Produced from the autumn of 1942, the Model 32 Zero fighter followed the Model 21 in being used in the conflict in the Pacific theatre. It featured a Sakae 21 engine fitted with two superchargers, and its calling card was a main wing shortened by 50cm on either side and given a squared-off finish. It was the superior of the Model 21 in terms of top speed, climb rate and roll, and thanks to its appearance even (mistakenly) received a different nickname of 'Hamp'. This new kit joins two others in Tamiya's 1:72 range - the Mitsubishi A6M2b and A6M5 Zeke - to allow the modeller the chance to build a fine little collection of these wonderful aircraft. Though also available in other ranges including Airfix and Hasegawa, these new kits are worth checking out thanks to their astonishing levels of detail, fit, surface features and accuracy. Even from the box as seen here, this new kit is a show-stopper; add detail and it will be breathtaking. But enough of the plaudits, what do we actually have in the box? Supplied in one of Tamiya's excellent boxes decorated by a wonderful painting of our chosen subject, the kit is everything you would expect from this company; well presented, wonderfully moulded, with comprehensive instructions and decals and a level of finesse that screams for you to dig a little deeper and get started. Once removed from their bags, the plastic parts revealed high levels of detail - especially within the cockpit - and surface detail that was easily the best I have seen in a kit in this scale. It is, to all intents and purposes, identical in terms of quality to that found in Tamiya's second-generation 1:48 kit.
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