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Greetings from Santiago, Just finished ´BI-310´, the plane flew by Lt Joichi Tomonaga during the first day of the battle of Midway. He led two strikes on June 4th, 1942 - the first against the atoll's two islands in the morning and then an ill-fated attack on USS Yorktown in the afternoon. Bearing command stripes on the tail, ´Bi-310´ had its right main wing tank punctured when Tomonaga's force was bounced by US Marine Corps F2A-3s from VMF-221 during the strike on Midway. Upon his return to Hiryu, Tomonaga refused to switch aircraft for the attack on Yorktown despite knowing he had insufficient fuel in ´BI-310´ to make it back to the carrier after he had dropped his Type 91 torpedo. The aeroplane was subsequently shot down by ace Lt Cdr ´Jimmy´ Thach, commanding officer of F4F-equipped VF-3, as Tomonaga made his run in on Yorktown. Although the latter got his torpedo away before crashing to his death, the weapon missed its intended target (excerpt from Osprey's Combat Aircraft 119, 2017). The kit is fantastic. Excellent fit and lot of details, specially in the cockpit. I always try to add figures to my builds, and this ocassion was not the exception. I really love how figures add some emotion and realism to the kit. After some iteration and thanks to Nick Millman' studies about IJN Dark Green I chose the Tamiya XF-11, and it really match the few color photos I have found about IJN carrier planes. I used Chipping Medium fluid from Vallejo after the black primer and silver, to obtain that battered look on the fuselage and wings. National Japanese insignias ('Hinomarus') were painted on. Rivets added with special tool. The underside received a mix of excellent AK Real Colors 302 and 303 to obtain that elusive IJN Grey Green, Aotake (Mr. Color 57) was used for the landing gear parts and interior. Really enjoyed this one! Cris.

Ki-84 Hayate Upgrades (7503 & 7504 for Arma Hobby) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby Arma Hobby released their newly tooled kit of this WWII Japanese fighter this year, and we reviewed the Expert Set here. CMK have now released a number of upgrade sets to upgrade the detail even further for those interested in improving the realism of their models. These sets arrive in the usual yellow themed blister pack with card hanger on the rear and the instructions sandwiched between the two parts. Inside are the resin parts, with any Photo-Etch (PE) parts safely separated behind a piece of clear acetate at the back of the blister. Cockpit (7503) This set includes seventeen resin parts, a small fret of PE, and slip of clear acetate that is printed with the dials for the instrument panel. Before beginning, you should remove the detail from the sidewalls that are moulded into the fuselage interior, then create the instrument panel on its support, adding the film and the PE panel to the front of the resin support, which has the breeches of the twin nose-mounted machine guns cast in. The fuselage insert is detailed by adding sills from PE, plus a PE winder for the canopy and another resin part. The cockpit itself is based upon the new resin floor, with the rear bulkhead added to the back, the seat with PE belts attached to the mounting rails, various levers, rudder pedals and the control column glued in place along with the two resin sidewalls and the instrument panel sub-assembly to complete the tub, which is then inserted into the fuselage instead of the kit parts. Control Surfaces (7504) This set has seven resin control surfaces to replace those from the kit, removing the rudder from both sides of the fuselage, the ailerons from the wings, and replacing the kit elevator parts. The resin upgrades should then be a drop-in replacement for all those that they supplant, adding detail and the ability to deflect them as you see fit. Each one is attached to its casting block along the hinge-line, which is sensible to hide any imperfections you may leave during liberation of them from the block with a razor saw or sharp blade. Review sample courtesy of

LemKits from Ukraine 🇺🇦 is designing a 1/32nd Nakajima Kikka resin kit. Source: https://www.facebook.com/andriy.lemkitscom/posts/pfbid02biBw9bFUHo6GCnEpSRWC486QZjfX45dPhahZoknurWwbwzZWX7LiRbHmEXDhUMJHl ?? V.P.

After the 1/48th kits (link) ABK Models (ex-A.B.&K hobby kits) is to release 1/72nd Nakajima A2N kits. - ref. 72001 - Nakajima A2N3 Source: https://www.abkmodels.cz/Nakajima-A2N3-1-72-d41.htm - ref. 72002 - Nakajima A2N2 Source: https://www.abkmodels.cz/Nakajima-A2N2-1-72-d42.htm V.P.

