Subject: Re: HLJ - Hasegawa Kawasaki Ki-45Kai Hei/Tei Toryu (Nick) ‘Mainland Defense’
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "David & Natasja Johnson" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:15:40 -0700

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: David & Natasja Johnson 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Sunday, May 30, 2010 3:58 AM
  Subject: HLJ - Hasegawa Kawasaki Ki-45Kai Hei/Tei Toryu (Nick) ‘Mainland Defense’

  Hasegawa

  Kawasaki Ki-45Kai Hei/Tei Toryu (Nick) ‘Mainland Defense’

  1/48 Limited Release

  Product #09909 (http://www.hlj.com/product/HSG09909)from HobbyLink Japan (www.hlj.com)

  Product Article by Dave Johnson on the May 2010

  The Imperial Japanese Army Air Force ordered a development of an twin engine, two seater fighter,  due to the rapid developments in Europe in 1937. Kawasaki Shipbuilding was proposed and assigned the designation of the Ki-38. This design only went as far as a mockup, but by the end of 1937 the Imperial Japanese Army ordered a working prototype of the Ki-45. The prototype Ki-45 was fitted with 2 Nakajima Ha-20 Otsu engines, and its maiden test flight was during January 1939. The results from the test flight did not meet the Imperial Japanese Army expectations, as the Nakajima Ha-20 Otsu engine was underpowered and prone to failures.  The Imperial Japanese Army insistent on having a working twin-engine fighter, and ordered Kawasaki to continue with the development. After many improvements the Ki-45 was finally fitted with Mitsubishi Ha-102 engine and officially adopted for use by the army in February 1942. Initially it was used to as a long range bomber escort but was no match against the American single engine fighters. The Ki-45 went through many design changes since its introduction to service in 1942 with different fuselage and armament configurations, Towards the end of the war, the Ki-45 were placed into an Interceptor roles against Allied Bombers during the Japans homeland defense.

  The latest reissue of Hasegawa’s 1/48 Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu or Nick as the Allied’s called it has been boxed in a Limited run with schemes from Japan’s Mainland Defense during the last stages of the Second World War. The kit its self hasn’t changed from its previous releases, so if you have any of the past releases you should know what you are getting.

  Opening the box lid you are greeted with one large plastic bag containing 162 parts on 7 medium gray and 1 clear spures. The cockpit is jammed packed with detail on 34 parts, depending on what version and scheme you decide to go with. The couple of letdowns to this area are, there are no seat harness’s supplied as a decal or Photo Etch parts, but there are few aftermarket options out there if you wish to add them.  The two rear side wall parts have injection pin marks that will need to be cleaned up, these parts could been easily turned and facing the other way during the tooling process as there is no detail on the other side.

  The engine detail is very basic and simplified. The assembly is provided as a single drop in plug, and most of the engine detail will be hidden away by the nacelles. The kit also includes optional exhaust pipe types for the Thrust and Collective type of pipes and the corresponding option of engine nacelles are provided too.  

  The transparent parts are crystal clear and are free from any scratches. Optional parts are supplied for the different versions of the Ki-45, mainly for the closed rear compartment or the opened version with the Type 98 7.7mm machine gun.  Also supplied is open or close canopy parts for the front and rear compartments. As per all Hasegawa kits, they include the navigation lights as clear parts which you will have to remove the molded on areas on the corresponding locations.

  As mentioned early, the 3 schemes included in the box are for aircraft during Japans Homeland Defense -

  1.       Ki45 Hei, 5th Flight Regment, Maj Yoshiaki Yamashita, Kiyosu Air Base, June 1945.

  2.       Ki45 Hei, 5th Flight Regment, Kiyosu Air Base, spring 1945.

  3.       Ki-45 tei, 4th Flight Regiment, First Attack Corps, Ozuki Air Base, 1944.

  The decals are in good register, majority of the decal sheet contains the yellow leading edge stripes, the white bands for identification markings and the Hinomaru’s. The rest are for the tail unit markings and stencils. My only groan with Hasegawa kits in the past has been the colour of the white they use as it appears as a cream colour, in this case for this kit is the white is white!  Hoary! 

  Overall exterior details are fantastic with very fine recessed panel lines and rivet with raised details for the fabric covered ribs for the elevators and ailerons areas. The parts show no signs of molding flash, sink marks or major seem lines, but there is a couple of annoying injection pin locations on a couple of the parts. 

  I would like to thank HobbyLink Japan (www.hlj.com) for providing this review sample.

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