Eduard 1/48 A6M2-N 'Rufe', by Eric Berg

In the late 1930’s the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) wanted a fighter floatplane to counteract the U.S. Navy’s plan to construct some 2,000 flying boats. The IJN approved construction of a new interceptor seaplane, the Kawanishi N1K1 Kyofu (Rex). By 1940 it was clear that the Kyofu was falling behind in development and an interim fighter would be needed. So Nakajima was ordered to develop a float-equipped version of Mitsubishi’s A6M2 Zero in 1941. The first Rufe designated A6M2-N flew on December 7th, the same day of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Although the Rufe showed excellent maneuverability and stability, it was hampered by the increased weight due to the floats and additional equipment and did not exceed comparable seaplanes performance wise. Some 327 examples of the Rufe were built before Nakajima ended production in the fall of 1943. By this time the Kyofu had finally arrived but only 89 were produced by mid 1944 when the IJN determined that floatplanes were no longer needed and declared them obsolete.

Eduard’s limited Rufe duo combo kit was released in 2023. This boxed edition contains everything one needs to build two complete Rufe’s along with a 28 page instruction booklet that includes a 5 page essay with photos about this seaplane’s history. Basically it’s two Profi-Pacs in one box. A bonus the nifty 18pc trailer used to haul the Rufe in and out of the water and makes for a perfect display stand. No need to spend another dime on aftermarket items either.

I had already built Eduard’s excellent A6M2 Zero Type 21 a few kits ago so I knew what to expect here. Just follow the instructions to the “T” and all will assemble absolutely beautifully without any of the usual fiddly issues. The trick is to built, paint and decal both the Zero and the main float separately and attach the two when you reach the finish line. I made sure to add some ballast at the very front of the main float to keep the Rufe from titling backwards. Extreme care is needed lightly sanding the top seam where the two float halves join so as not remove any of the fine detail.

Like their other Zero kits, Eduard provides a jig for assembling the 5 piece cowl that is absolutely brilliant and makes the front assembly a snap! I followed Eduard’s instructions exactly but I did leave off some of the tiny PE and sprue parts that are hidden and one will never see. The assembled cockpit is absolutely gorgeous but once again, most of it is almost invisible once installed.

Eduard gives you 8 color schemes (A - H) to choose from and I went with B, an early production Rufe of the 5th Kōkūtai based on Kiska Island, the Aleutians, August 1942. I mixed my own colors using Tamiya acrylics. The basic IJN grey fuselage color is a mix of Tamiya XF-76 “IJN Grey 2" with XF-51 “Khaki Drab” (three parts XF-76 to two parts XF-51) thinned with Mr. Color leveling thinner. I did very little weathering because I like the clean look of the Rufe just as it is.

Eduard’s kit decals are superbly printed but they do have that pesky excess carrier film that other modelers have been complaining about. Yes it is slightly noticeable and supposedly removable, but I chose not to. The tiny stencils are too fiddly for the most part so I didn’t use them. The red stripes on the main float are painted on.

CONCLUSIONS

I can’t toss out enough accolades about how great Eduard Zero kits are and this Rufe is no exception. Simply put, Eduard’s Rufe A6M2-N is a superb state of the art model. Highly recommended for any experienced modeler used to working with small parts.

A mighty tip of the hat to Tom Cleaver for splitting this kit with me. Here’s a link to what TC did with the other Rufe that came in this box:

REFERENCES

“Rufe”, Jan Bobek, Eduard Instruction Booklet, 1/48 Rufe Dual Combo Limited, 2023

“Japanese Aircraft of World War II 1937-1945”, Thomas Newdick, Amber Books, 2017.

KIT #:	11171
PRICE:	$98.00
DECALS:	Eight options
REVIEWER:	Eric Berg
NOTES:	Part of dual combo kit