Reviews : Tamiya A6M2 Type 21 Zero Fighter

This kit comes with a reasonably detailed cockpit, that has a decal for the instrument panel and a decently detailed radial engine. There are options to have the undercarriage up or down, the canopy closed or open and decals for 5 different markings; I modeled one with the canopy closed and one with the canopy open. The undercarriage is sturdy and nicely detailed, too. A 8 page black and white assembly/instruction booklet is included that is clearly detailed with part numbers, decal numbers and Tamiya paint numbers. The decals are typical Tamiya which I expected to have some breaking issues with, as I have with other Tamiya kits, but fortunately, these decals went down excellently, adhering to recessed and raised details nicely. The parts are very crisp and cleanly molded with no ejector pin witness marks on visible areas, no warp, no flash and no aberrations on the clear molded parts which are also nicely molded and thin, too. The exterior surfaces of the plane come with recessed panel lines. Scores out of 10: Packaging: The kit comes in a sturdy two part box- lower and lid format, the grey sprues are packaged in one polythene bag and the clear parts are packaged in a separate clear polythene bag that is within the larger bag. The lid has nice artwork on the front and the two longer sides show two of the five different markings available, one in the IJN Green and one in the IJN grey/Green. Score: 9/10 Quality of Molded Product: 10/10 Quality of Molded Details: 9/10 Engineering Fits: I had no issues with this kit, although reading other reviewers comments, some modelers did. Everything went together well for me and no need for filler anywhere! Score: 10/10 Quality of Decals: - it's a bonus to have enough decals for 5 different markings! Score: 9/10 Quality of Instruction/Assembly Booklet: It would be much better if Tamiya included color pages for the painting and decaling sheets and provide other paint manufacturers conversion colors instead of just their own paints. Score: 8/10 Value For Money: 10/10 Enjoyment Value: 9/10 I had two of these kits and built them at the same time, finishing one in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Green and the other in the IJN light grey/green all over color. I would recommend this kit for modelers of all skills; it's simplistic enough for the beginner to put together and also has some decent details for the more experienced modeler to take advantage of when finishing and weathering. For the price of this kit, you're getting great value for money and enjoyment in building it!

The Tamiya 1/48 A6M2 is a serviceable kit. If it cost any more than it does, I wouldnt advise anyone to buy it- it kind of amazes me that Tamiya hasnt retooled it, to be honest. It could certainly use it. The fit all over is simply alright. It isnt terrible, there are some problematic spots, but overall, its fine. The only major problem I had was at the landing gear connection point. I dont know if this was my fault or the kits, but the connection here was rough. Worst, after I had already super glued everything in place, I found out one leg was two millimeters longer than the other. Much expletive ensued, and I had to rip it out, cut it down, and but join it. I dont know for a fact is that was my fault, (from paint buildup or similar) or the kits fault, but it was very upsetting. An important thing to note, should you like washes- this kit is a strange hybrid of raised and recessed details. The major panels on the wings are recessed- while the minor ones are raised. All other panels are also raised. The greatest problem, as usual, was the decals. The typical tamiya decal complaints hold. Too thick, impossible to get off backing, doesnt conform, wrong shape, cracks easily, doesnt stick, etcetera etcetera. If you want a zero in this scale, this is a passable kit. If the price every goes up, though, I wouldnt advise it. If you ever have to pay more than 15 bucks for this kit, just get a hasegawa one.

This is an excellent kit to remind someone that simple can be fun! I have built many complex kits and it helps to remind oneself that an easy kit once and a while can be better. The parts went together well with the help of several small clamps that are used to clip papers together. Painting was done after the main parts were assembled with the wings attached and the fuel tank halves put together and glued to the under body. I used all craft type acrylic paints to airbrush my aircraft models thinned with blue tinted windshield wiper fluid to about 50/50. This combination works wonders and I referred to the box art for the right color grey for the early version. I have two other kits of the Zeke, one already completed and painted the late war green and one of the floatplane version which is still in the box. The three will make a great representation of airpower. I could find nothing significant that was negative about the kit and with about 50 years of experience with models I enjoyed the building of this and the last Zeke. No further information was needed prior to purchase knowing the quality of Tamiya kits.

Tamiya's A6M2 Zero is a simple and nice kit for a very reasonable price. The kit offers a mixture of raised and scribed panel lines. Part fit is actually pretty good. Part count it fairly low but this might be just right for a beginner or for someone looking for a simplified build. You do get a decent cockpit interior and a choice of clear parts for either open or closed canopy. You can choose landing gear up or down, again with separate parts for each option. Marking options for four or five different aircraft are nice, but be prepared to use some decal solution in order to get the rather thick decals to snug down over surface detail. You also get a seated pilot and a standing pilot, both nicely done. Instructions are simple and easy to follow. You also get a full color diagram of two different paint schemes - dark green or gray/green. Advanced modelers will probably want a more detailed kit, but overall this is a nice kit that is easy on the pocket book.

