MPM 1:72 MITSUBISHI A7M REPPU
Reviewer: Myself (braithy @bigpond.com)
The Mitsubishi company produced the A7M Reppu (Hurricane) in the last few months of the war to replace its predecessor, the Mitsubishi A6M Reisen (Zero). The prototype first flew in early May 1944 and included a bullett-proof windshield and hydraulically operated folding outer wing panels. After overcoming insufficient engine performance problems the company planned mass production but earthquakes, bombing raids and crashing the prototype plagued the programme. Only one production aircraft, given the allied codename 'Sam' was completed by the end of the war.
The box isn't particularly large and you have two sprues of about 35 injection moulded light grey plastic parts. There's a little bit of flash encumbering the trees but it only needs minor attention to clean up. The kit also contains a vaccuform canopy and photo/brass etched extratech details.
The instructions are set out on one A4 sized sheet with half a dozen steps, a paragraph of history on the aircraft, a diagram of the parts and what they are numbered (as numbers are not on the parts themselves) and of course the colour scheme. Paint codes are provided from an unknown reference source but their names are also given to help cross reference. There are half a dozen construction steps that are not foolproof by any means - point of exact affixing is a bit vague in areas.
The first two steps of assembly are dedicated to the cockpit, each covering an optional way of construction whether you choose to use brass-etched details or not. The cockpit has quite a bit of detail in both formats that includes seat, foot pedals, joystick, instrument panel and side panels. For both plastic or brass option you are provided with pedals and instrumentation for the side panels. A photo etched decal is applied on the back of the brass cover, which is then attached to the front instrument panel and if done right looks terrific.
The vertically split fuselage halves include the tail fin and engine cowling. The next step instructs you to attach these to encase the cockpit and engine - plus attach wings, stabilisers, aerial and canopy. The wings are split into five components; a one-piece underwing section that stretches halfway out either side of the aircraft, two upper section halves to attach to the lower wing and against the fuselage, then the two one-piece outer wing panels either side of the aircraft. This allows you to have them folded but there is no detail or hinge supplied in the kit, so this will have to be scratchbuilt. This whole section is quite difficult and requires quite a lot of care and attention to get right. I'd strongly recommend dry fitting everything before you go any further and leaving it to dry overnight for optimum curing.
You're best off getting the engine assembled inside the cowling then glueing the fuselage halves together (basically work inside the fuselage half as opposed to assembling it separately) - making sure you don't forget instrument panel and inner cockpit wall (but without cockpit inside). The propellor is non-moveable, but could be if a better nose cone and shaft was supplied in the kit. This will require some work to get it to fit properly in the nose and to have a decent looking propellor/engine without having the nose-cone extend too much.
You then need to attach the cockpit to the lower wing and fit wing/cockpit assembly into the bottom of the fuselage where it's supposed to go. This is quite tricky, but can be made easier with dry fit testing and sanding down any area resisting a good fit. Once this is tackled you slap on the upper wing surface halves and let it all dry before attaching the outer wing panels. Given that there are no hinges or other details in the kit, I attached the wings in flying configuration and a diagram gives a front on view showing they are meant to extend 8 degrees upward. You will need to sand down the adjoining areas and affix some masking tape to prevent the outer panel from slipping (obviously away from excess glue area), then using an appropriate leverage tool to keep the wing affixed at the right degree angle. While this was another tricky episode it can be achieved reasonably easy with the right care and preparation and left to dry overnight. The whole completed assembly at this point will need to be sanded smooth and all gaps nullified with putty - in just about every adjoining section.
Rear stabilisers, a panel behind the cockpit and the canopy can all then be tackled and again will need attention for the right fit. The last steps are dedicated to the undercarriage which is retractable. The rear wheel is not the correct shape to allow for a smooth attachment to the model and will need to be sanded to allow it to affix properly.
Once completed you have the choice of two examples to display, the third experimental type based at Yokosuka, Japan 1945 or an experimental type based at Yokosuka, Japan 1945 (must have been in the hangar next to each other!). Other than the prefix 'third' the only differences between the two aircraft are a serial number and the colour of it's underside, light gray on the former and orange on the latter. Both aircraft have an overall dark green finish with yellow leading edges on the main wings (similar to that on many a spitfire). Decals are produced by Propagatem and the first aircraft has a serial on its tail, both aircraft having six Japanese roundels. The decals require a lot of care, especially the serial number, as they are very thin and can disintegrate easily - as I found out. So my example transformed from a replication of the former example to a replication of the latter example - thank god I had stuffed up the serial number before I applied the underwing roundels to the light grey surface (as it had to be repainted orange!). I mixed a bit of black and silver to my orange to give it a metallic dark orange look, almost a bronze but still clearly orange. This took me a number of tries before I had the right mix and even now I am positive I stumbled upon it by accident. Orange itself didn't seem quite right.
Overall this kit is not for beginners and those of intermediate skill may find it a little too hot to handle as well. As is common with MPM kits the plastic is a little heavy but still fine to work with. There is little assistance provided for fitting - a bit like a jigsaw without connector pins, if you know what I mean. The fits are not easy or very "cooperative", yes pun indeed intended! (Cooperative is another name that MPM market a certain run of kits under) - so the kit will demand some skills to get a good finish. Having achieved this it doesn't look too bad on the model shelf.
With very little reference material available I have relied heavily on MPM's assertions regarding the overall kit's dimensions and lines. With the material I do have it seems to match up fairly well. As far as the kit goes it will demand some skills to achieve a good product and probably only really suited to those who would class themselves in the "experienced" category. Others of lesser skill will most likely find it a little too frustrating and annoying to get a decent finish. You may also want to find out whether there are any other 1/72 sources for this rare aircraft who perhaps might offer a less challenging kit of equal ability.
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