A new Ukrainian model company A.B.&K hobby kits (https://www.abkmodels.cz/About-us-a1_0.htm) is to release a 1/48th Nakajima A2N3 kit - ref. 48003 UPDATE 08/2021 Sources: http://www.greenmats.club/forums/topic/5770-nakajima-a2n3-148-от-abk-hobby-kits/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/greenmats/permalink/2263712230354973/ V.P.

Nakajima Ki-43-III Ko Hayabusa "Ultimate Oscar" 1:72 Special Hobby The Nakajima Ki-43 Otsu Hayabusa, known to the Allies as the 'Oscar' was a single-seat, single-engined fighter which equipped the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force from 1941 until the end of the War. The design utilised the same 14-cylinder Nakajima Sakae radial engine as the infamous Mitsubishi Zero, and in fact in the heat of battle, the two aircraft were often confused by Allied aviators. Just like the Zero, the Hayabusa was light, nimble and exceptionally manoeuvrable, and just like the Zero, its Achilles heel was a lack of armour and self-sealing fuel tanks. The Ki-43-III introduced a more powerful Nakajima Army Type 1 Ha-115-II engine, as well as the features of the Ki-43-II, such as the strengthened wings with hardpoints for fuel tanks or bombs, armour for the pilot and basic self-sealing fuel tanks. In service the Hayabusa at first enjoyed enormous success thanks to its phenomenal rate of turn. This was soon countered by more advanced Allied fighters with heavier armour and armament, which removed much of the Ki-43's competitive advantage. It's eight years or so since Special Hobby first released their Oscar, although it has been released a couple of times since then with different decals. This version appears to be a straightforward re-release of the Ki-43-III kit first released in 2010. The kit is fairly simple, being comprised of around sixty plastic parts, although a small number of these are not actually needed to build the variant depicted on the decal sheet. The parts are spread across three sprues of grey plastic and a single clear sprue. The mouldings look fairly crisp, and feature reasonably fine sprue attachment points and refined, engraved surface detail. Construction begins with the cockpit. This sub-assembly comprises a floor with two-part seat and separate rudder pedals and control column. The instrument panel features raised detail and a separate gun sight. The internal faces of the fuselage halves also feature some moulded detail, so although the part count for this area isn't particularly high, the end result is more than acceptable. The only think I would really want to add is some harnesses for the seat, either from spare photo etch (or Special Hobby's own dedicated photo etch set for this kit) or tape. Once the fuselage halves have been joined, the tail planes and wing can be fixed in place. The elevators and ailerons are all moulded in place, and like many kits of low-winged aircraft, the lower wing section is moulded in one span, with separate port and starboard upper surfaces. The engine is moulded as a single, solid part but looks pretty good nonetheless. The cowling is moulded in three parts, which makes it a little more fiddly to assemble but makes for an accurate overall shape. The propeller is moulded as one piece, so you won't have to worry about aligning individual blades. The landing gear itself looks reasonably good, with the landing gear legs and the main gear wheels each made up of one part. Drop tanks are also provided, but you'll need to take care over their positioning as there are no holes or marks as to where they should go. The injection moulded canopy is moulded in two parts, which means it can be posed in the open position if so desired. The decal sheet provides for three options: ⦁ Ki-43-III Ko, 64th Sentai, Burma, Autumn 1944; ⦁ Ki-43-III Ko, 48th Sentai, Nanking, China, August 1945; and ⦁ Ki-43-III Ko, 65th Sentai, Metabaru Airbase, Kayushu, Japan, August 1945. All of the aicraft are finished in olive green over IJA grey; Conclusion Although this kit is marginally less sophisticated than the very latest offerings from Special Hobby, that is more a reflection of the recent advances made by that manufacturer rather than any lack of quality with this particular kit. As always with kits of this nature, a little care and attention may be required, but I think this kit should build into a pleasing replica of an attractive aircraft with relatively little effort. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

AZmodel is to re-release it's 1/72nd Nakajima NC Type 91 "Kwangsi AF" kit under ref. AZ7577 Source: http://www.azmodel.cz/produkt/nakajima-nc-type-91/ V.P.

RS Models is to release 1/72 Nakajima Ki-87 kits - ref. 92211 - Nakajima Ki-87 Source: http://rsmodels.cz/cs/modely-letadel/plastikove-modely/1-72/92211/nakajima-ki-87 - ref.92212 - Nakajima Ki-87II Source: http://rsmodels.cz/cs/modely-letadel/plastikove-modely/1-72/92212/nakajima-ki-87-ii V.P.

