A6M3 Zero Type 32 Landing Flaps

Eduard's 1:48 scale A6M3 Zero Type 32 Landing Flaps set for Hasegawa's kit, comes in the typical small plastic bag of the Manufacturer. The set is composed of one small PE fret which is protected by a cardboard sheet to prevent it from damage. A small A5 size construction notice is included as well.

The number of parts is relatively low but some of them are tiny, so great care will be necessary during construction. However, I don't think that assembling the flaps will take too long. I would say a couple of hours or so. Of course, the use of dedicated tools will help greatly (like flat pliers or a proper PE bending tool) but in this case, given the small size of the parts, I think it is possible to do without them. Cyanoacrylate cement is however mandatory to glue the parts together. One advice: make sure not to use too many cement as it will eliminate the fine detail on the metal surface, which would be a shame. In most cases, the capilarity action of liquid CA glue is only what is needed to keep the pieces together.

Removing the unneeded areas on the Hasegawa kit won't represent a lot of work, especially since there are no representations of the inner details of the flaps on the inside of the wings. The PE replacement parts will just have to be put in place once room has been made for them. What has to go is precisely shown in the instruction of the Eduard set.

Conclusion

Eduard's A6M3 Type 32 Landing Flaps will add a nice touch to Hasegawa's "Hamp" model. The work involved doesn't seems too complicated or too time intensive, therefore I can recommend this set for a first try at PE Flaps. Once you have a couple of these under your belt you won't be intimidated by them anymore and once completed they very much look like the real thing.

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