Mitsubishi A6M Zero kit

[Upkeep]

Anyone seen this model kit item in the flesh?

Warplane Models Come Cheaper On The Installment Plan | InventorSpot

[Shinpachi]

I found it at a book store in Osaka yesterday.
I have no intention to buy at all
It was on a test sale to check marketability in Niigata and Shizuoka cities last year.
A friend of mine there kept buying and complained too few parts for each issue.
Precision was no so favourable as he expected. For example, main spar was not necessarily
independent from outer skin. There was only scratched lines on the panel which looked like a spar.
15 dollars for a issue may look cheap but 1,500 dollars in total seems too much for me.
The kit does not fly!

[Shinpachi]

OK. Here are his pics. Each pic for each isuue.
A plier was also attached as service!

his site: Zero-sen Danwa Shitu (The Zero Figher World)

[Upkeep]

Thanks for the info and link, it sounds like one to avoid if it arrives in the UK.

[Shinpachi]

You are welcome, Upkeep.
A photo was added.
Thanks.

[Airframes]

Yep, most of these kits issued as magazine installments are not worth having - at the final price anyway. On average, in the UK, such a kit, bought via the magazine issues, works out at around £200 to £500 !! The basic kits can be found at around £60, and most are relatively old designs, originally to be built as flying models. Anyone wanting, say, a large scale Lancaster as a static display model, would be better off buying such a basic kit, then spending some of the money saved on materials with which to scratch-build details, interiors etc. - and the rest on a barn to store it in!

[109ROAMING]

Originally Posted by Airframes

Yep, most of these kits issued as magazine installments are not worth having - at the final price anyway. On average, in the UK, such a kit, bought via the magazine issues, works out at around £200 to £500 !! The basic kits can be found at around £60, and most are relatively old designs, originally to be built as flying models. Anyone wanting, say, a large scale Lancaster as a static display model, would be better off buying such a basic kit, then spending some of the money saved on materials with which to scratch-build details, interiors etc. - and the rest on a barn to store it in!

Gotta second that

[vikingBerserker]

Never heard of them, but great to know if I ever come across it. Thanks fellas.

[Wayne Little]

Looks interesting....But!...you said it Terry!

[muller]

The same company had a build your own RC rally car (Subaru Impreza) a few years ago. To build the car you had to buy around 50 magazines, at €7 each, that made the total car cost €350!!

[Shinpachi]

OH muller, you have reminded me of an interesting thing though many members here may know it well.
The maker for Subaru Impreza, Fuji Heavy Industries, was Nakajima Aircraft!
Thanks.

[muller]

Shinpachi, I drive a Mitsubishi, they used to make planes too I think

[parsifal]

I get the rip off aspect to the magazine installment model. Nevertheless, I do like the concept of doing a model with of the under skin framing. It would be very coll to have a model like that....

[Airframes]

It certainly would P. I've seen a Lancaster and a Halifax done like that, with one side of the fuselage 'sectioned' to show the scratch-built interior. The modeller(s) had used a basic balsa kit, as mentioned in the previous posts, and modified the stucture to suit their needs, building-in more accurate lines and components. The interior details were made using various materials, including plastic and paper card, thin metals etc etc. Looked fantastic!
Guillows have a couple of fairly large scale models, in approximately 1/28th scale, which would suit this requirement, and they aren't too expensive for the basic kit. There's a B17G and C47, as well as 'fighter' sized aircraft, and I'd quite like to do the B17 as a 'ceiling queen' - problem is, finding space to lay out the components for the actual build!

[109ROAMING]

With you Parsifal and Terry

Love to do a 1/32 Mossie myself