1/48 A6M5b Zero Fighter Type 52 Otsu

Description

This is an injection-plastic aircraft model kit.

Limited release kit of the late war version of the Zero. The Type 52 was an overhaul of the basic Type 21 design to overcome shortcomings faced against more modern adversaries such as the Corsair and Mustang. The changes included shortening of the wing, thickening of the wing chord, redesigned cowl and exhaust and improvement of the armament to belt-fed 20mm cannon. The Otsu was an upgunned version with the right side cowl mount gun was replaced with a 13mm machine gun and additional 13mm machine guns placed in the wings outboard from the 20mm cannon bays. About 6000 Type 52 were produced and they fought until the end of the war.

Hasegawa offered up what is easily the best model of the Zero ever produced with their early-type Model 21, etc. kits in 1997. Now, they’ve turned their attention to their dated Model 52 kit and given it entirely new wing and fuselage parts. The company’s pride in what is the most famous Japanese aircraft ever built shows through! Detail is absolutely brilliant throughout — you won’t need any resin detail sets for this one. No fit problems at all. Markings for two aircraft. The first (see box art) is from the Tsuuba Naval Air Group in October 1944. The second is from Suzuka Airbase in June 1944. Highly recommended.