Zoukei-Mura 1/32 AD-6 (SWS 1/32 #36)
I first got a close up view of this new release from ZM as a build-up display at the 2024 IPMS-USA National Convention last August. Pretty much sure of what I would find in the box, I still made the mental commitment to get hold of one as soon as it became generally available.
When I first saw the blue AD, I had a momentary jolt of hope we were being presented with something earlier than the A-1H/J kits already to hand, but alas, it was not to be. What we are presented with is merely a re-boxing of the original plastic, but at least all in the more civilized gray as opposed to the ghastly multicolored sprues of the original releases.
There are other plusses beyond the better plastic. Also included in the box is ZM’s A-1H Weapons Set, previously only available as an aftermarket add-on, and a very nice set of blue Skyraider decals, also previously available as AM.
To their credit, ZM does advertise this kit as an AD-6 rather than misrepresenting it as something earlier a la Trumpeter with their alleged “AD-4” boxing. It is in every aspect strictly a -6, which is, after all, nothing more than a pre-McNamara era A-1H in blue paint.
Built with what comes in the box this model cannot possibly represent anything earlier than a mid-50's between the wars airplane; there is no possibility of a Korean War machine here which is a shame. In fact, ZM only misses that chimera by a skosh. Had they but tooled a small extra sprue with early model Mk-51 stub wing pylons and a modified instrument panel this kit could easily represent a presentable AD-4B used regularly by both the Navy and the Marine Corps during the last couple of years of that conflict. So close, but so far; missed opportunity there. (Hint to ZM: the supplemental sprue and some period correct decals would make a nifty aftermarket add on.)
Also included in the kit are the original gray/white scheme decals, so if you do not have that kit but would like to build it, everything is right here.
Basically, the only thing new about this kit is the box art. If you already have the earlier A-1H and had maybe picked up the aftermarket blue Skyraider decals set from the earlier days, then you’ve got what’s here. If you don’t have any ZM Navy Skyraiders at all, then this is the kit for you because it has all the options you need no matter which color scheme you prefer.
It’s still a good kit; it’s just nothing new.
Recommended.
Zoukei-Mura 1/32 A-1H (SWS #15) and 1/32 A-1J (SWS #16)
This will be another two kit review given the basic similarity of the kits. The A-1H US Navy version was the first released followed a while later by the USAF specific A-1J. The distinction is somewhat arbitrary given the Navy and the Air Force operated both H and J models, but seeing as they are externally identical I imagine ZM was just trying for some differentiation between the two boxings.
Both kits come with a unique, almost Wingnut Wings-esque instructions presented in the form of a military maintenance manual. The decal sheets are big, comprehensive accurate and appear to be exactly right for color and historically appropriate for application. As of this writing I have built one of each boxing and found the kit markings to work perfectly with the Microscale system.
The contents of the two boxes are not identical however. The A-1J version while giving you everything in the A-1H box except the decals also contains parts and instructions specific to airframes operated by the Air Force such as different main wheel hubs and wingtip landing lights. Neither is universal, so careful checking of the source subject is necessary before building.
This is another of those kits I anticipated with bait on my breath, and when it finally arrived the disappointment level was significantly lower than that experienced with the Trumpeter attempt. In fact, I really like this kit and while it has its issues, at the same time it must be kept in mind this was an early project produced by a new company with their own particular almost Zen-like philosophy, and, everything which comes from Japan is not Tamiya.
First the good: This model looks like a Skyraider; all of the shapes, contours and dimensions are exactly as they are supposed to be. All the major parts are nicely molded with good surface detail and a shortage of knockout pin marks and nonexistent flash make construction a much more pleasurable experience than it might otherwise be. With only one or two exceptions (covered below) the fit is perfectly fine and the model can be build right out of the box with no modifications or additions to present a perfectly acceptable and accurate miniature.
Now the bad: Actually, there isn’t any; not as one should say, bad qua bad. By this I mean there isn’t anything which necessarily needs to be tossed and replaced by something else done at least halfway acceptable; no absolute requirement for aftermarket or scratch building though some of both can spruce things up immeasurably.
The biggest complaint I have heard and seen directed at the kit is price point. All well and good but price point compared to what in 1/32 scale? Tamiya F4U-1D? Tamiya P-51D (especially the “Pacific” boxing)? Tamiya Mosquito? All are going to set a perspective buyer back more than the ZM Skyraider from most sellers and no one seems to mind. Let's compare it to the Trumpeter kit then; this would be the only apples to apples matchup which actually has any legitimacy anyway. Okay, are we talking price or value? First off, the Chinese kits don't exactly grow on trees themselves, and ZM gives us a significantly better product over its competition if technical accuracy and usability of most of what is in the box is the measure. In my opinion, price point/shcmrice point, you get what you pay for. Go with the ZM kit every time.
I do agree with the critics who observe for the price ZM should have included some weapons sprues. In fairness, they now do so in some boxings; (pictured above) with a price hike to match. But it does seem a little cheesy not to give at least a few basic things. Having said this, it is also true the Skyraider by its nature carried just about everything imaginable, so the designers are left with the choice between taking heat for giving nothing, or not giving the “right” stuff. Rather than read our minds ZM adopted the tried and true Hasegawa approach of supplying weapons as separate aftermarket sets. See them reviewed here.
Like I said, the kit does have its issues however. Let’s take a look.
There’s some goofy engineering here which doesn’t click with me, especially because I feel the time and effort applied to it would have been better spent on other parts. For instance, why should we care about pistons being represented inside engine cylinders which when assembled will close them off forever when the detail of the wheel wells, is almost toy like and entirely lackluster for the scale? Likewise, the cockpit, landing gear and wing guns, while adequate, are certainly not up to the level of finesses we have come to expect from the industry, particularly at this price.
I’ve never been 100% sure what the “review corps” means with the nondescript cliché “fiddly”, but what I imagine it to be probably applies to the wing fold design herein. It’s well engineered if one option or another is selected and constructed solidly as such, but going for the toy like folding option is fraught with difficulty and a recipe for scale disaster.
Two main fit “problems” surface for these kits, neither particularly off putting if “some modeling skill” is brought to the bench.
First, fuselage tail halves are molded separate from the main parts. We’ve seen this in other kits, (a la Hasegawa’s P-40 series) and the answer is, as always, simply attach the rear and front parts of each half together right off the bat instead of completing the rear and forward subassemblies before joining. There is a pretty wide seam when done, but nothing some attention with filler and some sand paper won’t fix. Actually, if you’ve ever built the Hasegawa P-40, the ZM Skyraider is a piece of cake in contrast for this particular detail.
The other fit issue is the gun access covers. When glued in place for the closed option they set below the wing surface. Again, take care of them early on before gluing wing halves together; shim them up from underneath and glue in place. I do wish the engineering here was better, but this is not a goof which is all that hard to fix.
Let’s face it, we’re not too likely to see a 1/32 Skyraider from Tamiya or anyone else for that matter. There are just way too many Phantoms, Mustangs, F-16’s, Spitfires and Bf-109’s to redo…and redo…and redo…and redo…and redo…and redo…and redo…and redo…etc…etc…etc…ad infanitum…. So, we work with what we have in hand. As critical as I have been of the Trumpeter product, I do have to observe they at least tried, which is more than we have seen from anyone else except Zoukei-Mura.
Did ZM hit it out of the park with this Skyraider? Sorry, no they didn't. However, compared to Trumpeter’s at bat with a pop fly right into the shortstop’s glove, they did serve up a nice line drive triple into deep center field. Every Skyraider fan should build at least one.
