21st Century Toys 22114 Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero Type 22 — 1:32 Plastic model aircraft kit

Manufacturer: 21st Century Toys
Kit number: 22114
Aircraft: Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero Model 22
Scale: 1:32
Kit type: Injection-moulded plastic assembly kit
Tooling/release: 2006
Status: Out of production
Country of manufacture: China
The manufacturer

21st Century Toys was an American company best known for affordable WWII aircraft, vehicles and figures. Its 1:32 aircraft kits appeared around 2006 and were aimed at a much broader market than expensive specialist large-scale kits. The company's kits are now discontinued, making the better-preserved examples increasingly interesting to collectors.

The 22114 belongs to the company's small family of 1:32 Zero kits. The related 22101 represents the earlier A6M2 Zero Type 21, while 22114 represents the later A6M3 Model 22. Both are recorded as 2006 injection-moulded kits.

There is an important warning with marketplace records: the UPC shown on some eBay database records is 0638748222011, but that number is also incorrectly associated by eBay's automated catalogue with other 21st Century Toys products. I would therefore use kit number 22114 and the box identification as the primary identification rather than relying on that UPC alone.
Kit contents and construction

This is a relatively straightforward 1:32 plastic kit, catalogued at skill level 2.

The kit includes the major components required to build the A6M3 Model 22, including:

injection-moulded fuselage and wings;

cockpit;

engine/cowling assembly;

landing gear;

retractable undercarriage;

clear canopy;

pilot figure;

propeller;

external stores/fuel tank components;

decals;

instructions;

small metal screws used in the construction system.

A contemporary in-box examination of the closely related 21st Century Toys Zero family provides particularly useful information about the manufacturer's construction method. The Zero kits came in a shrink-wrapped tray-and-lid box, with the small parts packaged separately and a sealed bag containing approximately 11 small bright-metal screws, one black screw and a metal propeller shaft. Some of the screws were spares.

The manufacturer used screws to secure parts of the wing and fuselage, reflecting the company's background in pre-assembled/toy-style aircraft. A modeller wanting a completely conventional scale-model finish can omit the screws and fill the resulting mounting holes instead.
Cockpit

The cockpit is one of the more attractive features of these inexpensive kits. The canopy can be posed open, allowing the cockpit to be displayed, and the kit includes a separate pilot figure.

The contemporary in-box review describes the cockpit as detailed, with the landing gear capable of being displayed either retracted or extended.
Undercarriage

The landing gear is designed to retract and extend, which is somewhat unusual for an inexpensive 1:32 injection kit.

The main landing gear and doors are assembled into the lower wing area, while the tailwheel/arrestor-hook area is separately represented.
Engine and cowling

The kit represents the Zero's radial engine behind the characteristic cowling. The 21st Century Toys Zero family has relatively heavy surface engraving compared with modern 1:32 kits, but the overall presentation is intended to give the modeller a recognisable A6M with the principal external features represented.
Surface detail

The panel lines are engraved but relatively heavy by modern standards. This is worth knowing if you're considering building one today: it is much more in the character of an inexpensive mid-2000s kit than a modern Tamiya 1:32 aircraft.

The underlying shape is nevertheless quite useful as a starting point, particularly considering the kit's original low price.
Decals and marking options

The contemporary review of the 21st Century Toys Zero family provides a useful indication of the decal and instruction package.

The instructions were a six-page accordion-fold sheet, containing assembly instructions, historical information and colour/marking profiles. The decal sheet provided several Japanese aircraft markings and colour schemes.

The documented Zero options included aircraft associated with:

Shikaku Fighter Squadron during the Battle of Santa Cruz;

Kounoike Flying Group;

Lieutenant Sumio Nono's aircraft, associated with the Pearl Harbor attack.

However, that review was specifically examining an A6M2 kit accidentally packaged in an A6M3 Model 22 box, so I would not assume that all three of those markings belong to every 22114 boxing. This is a good example of why the exact decal sheet should be checked when valuing a used kit.
An unusual collector point

There is a documented case of a factory packaging error involving these Zero kits: one modeller received an A6M2 kit inside a box labelled for the A6M3 Model 22.

The reviewer identified the mistake by examining the cowling and other structural differences between the A6M2 and A6M3.

That means a collector buying an opened 22114 should check the actual plastic inside the box, rather than relying solely on the artwork or kit number printed on the carton.

For a sealed example this isn't an issue, but for an opened kit it is worth checking.
The real aircraft — A6M3 Model 22

The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was Japan's principal carrier fighter during the early part of the Pacific War.

The A6M3 was developed to improve the aircraft's performance, particularly at altitude and in response to operational requirements. The early A6M3 Model 32 introduced clipped wingtips, but the Model 22 represented a return to the rounded wingtip arrangement while retaining improvements made during A6M3 development.

The Model 22 also restored greater wing area and increased fuel capacity compared with the Model 32, improving its range.

The Zero's combination of low weight, excellent manoeuvrability and long range was a major advantage early in the war. It achieved considerable success during the opening campaigns, although its light construction and limited protection became increasingly problematic as Allied fighter designs and tactics developed.

The A6M3 Model 22 was particularly associated with the long-range fighting that characterised operations in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea.
A6M3 Model 22 production

The Model 22 was produced during 1942–43, with production eventually moving toward the improved A6M5 series.

Compared with the A6M2, the A6M3 incorporated a number of changes including a more powerful engine installation and revised wing design.

The Model 22's rounded wingtips make it visually distinctive from the earlier clipped-wing Model 32, while the enlarged wing and additional fuel provision helped restore some of the range sacrificed by the Model 32.

This is the version represented by 21st Century Toys 22114, rather than the A6M2 Type 21 represented by kit 22101.
Model dimensions

The full-size A6M3 was approximately:

Length: 9.12 m

Wingspan: approximately 12 m for the Model 22

Crew: 1

Engine: Nakajima Sakae radial

Role: carrier fighter / interceptor

Armament: 20 mm cannon plus machine guns, depending upon production version

At 1:32 scale, the finished model is roughly 28.5 cm long, with a wingspan of around 37.5 cm.

That gives it a substantial display presence without being as large as some 1:32 twin-engine aircraft.