Mitsubishi A6M3 Model 32, Tainan Ku by Jean Barby

Here's my last model, an A6M3 Mod 32 from the Tainan Ku, while on detachment to Buna. The fuselage has survived the war and is now in display in the Australian War Museum in Canberra. This is the old Tamiya model, with raised panel lines but much more accurate than the Hasegawa model. It was fun to bring this old model to a more nowadays standards, engraving, riveting,fitting the superlative SBS resin cockpit in it (quite a struggle indeed) and not using a single decal as everything was done with my own masks. Quite a challenge I must say. I have used the great book "Eagles from the southern skies" as a reference and this is the plane of Buntaîcho from the 4th chutai, Lt Inano Kiku’ichi, left behind when the remain of the detachment returned to Lae. I have used MRP RLM63 color with a lot of white to duplicate the blemished gray green of the "Zero".

- Jean Barby -