My Zero sitting alongside of my USN Hellcat looks so small. That is what made it so light, but also once hit go down so easy. Pro: Great detail with recessed panel lines. Instructions are easy to follow with good decals. Besides the Pearl Harber ones you can also paint it green. I went with Akagi carrier fighter group. Used all Tamiya acrylic paints. It also includes a seated pilot and one standing pilot. No major fit problems. Two sets of canopies. One open and one closed single piece. Also included is a color print picture of overall grey color, green and grey color. Nice. Con NONE. This would be great for a beginner. Not a lot of pieces and easy to paint. A beginner might find covering up all of the canopy a little hard. I like using Parafilm M laboratory film. I get it from Micro-Mark.com. A great kit to learn on and practice your skills. Have fun.

This is a simple kit and can be built pretty quickly. Another way to say this is there isn't very much detail. The parts mostly fit together well - the major exception is the fit between the wings and the fuselage on the top - it is a bit loose and the gap is large enough to need putty. I used the Tamiya spray paint and brush-applied acrylics to finish the model. I found that a couple of the decals came off when they dried - I wet them again and put them back on. The instructions were clear. I do wish that Hobbylinc's product description for each kit included the list of paints required. Who knows, Hobbylinc might sell more paint. From my perspective it is much better to buy any paints I don't have with the kit rather than discovering later on that I'm missing something and have to order it then and wait to receive it.

This model kit is great, about 10 or so real small pieces the rest are good sizes, you have the options to make it either a grounded or airborne plane. So don't get confused when you see the extra pieces, you have the option to have a open cockpit or closed, same for the landing gear. This was a great first project for me. I bought this with the intentions of making a realistic historical replica until I started to paint and glue everything together and boy did I have fun, understanding that this was my first project I was quick to notice that it would be close to impossible without making some mistakes along the way so I turned it into a more anime looking zero.

I bought two kits to model my favorite versions and this kit is so inexpensive it is like buy one, get one free. Most Tamiya kits are more pricey so I was surprised to get these two at that price. I have seen clones of this plane at airshows but never an actual true Zero. They are out there but I would have to travel far to see them and one day I will! As in other reviews, the cockpit does not fit well, something my close up photos show glaringly but not so noticeable at my display of them. I used the pilot but not the standing guy, out of place for my needs. This is a very adequate kit for my skill level.

This kit doesn't include a great deal of added detailing parts, so it is very simple to build - a great kit for beginners. Parts fit was not a problem and plastic flash was non-existent. I did not experience the brittle decals others did - in fact they seemed almost too thick and caused me to worry of they would form-fit the body surfaces - but they did well. HOWEVER, I did have a good bit of trouble getting the decals to stick in place, even after over coating with a dullcoat finish, some of them pulled back up. I had to finally glue them down with a water-thinned, white glue wash.

This is a simple model by Tamiya well worth the money. For it's price it has quite a bit of detail and the parts are well molded with no excess flash. This is a good starter model or something for a quick build for someone with experience. The decals are of very good quality, the instructions are easy to follow and the painting suggestions are helpful. I found no cons with this model at all. The parts count is about 60 plus or minus and it will build into a very good looking representation of the type 21 zero fighter.

This was a very simple construction, and AGAIN, Tamiya did not dissappoint! Instructions were clear and concise and the model eased together wonderfully. Only issue were the decals. I had some problems so i used the extras from my Tamiya Hayate Frank for the 21 Zero. So, once i upload my pics, u will see that the decals are primarily from the Frank. But, otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this model. I went with the all white construction with black cowling, as I already made a different Zero type in green.

Didnt have any real issues with this models construction, wings took a bit of wrangling, but nothing too hard to handle. That is, until I started to apply the decals, they became extremely brittle and next to impossible to apply without damaging the decal in some way, I dont know if this is specific to the model, or the manufacturer (as this is my first Tamiya build), left all of the small decals off after having so many issues with the larger ones, some what ruined what was that far an enjoyable build.

A very nice kit made up of 1 clear sprue and 3 grey sprues. Decals and paint schemes for 5 different air craft. The kit has a seated figure as well as a standing one. Canopy has a one piece option for a closed version and a three piece option for an open canopy. Parts have small amount of flash that will clean up easily. There have been comments made by other buyers concerning the one piece canopy fit. I intend to build it with the open canopy. HobbyLinc sells this kit at an excellent price.