LEM Kits is to release in about ten days a 1/32nd Nakajima Ki-115 Tsurugi kamikaze bomber resin kit Source: http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?s=8c73676c1d418d65560ead4e65f3918a&showtopic=68252 First casting pics V.P.

I give you my last completed project. Nakajima Ki43-I Oscar. I worked the plane he was flying on major Kinshiro Takeda, Indo-China in 1942. The model is very good to work and I recommend it. Here are pictures, enjoy.

With our eternal thanks to the ever patient and obliging Nick Millman, we have updated our ACJ17 Nakajima "Ame Iro" colour, which for a while has been known to be a bit too dark and a bit too saturated. The out going ACJ17 wasn't too bad, but a bit too stark. It's measured colour values render in RGB like this: With more representative values provided by Nick, the Nakajima colour should (and now does :)) look a little lighter and washed out compared to the old colour: The updated colour has been manufactured, and over the next week or so will be tinned and on sale.

Nakajima E8N1 Dave detail Set Eduard 1:48 The Hasegawa 1:48 Nakajima E8N1has been out for a little while now, originally released in 2015, although one with new decals has been released this year. This is what has probably prompted Eduard to issue an etch set for it. Detail Set (49771) This single sheet set, whilst not particularly large, contains quite a few parts to give the finished model a boost. Etched in what looks like a stainless steel sheet, some of the parts are pre-painted, but the majority are not. Included on the sheet are a full set of seatbelts, the engine electrical harness, equipment faces for both sides of the cockpit, the moulded detail having been removed first, ammunition drum tops and handles for the rear cockpit, replacement rudder bar straps, and sights for both the pilots telescope and the rear mounted machine gun. The machine gun stowage trough is completely replaced with etched parts, and includes the hatch section of the upper fuselage. Both instrument panels are also replaced with two part panels, the rear of which has the instruments printed on it. A dab of Aqua gloss or Kleer will make them a little more lifelike. The access steps, central float rudder and outer float access panels are all replaced, whilst on the underside rear of the aircraft there is a large triangular bracket fitted, just before the rudder. The kit bombs have their fins replaced, and for this Eduard have provided a two part template to get them glued into the correct positions before the box rear section is attached. The bombs are then finished off with the fitting of the nose mounted arming vane. Conclusion The Hasegawa kit looks very nice straight out of the box, but with the addition of this smallish set an even nicely model can be achieved with little fuss. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Anigrand is to release in June 2016 a 1/72th Nakajima B4N1 resin kit - ref.AA-2125 Source: http://www.anigrand.com/future_releases.htm V.P.

Hello everyone! This is what I have recently finished. An absolutely oob new Airfix Nakajima B5N2. There is nothing really special about this built, it went together pretty well and generally was fun to build

