GB-59 1/72 Mitsubishi Ki-15 'Babs' - WW2 PTO V

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

Ok, Checking the canopy PROPERLY, it turns out the Hasegawa/ Mania canopy is the LOW type of the prototypes. At first I pronounced a lovely little four letter word, then tried to decide my next best course of action. So I have now ordered the Arii 1:72 Ki-15-I with markings for J-BAAI Kamikaze, plus DEAD design canopy masks for same.
I *think* the kit comes with the higher canopy, possibly both types according to one photo found, so A) if I can retrofit the higher Arii canopy to the Hasegawa kit, this will continue as scheduled, or B) If it won't fit, this build will become Kamikaze, and the Arii kit as an IJAAF machine.
No worries, eh?
 
Forgot to say, the new kit is the Micro Ace reboxing of the Arii kit, which is a reboxing of the LS Models kit, which dates back to 1976.
The Hasegawa kit's originator, the Mania kit, dates to 1974.
 
Been googling alot today. Turns out the Arii Kamikaze kit has the lower canopy aswell. Correct for the markings, but not for my Ki-15-I. So... I ordered 2 more Arii kits... a Ki-15-I (has low and high canopies ) and a Ki-15-II/ C5M1.

The logic behind the madness:
- The high canopy from the Ki-15-I will go to this build, if it fits. If not, the new kit will be my Ki-15-I. This one, we'll see..
- The now superfluous Kamikaze kit (bought for a canopy it turns out is not in the kit) will become J-BAAI or L for my wife, who likes the scheme (as do I, very pretty). Markings for both aicraft are included in the kit.
- My son really likes the mottled Ki-15-II shown earlier in this build, so this will be for him. Bonus is it comes with the markings I was going to have to hobble together for one option of Ki-15-I I really like, so a win-win there.

Pics of the kits from the net:


 
Last edited:
Had about 20 mins last night, so cut out the port landing light, which was only scribed onto the plastic wing surface. Looking at close up pics I see the top corners need a little more work.

The landing light demarcation line didn't match up between the wing halves, so I used the top ones as a guide, and will fill and rescribe the bottom ones.

 

Users who are viewing this thread