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Playing in the Sandbox Group Build Sept 1, 2024 - Jn 1, 2025

TA-152 Zoukei Moura Finally Done


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Ladies and Gentlemen,

finally I got the ZM TA-152 done. This build was not free of troubles and I'm somewhat relieved, that this bird is finished now. If you are interested into the 'how to's' you will find the 'WIP' under that link https://forum.largescalemodeller.com/topic/5340-ta-152-zoukei-moura-132-my-first-zm/

I had lots of fun through that build, but there were moments of sheer frustration, even to the point of nearly abandon the project. Because of that I will show some pro and cons.

Pro
- Interesting subject, most subassembleys are well detailed
- Great presentation of the kit with nice boxart in a sturdy box, everything is well and safely packed, and a great manual in colour and style.
- Canopy masks are included and you get details like brake lines (nicely reproduced) and two pilot seats, one with sufficient reproduced seatbelts and a complete engine.
- Decals were good, complete with stencils and great to work with (with the exception of the yellow and red fuselage ring, because big opaque markings are better painted).

Cons
- This kit is overengineered, there are lots of subassembleys to show with opened cowlings, but because of that it is a nightmare to get everything aligned properly
- There are some flaws in the continuity of the manual, specially with the assemble of the engine with it's struts into the fuselage
- You have to be a hardcore test fit junkie as a result of the above mentioned
- While detail is generally good and sharp in most places, some parts look almost toyish (Oxygene tanks, the guns, parts of the cockpit, rudder pedals)
- Price, I can see, that this kit is worth some bucks and many thoughts and engineering has flown in, but to me personally it is to pricey for the troubles you get while building

Used aftermarket products and how I liked them
- The PE-flaps from ZM are definetly worth the extra cash, if you are willing to ruin your nerves while bending, glueing and preparing the wings for the installation
- The metal guns, aerials and pilot tube are a definite must, specially the barrels
- The resin wheels are weighted, so they are a must for me too
- The metal gear struts are bueno, but the plastic ones are not bad either, so it's up to you
- The interior PE from ZM is a nice addition, but when you deciede to close the canopy not many will be seen.
- The exterior PE from ZM was useless to me, the included parts for the wheel covers are nicely reproduced in plastic and most of the hinged cowlings show not so nice detailed
   inner parts of the TA, so it's not worth the (big) effort
- The Concept Notes printed by ZM are a nice and well made source of reference and modelling advices, but sometimes I wished I had a magnifier, because of the tiny fonts

In the end the bird looks differently than planned. I found no way to let the engine cowlings removable, not even with the extra PE-hinges, so I glued them in place. What I learned from this build is that test fitting a lot is the only way to get this one done and that some models unexpectedly force you to permanently be open to changes during the building progress. And last but not least, never trust a primer which dosen't smell horrible, but thats has nothing to do with Zoukei Moura. The german camo was a first for me and it went on ok. The best about it is, that I no more fear complicated paintjobs, so lets start with the ZM HE-219 UHU. Wait a minute it's from ZM and I need a little rest from them :).

Here are some pictures I hope you will enjoy

Cheers Rob

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  • 1 month later...

Thank you Joachim, I didn't want to overdo the weathering, because of the short period of action these  birds saw. On the other Hand I went with the white wash the first time to simulate the harsh winter conditions, the TA's were used in.

Cheers Rob

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Thanx Gentlemen for your kind words.

@nmayhew, you might be right with your assumption about the grill in the supercharger intake. I found some photos and descriptions of a TA-152 H0 without the grille, after you mentioned it. The one awaiting restoration in the US has one and that was the base for me adding one, can't trust nobody :D.

On the other hand I'm not a total rivet counter, if it looks about right it's ok for me and the grille looks just cool and right.

Cheers Rob

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  • 2 months later...

Thank you Phil, it was my first ZM kit and it developed somewhat surprising to me. In the beginning everything looked great, from the plastic to the presentation. But don't be fooled, it's not an easy kit to build, but there is nothing which can't be solved. If you go for it, do yourself a favor and choose the H-0 Version, The H-1 Version features strangly multi colored plastic (grey, black, silver), The H-0 is plain gray.

In my build log and the verdict in this one, you get an idea about the pros and cons. 

I hope the best for my other ZM kits, as I have a Mustang, the Horten and the UHU in my stash.

Would I build her again? With a Little time passing to heal the little wounds to my pride for permanently changing my plans with that build, yeah definitely.

Cheers Rob

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Nice!, I missed out n the build, but the result tells the tale. Not a easy build thats for sure, complex breakdown , unnecessary detail, etc.. I shelved my Ta-152E conversion for the very same reason :). Once again BRAVO!

Cheers

M.

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2 hours ago, BarryWilliams said:

Great build, lovely finish. I think it would gain only from some swastikas on the tail....

I have one to start after my current Avenger build...

Thanks Barry, I'm sure you will tackle the TA, having seen your quality builds and I will follow for sure.

Beeing a German and beeing connected in different ways to german history, I'm a bit sensitive about using swastikas and other in Germany forbidden signs. It's not about that they are forbidden, but there is a lot of present problems connected to Neo Nazis and other facist groups around my old hometown of Berlin, so it's more a personal Statement.

Cheers Rob

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  • 2 weeks later...

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