Subject: Re: Ki-67 Peggy Review
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Dean Cameron Reynolds" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2010 13:52:59 -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: Dean Cameron Reynolds 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Saturday, October 02, 2010 10:09 PM
  Subject: Ki-67 Peggy Review

  Hasegawa

  1/72 Mitsubishi Ki-67 Hiryu (Flying Dragon)  

  "HAMAMATSU Flight Training Division" 

  product # 01907

  3,400 Yen (US$40.38) from Hobbylink Japan

  Product Article by Dean Reynolds

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  In 1941 Japanese army specification was issued for a successor to the Nakajima Ki-49. This specification required the successful design to be a high speed twin engine bomber, and unusually (for Japanese aircraft design of the period) the bomber was required to have good defensive armament and the ability to survive heavy battle damage. Another requirement was that it was to be highly maneuverable allowing it to carry out dive-bombing attacks and escape at low level. 

  What the Japanese Army received was one of the fastest and most maneuverable bombers of the Second World War. It was designed by a team lead by Chief Engineer at Mitsubishi, Ozawa Kyonosuke, and incorporated features commonly seen in US fighters and bombers that were usually absent on Japanese aircraft, such as self-sealing fuel tanks and armour. 

  Typical bomb load for the Ki-67 was 1,070 kg carried in its internal bomb bay, but due to the course of the War most found themselves as low level torpedo bombers, and unfortunately the torpedo most frequently carried could not fit within the bomb bay and had to be slung in an exposed and vulnerable position underneath the aircraft. This bomb load while large for Japanese aircraft would classify it as a medium bomber for the USAAF and RAF.

  The performance of the Ki-67 was where it really shone, in level-flight the top speed of the Hiryu was 537 km/h/334 mph, making it much faster than most other US and RAF medium bombers. Diving speed was 644 km/h, and combined with its excellent turn and climb characteristics it was a formidable aircraft to encounter. There are even accounts that the Ki-67 could do loops! By the end of the war 698 aircraft of different variants were produced, with some of the most notable periods of combat being the intense fighting during the air-sea battle off Formosa in October 1944 and during the American landings on Okinawa. As was the case with many Japanese aircraft near the end of the war, some were modified and expended in kamikaze attacks, up until the Japanese surrender.

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  This kit is a limited release re-issue of the earlier Ki-67 Hasegawa kit, and comes with special markings for two aircraft of the Hamamatsu Flight Training Division.

  The kit comes on 6 grey plastic sprues, 2 clear sprues and one rubber sprue totalling 133 pieces with no photo-etch pieces. Instructions are typical Hasegawa instructions, clear and in both English and Japanese. The construction of the aircraft is completed in 8 steps, with two additional steps for either the ta-bomb or torpedo assembly.

  The sprues are free from flash and there is very minimal swirl on the parts, overall the modeller would not have to spend much time at all with clean up and could jump straight into painting and construction. Overall the detail is good, the panel lines are recessed and there is some really excellent rivet detail on the upper and particularly the lower surface of the wings. The fuselage has all the panel lines proportioned correctly, but sadly lacks some of the rivet detail that would really set the kit apart. This bomber has a lot of windows and turrets, and although the detail is of good quality in the cockpit and glazed nose, it is a little sparse in other parts of the rear fuselage, and I would thoroughly recommend obtaining the excellent 1/72 Platz (Made by Eduard) Photo-Etch Detail Set specifically made for this kit. 

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  Engines are well designed in this kit, and show good detail in the Ha-104 engine considering how little of this engine is visible once the prop hub has been installed. The 12.7 mm and 20 mm cannon are well moulded and fit well into the appropriate gun stations.

  The clear parts are very well made and that is a good thing for this kit because there is definitely a lot of turrets and windows on this bird! The forward glazed fuselage is particularly well modelled, and shows the structure of the airframe nicely. The cockpit has the option of having the canopy in an open, or shut position. 

  The decals are well made and feature the instrument panel and console instruments for which there is no relief on the plastic part. The colour, registration and overall thickness of the decal is perfect for 72nd scale, and the kit comes with options for 2 aircraft which are as follows:

  Hamamatsu Flight Training Division, Number 159, 1944-1945 (featuring a squiggly green camouflage over a light grey base)

  Hamamatsu Flight Training Division, Number 715, 1945 (featuring an overall upper green over light grey scheme)

  This is the best kit out there of this really excellent Japanese aircraft and considering its limited release status snap one out now while you can! 

  Special thanks to Hobbylink Japan for supplying this review sample.

  "Dean Reynolds"

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