About the A6M5c Type 52 Zero Fighter : In April 1939, shortly after the first Japanese Zero began test trials, modification drawings were already taking place on the zero in the Mitsubishi design room, to keep pace with the anticipated long air war in the Pacific. After the initial superiority of the Zero over allied aircraft began to wane, due to new U.S. types being introduced, Mitsubishi was hard pressed to maintain a superiority. The introduction of the Grumman F6F and Chance Vought F4U, provided a need for more firepower, armor protection and capability led the combined companies of Nakajima and Mitsubishi to produce the A6M5 series of aircraft. Total production of the Type 52 series consisted of 10,449 aircraft of which Nakajima produced 6,570. It first entered combat in August 1943 at a time when the Japanese forces were withdrawing from previously held islands in the South Pacific. The type 52c was the last of the A6M5 series, and the most effective against Allied aircraft due to its armament configuration three of 13mm machine guns and two 20mm cannons. A total of 93 Type 52 and 52b zeros were field modified to "c" weapons configuration. The 7.7mm machine guns, housed in the cowling of the Zero since its first introduction, proved to be less effective during the latter stages of the conflict, due to the heavier armor protection of allied aircraft, and their self sealing fuel tanks. The 13mm weapon was greatly more effective; however, due to its increased weight, only one of them could be housed in the cowling and one in each wing. The 7.7 machine guns were removed from the cowling and one 13mm gun was mounted on the right hand side. This installation also made necessary the enlarging of the right hand projectile exit and cowling tube input, of the cowling, giving it an unbalanced look when viewed from the top. Code named "Zeke" by the Allies, the Type 52c was powered by a 14 cylinder twin row NK1F Sakae 21 engine of 1,130hp, of which later versions were alcohol injected. In addition to the machine guns and cannons, the 52c could also carry four air to air rockets or four 30kg air to air bombs or two 60kg air to ground conventional bombs. The air to air systems were initiated in an attempt to disrupt B-29 operations by firing the rockets or dropping the small bombs on the formations. The bombs were timed to air-burst a certain number of seconds after release from the fighters.
Kit Review
Kit ini penulis peroleh dari www.luckymodel.com dengan harga $9,99 plus ongkos kirim sekitar $4 total Rp 140.000 an cukup murah untuk kit skala 1/48. Di dalam kotak kit Tamiya ini terdapat 3 set spure berwarna hijau tua dan satu sprue transparan (2 opsi canopi buka dan tutupdengan). Kit punya detil yang cukup baik, panel recesed dan beberap detil rivet yang cukup jelas. Disertai dengan 1 lembar decal dengan 7 opsi marking.
Kit Building
Saya rakit kit ini Out Of The Box atau sesuai dengan yang ada di box kit tanpa produk aftermarket atau modifikasi. Pertama penulis rakit adalah bagian interior pesawat yang terdiri dari kokpit dan dinding kanan dan kiri. Warna dasar disemprot dengan cat hijau aklirik Tamiya dan detail panel dengan kuas kecil (panel hitam dan merah). Untuk menambah detail penulis buat seat belt dari masking tape dipotong kecil dan dicat warna coklat muda dan silver untuk harnesnya.
Setelah interior selesai kedua badan pesawat digabungkan dan sayap utama dan sayap belakang dipasang pada tempatnya, di lem dengan Extra Thin Cement (lem tamiya tutup hijau)
Kit ini punya fiting yang bagus, tidak ada gap atau jarak disambungannya, sehingga saya tidak memerlukan dempul. Tahap selanjutnya adalah merakit & mengecat mesin, kanopy, roda, landing gir, baling-baling dan bagian kecil lain (bomb dan roket). Untuk kanopi saya memilih opsi terbuka. Setelah selesai saya coba pasang bagian-bagian tersebut untuk cek ketepatannya (dry fit).
Penulis putuskan untuk memakai marking nomor 4 303 Squadron/203 Flying Group, Pilot: CPO Tanimizu, Kagoshima AB. Penulis pilih karena kill mark nya bagus, coba cari-cari di internet belum menemukan tulisan atau info tentang CPO Tanimizu. Seperti di panduan badan atas pesawat warna J.N. Green dan warna bawah J.N. Grey. Karena keterbatasan stok cat maka penulis untuk atas memakai wara green yang dicampur hitam untuk menuakan dan bawah memakai Tamiya Spray Can warna Dark Ghost Gray.
Selesai warna utama pesawat dilapisi dengan glos coat untuk penempelan decal. Setelah tempel decal proses shading dilakukan di garis-garis panel line (menggunakan cat aklirik hitam encer disemprot tipis). Terakhir pesawat disemprot dengan Tamiya Clear Flat untuk memberikan kesan kusam.
