**** DONE: GB-54 1:48 Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien - Pacific Theatre

[Crimea_River]

Username: Crimea River
First name: Andy
Category: Judge – Non competing
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Tamiya
Model Type: Kawasaki Ki-61-Id
Aftermarket addons: None planned

The subject of this build will be the Ki-61 "Tony" flown by 2nd Lt. Shunzo Takashima of the 244th Air Group, Chofu Airbase, May 1945. I will use the kit decals for the build.

Image from: Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien/Tony

This relatively new Tamiya kit is well regarded and has plenty of detail. Given that I know very little about Japanese subjects, I've started to look at reference pics and articles for colours, etc. and I'll welcome any and all input from the members! I've found several period pics of this aircraft (some from the album on this site) and downloaded them to study. I plan to start work a little later when I get my bearings but will no doubt have lots of questions. See you in a bit.

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

A heads up for the innards Andy. Part B-24 was an American oxygen regulator added to a capture Ki.61

​

 

[Crimea_River]

fubar57 . Thanks Geo! I didn't read about that one yet - good to know.

 

[fubar57]

PM sent

 

[rochie]

Looking forward to seeing you tackle this one Andy

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Good one Andy, the camouflage is going to be a killer but effective when done.

 

[Snautzer01]

My thread on this airplane Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien / Tony captured

 

[Jock Tamson]

Great choice Andy

 

[Totalize]

Nice Choice there sir. I am sure you will do this one justice.

 

[SaparotRob]

I was just looking at the OP. Does the bomber kill with the red silhouette indicate a ramming attack?

 

[Crimea_River]

I was just looking at the OP. Does the bomber kill with the red silhouette indicate a ramming attack?

That is my understanding, yes.

 

[le_steph40]

Excellent choice

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks gents. I made a small start by painting and assembling a few bits for the cockpit. There's some discussion about the interior colours but all builds I've referenced have gone with Tamiya's suggestion of XF-59 Desert Yellow and so that's what I used. I laid down a base coat of black first and then applied the sandy colour lightly to leave a bit of shadow showing through. The photos don't show the effect to the full extent. The silver bits will be largely invisible but I went ahead and painted them anyway.

 

[fubar57]

I love painting invisible parts

 

[le_steph40]

Hello,
I made some researches for my Ki-61- I Ko project; there is some probability that for the early series, the cockpit color was in #3 "Ash Indigo" (hairanshoku) blue-grey, the same as Ki-21 or Ki-27. This color was officially specified by IJAAF for cockpit color since 1936. But it seems there is some modification from 1943 and the cockpit color was painted in #29 "Yellow Green" (Ki Midori Iro), similar to so called Nakajima cockpit interior. Other point, not all the IJAAF fighters were in this cockpit color, it seems that Ki-43-Is were in aotake cockpit color...

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks Steph. I heard similar and also that the so- called "yellow green" faded quickly to a pale tan colour, hence the desert yellow call-up. I understand my machine to be a later Ki-61 having left the factory as bare metal.

 

[Jamoliva]

Great choice! I remember building the 72nd scale of Hasegawa kit late 80s version in high school.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Nice start.

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks Hugh and Vic. A little more work has been done on the pit with details picked out, MG deck added, and weathering done.

The white smudge on the last photo is dried CA glue that was hit with accelerator. I had goofed up when setting the frame supporting the rudder pedals and missed the slot on the left side so I had to carefully loosen the part and jimmy it over to the slot and secure it. The high points of the glue have since been filed away so that the surface will fit flush against the fuselage side. More soon.