I SPENT ABOUT 12 HOURS PUTTING TOGETHER THIS NIMBLE FIGHTER TO ADD TO MY WARBIRD COLLECTION. MOST OF THE PARTS FIT WELL EXCEPT FOR THE CANOPY. YOU ARE GIVEN THE CHOICE OF USING A CLOSED OR OPEN CANOPY & SINCE MY ZERO WOULD BE IN FLIGHT I CHOSE THE CLOSED VERSION WHICH HAD A SLIGHT DEFECT;IT WAS TOO WIDE! I TRIED HEATING IT TO NO AVAIL SO I JUST HAD TO USE A FILLER WHERE IT ATTACHED TO THE MAIN FRAME BUT THE GAP IS STILL PRESENT UNFORTUNATELY...OTHERWISE THIS KIT IS EASY & FUN TO BUILD !

I was surprised at just how detailed this inexpensive model was. This kit is a quick project, a great way to spend an afternoon with your glue and paints. Very little flash on the parts which I greatly appreciated and probably one of the key factors in making this a pleasant and quick endeavor. The included details are very nice and extensive, helping you to build 4-5 different versions of this particular plane. I just have enjoyed all of Tamiya's inexpensive 1/48 sacks offerings.

I enjoyed building this kit. I really found no serious construction issues,and I thought the fit was pretty good. I spent more time painting and finishing the model than I did building it. It was painted with Testors Model Master paints and weathered with pastels. Overall a very enjoyable build.I did not seem to have any problems with the decals,as others have said.I would recommend this kit,espically for the price and it being a Tamiya kit.

Pretty good model for the price. I had similar experiences as the previous reviewers. It took a lot of work to get the wings and body matched up with no gap and several pieces had to be finessed in order to get a proper fit. I also found the decals to be overly brittle and easy to damage when positioning, but if you're careful it's no big deal. All of that said, it was still an overall good kit for the money and was enjoyable to build

This was a fun model to build. It was smaller than I expected when I got it, but I still had fun building it. The only problem I could see upon completion was that the wing assembly where it meets the fuselage has a small gap that is hard to correct on both sides, probably a molding problem. Interesting history behind this plane.

this kit was my first airplane. the detail is average. although it turned out looking terrible it was easy and I didn't have the problem of the canopy not fitting. plus its VERY cheap! if your like me I hang them on our ceiling so for realism I always put my landing gear in and this one went fairly nice. I did it when I was 11!

What a joy to build! This kit has few if any fit problems, and mould lines are almost nonexistant, and not bothersome when they show themselves. My one and only complaint is the lack of engine detail, but this can be easily fixed with some inspiration! A great short build; I don't think I'll ever lose faith in Tamiya products!

I thought a solid orange color zero would go good with the WWII plane collection some were that color scheme well everything was superb while building the zero no flash or warped parts as all tamiya kits you get a nice model afterwards not bad at all I would recommend this kit to all WWII model builders .

For 11 Dollars it fills the purpose, I don't think I'll ever re-purchase this model again considering the amount of time I've spent on it. I like the intentions behind it but I feel as if it could have been done better, the wings were hard to seal off, and the probe wouldn't fit into the left wing.

Never mind how long this kit has been around. And never mind that Zeke fanciers will want five or six other variants. For you and me, when we need a kit to say Zeke, the Tamiya is the kit to get. The build is clean, the origin of Tamiya's stellar reputation, and the price is a terrific deal.

Another great Tamiya kit, no flash and easy parts assembly. Detailed instructions with options for 4 variants including many decals. This kit makes a great addition to any collection. A great value for the price. I recommend this one to all modelers.

Great kit from tamiya. Minimal flashing on small parts, but still managed to damage some of the more finnicky smaller parts. The decal kit offers a great variety of options. Overall a great weekend kit.

This is the first model I have built in over 20 years, so it was a good way to get back into it. Not the best fitting pieces, but for a little over $11, was well worth it.

Very good kit, most parts fit with little to no trimming. Using a couple of unused bombs from your A1 kit made into a special attack suicide aircraft.

This is an older kit that lacks a little in the detail area. Fit was good with no issues and ends up being a nice weekend builder.

Simple but decent model for a great price. Everything fit well and the decals were good. Great model for a beginner.

great kit for the price good long weekend build fit and detail is good typical for tamiya enjoined the build

Great straightforward kit. Everything fit well with almost no filler. Great kit for the price!

1/48 SCALE HELPS YOU WITH EXTRA DETAILING. PARTS FIT GOOD. NICE KIT .I WOULD RECCOMEND THIS.

I am happy with my purchase of a zero fighter. It is a nice addition to my collection.

Just restarted model building after 50 + years!!! Nice kit to ease back into the game.

Easy clear instructions. Parts fit well and easy to assemble.

Just getting back into the hobby and this one was a good start

I always enjoy Tamiya models never had a bad one yet.