Help please.....what kit n colours....

[Army of One]

.....should I use for an appropriate foe for my Airfix Curtiss Hawk 81 please.... I am looking for it to be a Zero really....not made many Japanese a/c hence the request. A quick look in some books I have give me the idea it may be A6M2 and possibly a model 21.... Absolutely no idea about colour scheme.....any ideas would be welcome.......my 3yr old loves the sharkmouth on the Hawk and I want it to have some prey......many thanks.....H

[NARSES2]

Well the new Airfix Zero is a nice kit. As for scheme either as per the box which is green over grey or do it Light grey all over and pretend it's Amiro (and their in lies a minefield  )

[Army of One]

Cheers Chris......I was looking at it an was wondering if it was ok time wise,shown fighting P47's on the box.....is it the same kit as in the dogfight double pearl harbour boxing...??....H

[jcf]

The Hawk 81 is basically the same as the USAAC P-40B/C.

USAAC P-40s faced A6M2 Model 21 Zeros during the Pearl Harbor and Philippines attacks of December 1941,
however, and counter to continuing myth, the Hawk 81s used by the AVG(Flying Tigers) never combatted IJN Zeros.
Rather, the AVG were opposed by Imperial Japanese Army Ki 27 and Ki 43 fighters.

Both Nakajima fighters are available in 1/72 if you want to model a 'real' foe for the Curtiss, or go ahead and build
a Zero as it is an automatic Whif. 

As Chris hints the colour of the early Zero is a bit of a minefield, but the old image of pale whitish-gray has been disproved,
the colour is now considered, by most, to be a soft brownish olive-gray. 

Nick Milmann has published an excellent painting guide and suggests the following mix from Humbrol paints:
8 parts 40 Gloss Grey
4 parts 225 Mat Middle Stone
1 part 86 Matt Light Olive

Tamiya XF-76 is an out of the bottle colour that is good for a moderately worn airframe.

The engine cowling and the area under the canopy, behind the pilot, are both blue-black
and the cockpit is a green that falls between Brit grey-green and US Interior Green.

HTH, Jon

[Army of One]

Jon.....that is awesome.....many thanks....Ki 43 it will be then.....now to get one.....cheers....H