This is my most recent completion, Sword's Ki-84. I like the Frank a lot, it has clean lines and good looks, a true fighter aircraft. Some years ago I built Hasegawa's excellent but dated kit, and I've been looking for an opportunity to build another one. When I came across Sword's pre-production version (I believe the c variant), I had to have it. Sword's kit is a popular candidate for best short run kit in these great 'What is the best xx-scale kit?' topics. As such I was curious to see how well it built. I found it to be a typical modern short run kit - nice detail, good use of resin parts (engine and wheel bay) but also somewhat spurious fit in areas (gun cover, engine cowling, wing root). All in all it built rather well but due to general hamfistedness it did take me a bit longer to complete than it should have. I drilled through the top of the wing when widening the locating holes for the gear... not my finest hour. None of the kit's issues are difficult to resolve, the only slightly problematic area is the canopy; this seems to be a bit wider than the cockpit area it sits on, resulting in a small step. I filled this with Perfect Plastic Putty but it's still noticeable, especially when compared to Hasegawa's old but perfectly-fitting kit. Sword gives you a choice of two color schemes, an unpainted aluminium plane and a 'Medium brown' with green mottling. I visited Nick Millman's blog 'Aviation of Japan' to get a line on the shade of brown I needed, and using the color swatches I found I created my own using some RAF Dark Earth as a base, mixed with Tamiya Red Brown and Olive Drab. This was applied over a coating of Humbrol Metalcote Polished Aluminium. The mottling was sprayed using Tamiya's IJA Green. I used some IJA Grey for the control surfaces, but I feel the shade is too green when I look at it now - if someone can verify what this shade should look like I'd love to hear it. Sword's decals worked well but the set has one curious omission. It appears that the lines around the front and rear of the wings are red on an unpainted surface and yellow on camouflaged surfaces. Sword provides sufficient red decals to do to the unpainted variant, but for the camouflaged variant the yellow lines around the front of the wing are missing. I stole these from a Hasegawa sheet I have, but this created another problem, a mismatch between the yellow shades of the lines. In the end I therefore used all Hasegawa decals. After decaling I saw that the yellow on the wing leading edge had a decidedly greener tint than the rather orangey yellow of the lines. Oh well. I was going to weather the plane quite severely, to try out some new techniques, then realized it was in use with a test squadron, and thought better of it - I suppose these guys must have taken some care of their mounts and/or wouldn't have used it for long. I picked some W&N water colors to apply a wash, a toothpick to scratch the paint around some of the panels in order to allow the bare metal to show through, and a combination of pastels and washes to create some staining. I used a couple of minor after-market items on this build; canopy mask by Eduard, tubing for the pitot and gun barrels from Albion Alloys, a lens for the landing light from Little Cars and EZ-line type thread from some eBay seller. In summary, a satisfying result from what is undoubtedly a very good kit of this important and beautiful aircraft. It joins its nemesis, the F6F, in my growing collection of 'Hellcats over the Pacific' - inspired builds.

Hi, It my collection of Japan Navy birds again... Next is recce plane, extremly elegant design IMHO - Nakajima C6N1 Saiun (in aliies code - "Myrt") Model is made out of Fujimi perfect kit - OOB except the markings as usually. The machine is from 762 Kokutai, 11 Rec. Hikotai, Kiushiu, April 1945. Comments welcome Cheers Jerzy-Wojtek

This is Trumpeter’s 1/24 Nakajima A6M2-N “Rufe” Floatplane. This has been on my shelf of doom for about 5 years for a very pitiful reason; I needed to get some weights to put in the main float and I didn’t have any. I put this aside meaning to get some weights, a couple of weeks went by and then I forgot about it. Sheesh, what a dunderhead am I! My goal is to clear out my shelf/shelves of doom by May 2015; a daunting task if you only knew how large a shelf it is. This is one off of the list. It is mainly an OOB build; the build thread is here http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234970811-zero-floatplane;-a-big-rufe-rufe-finished;-well-almost/. There were a couple of modifications to the kit. I added Eduard seatbelts and I got stumped about a hole in the main float that just looked stupid. Kind people on this site who know a whole lot more about the Rufe than I told me the hole was for an oil cooler. I half-heartedly scratched an oil cooler inlet/vent. The major modifications to this kit were done on the beaching trolley. It was rebuilt to look like some photos as the kit version was somewhat simplified. This was an enjoyable build. The parts fit well, the kit is well engineered, and the detail is really good. I understand there is some shape issues regarding the fuselage aft of the cockpit, but I am not skillful enough or knowledgeable enough to correct it. The kit decals were used and they went down without a fault and behaved perfectly with the Micro Sol setting solutions. I would recommend this kit in a heartbeat if what you are interested in is an enjoyable build. It is, however really big once completed so have some room. Here is the beaching trolley by itself. And, last but not least, the infamous oil cooler that is difficult to see and probably no one but me will ever notice. So the Rufe gets its own little shelf due to its size. So far it is playing well with its shelf mates As always, all comments are welcome.

