BBI 1:18 Elite Force 001094
Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero-Sen/Zeke Display Model
IJNAS Tainan NAC, V-103, Saburo Sakai, Rabul, New Britain, 1942 |
| 1:18 Scale | | Length | | Width |
|---|
| Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero-Sen/Zeke | | 20" | | 24" |
Saburo Sakai formed a part of the elite Tainan Ku world famous "Ace Trio" along with Hiroyoshi Nishizawa and Toshio Ohta and remains the top surviving ace of the War in the Pacific. Ranked fourth in the Japanese list of aces, he first flew in China with the Imperial Japanese Navy, where he gained two victories and hoined the land based naval wing at Tainan. On December 8th 1941 he flew with the rest of Tainan Wing to attack an American air base in the Philippines. By February 1942 Sakai had claimed 13 allied planes and by July 22nd this had climbed to 49. In August, though, Sakai took a bullet across the right side of his face leaving him blinded in the right eye and his left side paralyzed. In hospital until January 1943, he rejoined the Tainan Wing in Japan but when the group was stationed to Rabaul he was left behind and spent the next year as an instructor before being transferred to the Yokosuka Wing, based at Iwo Jima. In one mission 40 Zeros took off but only 20 returned and Sakai himself only survived by flying so close to the ocean that his wings kept dipping into the water. After a spell in the Matsuyama Wing he returned to the Yokosuka where he flew Mitsubishi J3M Jacks until the end of the war. He had achieved 64 victories.
First flown in April, 1939, the A6M Zero-Sen was the Allies' main opponent in the Pacific and the most famous symbol of Japanese air power during World War II. This carrier-based fighter, designed with a low-monoplane wing and armed with a formidable array of two 20mm cannons and two 7.7mm machine guns, proved capable of handling any of the Allies' aircraft. It wasn't until the Allies studied a captured Zero that they were able to identify and exploit weaknesses such as minimal pilot and fuel tank protection. Zeros became infamous for Kamikaze attacks, in which pilots would intentionally crash explosion-laden aircraft into Allied ships. © Copyright 2003-2025 The Flying Mule, Inc.
The Blue Box International 1:18 "Elite Force" range presents highly-detailed, ready-made plastic models of military aircraft in 1:18 scale.
Blue Box International 1:18 "Elite Force" display airplanes feature:
- Molded plastic construction.
- Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
- Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel llike decals.
- Opening canopies, revealing detailed cockpit interiors.
- Selected moveable control surfaces.
- Functional extending/retracting landing gear.
- Authentic detachable ordnance loads complete with placards.
DISCLAIMER - Please Read
Please keep in mind that large scale plastic models are not scaled-up versions of their smaller diecast cousins. They are pre-assembled from a large number of components and production compromises are often made to keep them within reach of the casual collector's budget. Factory painting, glueing and alignment discrepencies are often visible upon close inspection. The models arrive paritially deconstructed and do require time to un-package and assemble prior to display. Assembly mostly consists of pushing together snap-fitting parts although a little attention with a sharp hobby knife and/or superglue is sometimes required to achieve the best fit.
In summary, with a little effort, these models can make fantastic, attention-grabbing showpieces from a reasonable viewing distance. Up close however, their more toy-like qualities will become apparent. We regret that we are unable to accept returns on these items for minor fit and finish issues.
© Copyright 2003-2025 The Flying Mule, Inc.
