1/48 Ki-61ii (Hien) with teardrop canopy – WIP #18

Let me call it done. 

Eight years ago when I started this project, I recklessly but seriously decided to build the “world best Ki-61 model” which was quite an impossible dream to be realized. I don’t know whether it  has been attained or not, but now I realize that when someone would make up his mind to do something seriously, no matter how difficult the thing would be, other people surely appear and help him. For this eight years, I’ve obtained wonderful connections with world expert researchers on aviation and skillful modelers whom I never thought to become my friends before. Appreciate them so much for their many great helps and advices. And also thank many friends who have been continuing to encourage me on this build for this eight years. What this eight years gave me is not the completion of this model but the friendship with these wonderful people.

My build is based on mainly two sources. One is the result of the investigation project for the real Ki-61ii machine #17 of Kakamigahara Aero Space Museum, to which I was invited by my friends’ kindness. The other is the detailed informations of Ki-100 of RAF Museum, of which my friend Joe Picarella (in charge of the restoration of the heritage as you know) and his book kindly provided me. And also it is strictly based on the painting theory by Sunao Katabuchi, a great researcher for Japanese WWII Aircrafts. I found some new knowledges about Ki-61ii’s mechanism through this build, so I’m planning to introduce the findings to you all on future posts, using this model as a material.

Thank you all again, and enjoy !

i) Anodized aluminum rivet

There remains a witness Mr.Ikushige Abe who saw a “Blue Ki-61ii with tear-drop canopy” at IJA Examination Division Fussa. The blue came from rivets made out of anodized aluminum. I tried to represent the blue rivets as below.

*Note : Ki-61ii #17 itself doesn’t have anodized aluminum rivets.

ii) Profile

These are almost precise side view based on the newest 3d scan for Ki-61ii #17. Very unique and beautiful profile characterizing this aircraft.

iii) Propeller hub

My friend Shigeyoshi Kanda kindly pointed out the lacking part of my propeller work. Ki-61ii’s propeller hub had a bulkhead being missed on #17(The white rim-like-stuff).

iv) Additional works on cockpit

Air intake, canopy levers and gunsight attachment.

v) Gears and drop tanks

The main gears of this model can be retracted partially. The drop tanks can be loaded to the pylons in the same way with real machine, but these parts are very fragile so that I don’t want to do so again !

vi) Ammunition box and bay for 20mm cannons

I have a few new findings on this section. I hope to explain them someday.

vii) Tail section

You can see main shaft of elevator, levers of trim tabs and control rods of stabilizer.

viii) Panels

The inside of the panels on the real machine were painted in Yellow Green #7, but I dared to keep them unpainted.

ix) Undersurface

x) Rear view

(*There is a CD box beside it, so you can see the photo of Kokontei Shincyo smiling, a famous and my favorite Rakugo teller. He looks to like my build ?)

xi) Galery

Thank you for watching, and see you next time !

Tets

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