perfect. Can you be more specific as to the kit, (kit number)? This is for a gift, and I haven't bought a kit in years (~400 kits in the stash, I won't live long enough to build them all. ) Any thoughts on other Tamiya versions? Bought one about four years ago, and it was a dog. The last Hasegawa kits I've bought or built were disappointing. (Admittedly, that was some time ago.:blush:/> Thanks! Edited December 2, 2014 by Triarius Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 Tamiya's A6M5 (the new one) dates from about 4 years ago. I lost all my stash in a fire last year, so I don't have kit numbers handy. The other Tamiya 1/48 kits, while still very nice (nearly equal to Hasegawa) are much older, dating from the early to mid-1970s. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
razgriz Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 A6M5 = 61103 A6M3 = 61108 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
seawinder Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Please check out this link: http://modelingmadness.com/splfeat/kr/has48a.htm It's page 1 of an extremely useful list of Hasegawa kits with details about the contents. Scroll down to the A6M section. As you'll see, Hasegawa did an older A6M5 and -8 kits which were among their earliest 1/48 aircraft offerings. Probably sometime in tne 70s, but I don't know for sure. Hasegawa has also produced a later, much improved series of both early and late Zeros of which there are many similar kits from which to choose because Hasegawa has reissued them so often with different markings options. Any of the kits from the later Hasegawa series should be fine builds. I've done an A6M2 Type 21 and A6M3 Type 32 and was very pleased with both. Similarly, Tamiya issued Zero kits early on in their 1/48 production and, as others have stated, also came out with a recent line that includes an A6M3 and -5. These are beautiful kits -- on a par with the best that Tamiya has ever put out. They're also pretty expensive, which is the best way to distinguish them from the earlier line. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CorsairMan Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Hasegawa... and there have been plenty issued. You can almost always find a Hase zero at a show for a decent price. Never seen the new Tamiya zeros but I've heard they are just as good if not better. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Triarius Posted December 3, 2014 Author Share Posted December 3, 2014 Many thanks to all—very useful information! Jennings: Sorry to hear that.:(/> Quote Link to post Share on other sites
randypandy831 Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 hasegawa hands down for the A6M2,M7,and M8 tamiya for the A6M3 and M5. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nerdling Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Built the new Tamiya A6M5 last year. It was a dream to build. One of the best kits I've ever done. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DonSS3 Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 (edited) Not sure why the Tamiya Zeros were described as dogs. This is my old A6M3. http://s20.photobucket.com/user/DDonSS3/library/Built%20Models/Tamiya%20A6M3%20Zero Sure the cockpits may not be up to current standards, but with their fine external details I sure wouldn't call them dogs. Edited December 9, 2014 by DonSS3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
seawinder Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 (edited) Not sure why the Tamiya Zeros were described as dogs. Sure the cockpits may not be up to current standards, but with their fine external details I sure wouldn't call them dogs. Agreed, the old Tamiya Zeros (A6M2 and A6M3) are decent, especially considering their age, but IMHO Hasegawa's much newer moldings of the same variants are significantly better. Edited December 9, 2014 by seawinder Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Triarius Posted December 9, 2014 Author Share Posted December 9, 2014 Now, this is what prompted my question. Tamiya 61016, which we own, is an absolute dog. Terrible fit, poor molding of small parts, poor detail in obvious places, and a mix of raised and engraved panel lines. Comments? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DonSS3 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 (edited) Which version/kit is that? Doesn't sound like any of my Tamiya Zeros at all. Maybe you got a bad one? I'm not saying newer Hasegawa kits aren't better, BTW... Edited December 10, 2014 by DonSS3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Triarius Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 Which version/kit is that? Doesn't sound like any of my Tamiya Zeros at all. Maybe you got a bad one? I'm not saying newer Hasegawa kits aren't better, BTW... Box face (top)says: "1/48 Scale Aircraft Series No. 16; Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero Fighter (Zeke)"; box end says: "1/48 Item 61016•1500"; Side panels show markings for Lt. Cdr. Shigeru Itaya, Akagi Aircraft Carrier FG, Hawaii, Dec. 8, 1941; and for 261st Air Group, Kagoshima Base, 1944. Everything else is in Kanji except the word Tamiya. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DonSS3 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Is this the one? https://www.scalemates.com/products/product.php?id=120375 I built this one many years ago and remember it as a good kit. Apparently (according to scalemates.com) it originally came out in 1973. Well even if it isn't such a hot kit, don't pass up Tamiya kits because this one was a dud. Many consider them at the top of the heap as far as kit quality goes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
seawinder Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Now, this is what prompted my question. Tamiya 61016, which we own, is an absolute dog. Terrible fit, poor molding of small parts, poor detail in obvious places, and a mix of raised and engraved panel lines. Comments? I think you're being a trifle hard on the kit, which was one of Tamiya's earliest 1/48 aircraft offerings. How many manufacturers were engineering recessed panel lines at all in 1973? I'm looking at the parts right now, and the panel details, both raised and recessed, are crisp and petite. Granted, I haven't built this particular kit, but I just did a quick tape-up of the major parts and they appear to go together at least moderately well -- certainly better than those of the recent, high-priced Roden Staggerwing I just finished. I'd be interested in hearing specifically where you found terrible fit. I agree that the fine detail is not up to today's standard, but again, for its time it was ahead of the curve. In any event, comparing the Tamiya A6M2 and EARLY A6M3 (no. 61025, apparently dating from 1982) with their post-2000 A6M3 and A6M5 is really apples and oranges -- they're just not in the same league. Like many other recent Tamiya kits, you'd be hard pressed to find better engineering and fit if you don't mind paying significantly more. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Triarius Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 Is this the one? https://www.scalemat...t.php?id=120375 I built this one many years ago and remember it as a good kit. Apparently (according to scalemates.com) it originally came out in 1973. Well even if it isn't such a hot kit, don't pass up Tamiya kits because this one was a dud. Many consider them at the top of the heap as far as kit quality goes. Yes. I generally agree on Tamiya kits—They got me back into modeling in college (late 60's early 70's). That's why I was so surprised—first dog I've ever had from them. I did hear that it might have been a very old kit, from old molds. Thanks for all the help! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Netz Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 A6M5 = 61103 A6M3 = 61108 These look like the ones to get. I linked them to the Tamiya site Curt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jabow Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Not sure why the Tamiya Zeros were described as dogs. This is my old A6M3. http://s20.photobucket.com/user/DDonSS3/library/Built%20Models/Tamiya%20A6M3%20Zero Sure the cockpits may not be up to current standards, but with their fine external details I sure wouldn't call them dogs. I gotta agree. Yeah, Hasegawa's are much more detailed kits, but if you want to build a closed up model, that old Tamiya with a few scratched details will stand up very well along side of anything!! Easy builds, too!! Bo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sakai Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Any reason why camo and marking is incorrect? This particular a/c is well documented. Otherwise it's not only almost non-existent cockpit but way too shallow wheel wells, rudimentary engine and landing gear. Cheap?- yes, worth building?-not any more. Mario in NYC Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DonSS3 Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Mottled Green over gray was how they were thought to be finished when I built mine. Maybe that's why it's wrong? ;-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nerdling Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Any reason why camo and marking is incorrect? This particular a/c is well documented. Otherwise it's not only almost non-existent cockpit but way too shallow wheel wells, rudimentary engine and landing gear. Cheap?- yes, worth building?-not any more. Mario in NYC But for a cheap weekend build, it really is hard to beat a kit that you can snag for under 15 bucks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sakai Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Mottled Green over gray was how they were thought to be finished when I built mine. Maybe that's why it's wrong? ;-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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