To prove I wasn’t kidding about trying to eliminate my shelf of doom here is the Trumpeter Nakajima A6M2-N “Rufe” Floatplane. I know I started a new build when I publically stated my goal was to only eliminate the shelf of doom, but sometimes you just gotta build something you want to build. These kits were on the shelf of doom for a reason. A brief history of this kit. I got it when it went on sale about 7 or 8 years ago. I began construction probably within the year I obtained it. Now I know it has some shape problems regarding the rear of the fuselage, but at the time I began it my modeling skills were not that good (and now only marginally better, maybe . . . possibly. . . oh crap, they haven’t gotten worse at least!) and I knew I couldn’t do the surgery to fix it. So this is an OOB build with the exception of some Eduard seat belts. Would you like to hear about the inertia of a model builder, mainly me? As near as I can determine, the only reason this kit was put on the shelf of doom was due to my not having enough fishing weights to weight the float so it wouldn’t sit on its tail. I put the build aside with the mental note to go get some weights and then life got in the way. It was set aside out of sight; other models came and went; I forgot it was there; and when I was rearranging my kits, I discovered it in its present state. It took me a while to figure out what was wrong with the kit, and it was nothing wrong with the kit, just with me. So here is its present state of build. Most of the kit has already been built up. What is left is to attach the main floats, whatever miscellaneous pieces that need to go on prior to painting and then paint the beast. I noticed I have already broken off the radio mast. Luckily, it is in the box. (Curiously, there are a couple of 1/32 Eduard German seat belt sets also in the box, have no idea why they are there. Does this happen to anybody else?) The cockpit needs a bit more work in it though. It is much too shiny, what was I thinking? The front coaming with the gun sight has been built up. I have a lot of the parts built up as sub-assemblies. It looks like I was building it with all the control surfaces being moveable and the wing tip fold working. I even built the docking trolley. And here are the culprits that needed the weights to be added. I did find some in progress shots I did when I first started building this kit. Here they are. For the life of me I don’t know why everything has such a shiny finish to it. Oh well, it is nothing a quick coat of dull coate can’t cure. Back to building this kit, I installed the appropriate nose weight, (I hope) in the front of the float held in place with a large amount of blue tack. The two halves were then joined. While the main float dries, I need to fix a couple of things on the main body. It looks like the engine cowling is coming off and has to be reattached. I also need to check and see if the engine itself is loose. Also needed is a paint plan for this kit. I need to figure out how much to weather it and the colour scheme. Anyway, it doesn’t look like this kit will be too hard to finish. Just a lot of painting. The existing seams need to be checked to see how they are holding up prior to painting. As always, all comments welcome.

Hasegawa's (actually Mania's) Ki-27 must be almost as old as the original plane by now. It's still a nice kit though, like most Mania re-issues (I'm a fan of their Kate). My boxing is from the early 80s and was missing the decals, but this was not a problem on this build. This is a companion build to my earlier Dutch East Indies MLD PBY-5 Catalina, report here. Catalina Y-63 was commanded by my great-uncle Willem Ditmar, and I found out that a number of Ki-27s were likely responsible for shooting it down. A perfect excuse to build one! I received a lot of useful information from Nick Millman and Ronnie Olsthoorn, who were kind enough to share some profiles from Nick's recent book 'Ki-27 Nate Aces' with me. The most likely candidate was the camouflaged Nate flown by Lt. Yutaka Aoyagi of the 12th Air Brigade, 11th Sentai, so this is the one I settled on. As stated, the kit is still quite nice, but showing its age. Panel lines on the fuselage are recessed, but raised on the wing. There was quite a bit of flash on the smaller parts, even though this is an older boxing. A number of optional parts are included for the gear, but I've never seen a Hasegawa boxing using these. An optional rear canopy is also included. There are really not that many parts to it though, about 25 in all. Cockpit is very bare, I added some tape seat belts. I didn't have any decals in this kit but since I got the recent combi-release of this kit by Hasegawa cheaply a few weeks back, I was hoping to use some of the decals from that. Alas, all the markings on Aoyagi's aircraft were unique so I masked everything, including the hinomarus. Ronnie's profile was resized and used as a guide to cut out the masks. I started by spraying the whole plane with white Tamiya primer to do both the white areas and allow good coverage of the red and yellow. This was followed by masking off the white, then spraying the red, masking, yellow, masking, IJA grey and IJA green. I'm pleased with the results, for such simple markings spraying isn't all that much more work than using decals. I did use the stencils from Hasegawa's new decal sheet. After decalling I used some MiG dark wash to highlight the control surfaces, followed by the bits and bobs and some EZ wire for the antenna. I then applied some matt varnish to finish it all. Disaster struck when removing the masking from the canopy, some of the white primer had run under the tape I'm not too happy about it so I may repaint the canopy when I get back to the kit some time in the future (this is a joke). All in all a nice, easy build. My thanks to Nick and Ronnie for their help on getting the color scheme right and providing some interesting background information. I'm looking forward to reuniting the Nate and the Catalina after 72 years. I need to ferry Nate across the English Channel to my parents' place though, but I will post some pics of this reunion!

