When they first encountered the Zero at the end of 1941 it was a massive shock for the American and British fighter pilots. The Zero was probably the best fighter in the world, fast, nimble, well armed and with a long range it swept the opposition from the skies over the Pacific front. Its only weakness was a lack of armour protection. It did not last long though and Japanese development of the Zero could not match the pace of Allied developments. New aircraft like the US Hellcat, Mustang and British Spitfire MkVIII helped win back air superiority for the Allies.
This model is a mid/late mark of the Zero that was based on New Britain Island as part of the Rabaul Fighter Group 1943/4. I have tried to produce a war-weary aircraft that has seen a high operational tempo in challenging conditions. It is meant to be grubby, not dirty, with plenty of paint chipping as was typical of Japanese aircraft from wear and tear along with battle damage.
The kit is the 32 scale Tamiya kit, paints Vallejo plus Gunze metallics, built out of the box.
