The history
The A6M3 Model 32 was the first major redesign of Mitsubishi’s Zero. It had the more powerful Sakae 21 engine with a two-stage supercharger and square-cut wingtips that shortened the span. The change in outline was enough for Allied intelligence to report it as a new type, and it was given its own codename, Hamp.
The new engine burned more fuel and the clipped wings held less, cutting range just as the Guadalcanal campaign called for long flights from Rabaul. The following Model 22 went back to the full-span wing, and the Model 32 remained a short-lived variant.
The build
This was the first model I built after a long break, and I was not afraid to experiment on it. Tamiya’s 1/48 A6M3 is a nice kit but a simpler one: the instrument panel comes as a decal rather than moulded detail. The canopy, cowl flaps and landing gear can be built open or closed, and the box includes seven figures, one of them a pilot.
Of the three marking options I chose the Tainan Air Group.
Cockpit
Finished