Nakajima Ki-84 Type 4 Fighter Hayate (Frank) 1:48 Hasegawa History "Forget it - it's a Frank." It is said that this comment was made frequently by USAAF personnel watching radar screens on Okinawa in the closing weeks of the Pacific War. It was customary to watch for a contact to appear and then to scramble P-51 Mustangs to intercept the enemy aircraft. But when the blip was moving so fast that it was inferred to be one of the advanced new Japanese Hayate fighters it would be assumed that the P-51s would stand no chance of catching the intruder. Generally regarded as the best Japanese fighter of World War Two, the Hayate, (Hurricane) was nonetheless not without its problems. Much of its superlative all-round performance stemmed from its extremely advanced direct-injection engine, the Army's first version of the Navy NK9A. Yet this same engine gave constant trouble and demanded skilled maintenance. T. Koyama designed the Ki-84 to greater strength factors than any previous Japanese warplane - yet poor heat-treatment of high-strength steel had the consequence that the landing gears often snapped. Progressive deterioration in quality control meant that pilots never knew how individual aircraft would perform, whether the brakes would work, and even whether - in attempting to intercept B-29 Superfortresses over Japan - they would be able to climb high enough. Despite these problems the Hayate was essentially a superb fighter - a captured Ki-84-1a was to out climb and outmanoeuvre a P-47 Thunderbolt, and a P-51. The first batches were sent to China, where the 22nd. Sentai, when equipped with the new fighter, were able to fly rings around Chennault's 14th Air Force. The 22nd Sentai was later moved to the Philippines, where problems overtook them, with many accidents and shortages and extremely poor serviceability. Frequent bombing of the Musashi engine factory, and the desperate need to conserve raw materials (the shortages resulting primarily from the American submarine blockade) led to various projects and prototypes made of wood or steel. Total production of the Ki-84 still reached 3,514, showing the importance of the design to the Japanese forces. The Model Originally released in 2000 this is another example of Hasegawas superb mould design and upkeep. Inside the very attractive box, with a very nice painting of a Ki84 flying solo above the clouds, are seven sprues of medium grey styrene and one of clear, along with 8 grey and 4 black poly caps. From reading reviews of the day and researching the type, the kit was very well regarded as almost, but not quite the perfect model kit being both accurate and nicely detailed. I see no reason why this has changed with this release, so expect it to be a fun and enjoyable build. There are only nine build sequences in the instructions and as is the norm the build begins with the cockpit. The cockpit floor is fitted out with more levers, apart from the regulation joystick, than seems appropriate for a single seat fighter, but, whatever the real on looks like the seven included in the kit are certainly well represented, also fitted are the centre lower console and rudder pedals. To the now well populated floor the seat is attached, followed by the front and rear bulkheads, instrument panel with decal instruments, upper cannon breeches, and sidewalls, each kitted out with further controls and black boxes pre moulded and in need of some careful detail painting. The completed cockpit is then fitted to one half of the fuselage and with a poly cap in the tail wheel position the fuselage can be closed up. The lower wing is then fitted with five poly caps in the bomb and drop tank positions. The upper wing panels are then attached to eh lower wing, with the landing light fitted to the port side. The wing, single piece horizontal tailplanes and two part rudder are then attached to the fuselage completing the mainframe. The kits gives alternative main wheels, and some research should be carried out as only the later style should be used and the instructions don’t make it clear which is which. The single piece tyres have separate inner and outer hubs, with the inner one fitted with a poly can and the outer one with an unidentifiable part. The completed wheels are then attached to the oleo along with the main gear door. The engine is quite a simple single piece affair, but with the close cowl not much will be seen anyway. The engine is attached to the firewall onto which the multiple exhausts are also attached. The gearbox housing is in three parts, well four if you include the attachment ring and this is fitted to the front of the engine, the gearbox housing also accommodates another poly cap, whilst just above the housing an intake is fitted. The completed engine is the slid into the cowling and attached to the front of the fuselage. There is another intake, in three parts fitted on the centreline at the join where the cowling meets the forward lower fuselage. Flipping the model over the main undercarriage is attached, along with the inner bay doors and their respective retraction actuators, whilst to the rear the tailwheel is slotted into the previously fitted poly cap and finished off with the attachment of the two bay doors. The drop tank crutches, landing light cover, pitot probe, foot step and wing cannon barrels are all fitted along with the three piece oil cooler which is fitted under the starboard wing root. Check the orientation of the cooler as when first released the instructions showed this to be fitted the wrong way round and it cannot be presumed that Hasegawa have changed this. The individual navigation lights above and below each wing tip and either side of the fin are then attached. The three piece drop tanks are then assembled and slotted into position into the poly cap held within the wing. The flaps are separate items and can be posed up or down as per the modellers wishes. Turning the model over onto its wheels the gunsight, four piece head rest are attached before the windscreen, sliding canopy and fixed canopy sections are all fitted. The last operation is the assembly of the propeller, which consists of the single piece four bladed prop, axle pin and spinner; this is then slid into the poly cap within the gearbox housing completely the build. Decals Hasegawas own decals are well printed with very good density/opacity, no sign of carrier film on any of the decals, including the wing walk areas which would normally cause a problem, and in good register. They are slightly matt but thin and should settle down well. The modeller may wish to leave some of the markings off, such as the yellow leading edges and paint them instead. The decals provide markings for two aircraft, both in olive drab over grey-green, these are:- Ki84 No.62 flown by Capt. Shigeru Tsuruta of the Hitachi Flight Training squadron from June 1945. Ki84 No.762 flown by Capt. Yasuro Masaki, of the Hitachi Flight Training squadron from June 1945. Conclusion This is another welcome re-release from Hasegawa, and from reading build reviews from earlier releases it should be a fun and rewarding experience. It should make for a nice weekend build, or one to get the mojo going again after a difficult build of a lay off. Whatever the reason for building, it will be a nice addition to the collection, particularly if you're into Japanese aircraft. Very highly recommended Review sample courtesy of UK distributors for

