Tamiya 21147 1/48 Mitsubishi A6M5a Zero Fighter 166th Squadron, 653rd Fighter Group (Finished Model)

The latest addition to the Masterwork Series of museum quality finished models depicts the A6M5a Zero fighter ‘Zeke’ (also known as Model 52), a variant of the main Japanese Navy fighter aircraft throughout WWII. The model depicts an A6M5a which was used for pilot training. As such, it features unique Japanese roundels on the fuselage and wing undersides with expertly depicted handwritten Chinese characters; these represented the trainee pilot’s name so he could be identified during his training and assessment. Of course, the flowing form of the A6M5a with rounded wingtips is accurately captured, while metal parts are used to depict pitot tubes. The fuselage has realistic weathering applied, and exhausts have been given expert burn-effect finishes to further up the realism.