| Diecast Airplanes |
| 1/72 Warplanes |
| Corgi Japanese |
      Photograph Copyright © Collin Riley 2005-2010 |
| A6M3-22 Zero, Takeo Okumura | |||||||
| Aviation
Archive. War in the Pacific
Collection. A
really good diecast A6M in this scale has yet to be produced, and
I've hemmed and hawed in my own mind about which of the various versions
is best. Corgi is in the process of introducing a new Spitfire I mold,
and hopefully they will make new molds for the Mustang, as well as
for the Zero, though, of course, a new Zero mold is highly unlikely.
Most probably, a new Zero would come from SkyMax. The Dragon mold has good proportions, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired, with lots of bits and pieces to attach (and fall off), and a sliding canopy that doesn't slide well and that leaves gapping holes in the sides of the fuselage. Also, the panel lines are much too intense. The Witty version is laudable because of the large number of A6M variations produced, though the fuselage seems a bit tall and the canopy profile a bit low, and the windscreen doesn't have quite the right shape. In the Corgi version, the panel lines are much too deep, the landing gear a bit too short, and the canopy a bit too far forward. Also, the canopy bracing is heavy-handed, though the shape of the canopy wind-screen is among the best. Again, SkyMax seems the more likely candidate to come out witn a new Zero mold, mainly because Japanese WWII airplanes fall into a niche category, and SkyMax has been filling those categories quite nicely. However, with the excellent diecast molds Corgi is currently producing, a new Zero from them would be most welcome. And it would be especially welcome if accompanied by a twin-engined Betty bomber, a mold type in which Corgi is a very successful niche player. As for this Corgi model, it is not particularly attractive because the dark colors accentuate the deep panel lines and heavy canopy bracing, qualities which give the model a more-than-usual toy-like look. |
|||||||
|
|||||||
   
|
|||||||
| Copyright © Collin Riley 2005-2010 |  |