Build 5 I love 1/144, but it's sometimes hard to find unusual subjects in this scale without resorting to expensive resin or poor quality short run injection kits. So occasionally (when I find a bargain) I pick up the odd F-Toys, J-Wings or Cafereo models. These models come ready painted and usually have some of the marking already applied. Luckily this one has a full decal sheet and no markings, which saves me having to scavenge through the spares box. It's going to get a full paint strip, clean up of parts, rebuild and spray job. So with the exception of stripping it, it just like building a normal kit. Price: 99p from eBay.

Sword (http://www.swordmodels.cz/) is to release 1/72nd Nakajima C6N1 & C6N1-S Saiun (Allied reporting name "Myrt") kits - ref. SW7273 and SW7276. SW 72073 - C6N1 Saiun(Myrt) Source: http://swordmodels.cz/en/172/88-sw72073-c6n1-saiunmyrt.html SW 72076 - C6N1-S Saiun(Myrt) Night Fighter Source: http://swordmodels.cz/en/172/91-sw72076-c6n1-s-saiunmyrt-night-fighter.html V.P.

Bought this cheap on eBay and was surprised how small it was compared to other aircraft I have in this scale. After disassembly, I stripped the paint and once it was back to plastic started the build. Painting the cockpit was quick and easy and having finished that I started assembly. No real problems apart from a small step front & rear engine nacelle/wing join, a little plastic card sorted that out. Had to remove the two lugs from inside the canopy so a fair bit of polishing went on to bring it back to clear, not that you can see much inside on this scale. Brush painted with Revell acrylics, weathered with oils and given a top coat of Tamiya satin varnish. The Hinomaru decals from Mark 1 are fantastic, other decals are from the scrap box. A fun little two day project and a nice addition to my 1/144 collection. This is what is started out like. This is how it's ended up.

This is one of my latest models. This is a kit I avoided during a long time because it looked too similar to the Tojo, George, etc. But finally, and as I am running out of different models to build, I ended up buying it. I got the old "super-rivetted" Revell version, which makes it look something american, with so many rivets. I decided for this bronze-brown camouflage, as it escapes from the usual japo green that bores me so much. The kanjis on the fuselage have been hand-painted. What I like from this model is the sensation of sturdyness it has, and the door to show the motor is very welcome too. You can see more pics here; http://toysoldierchest.blogspot.com/2013/06/nakajima-ki-84-1a-hayate-frank-revell.html

Nieuport NiD 29 / Nakajima KO-4 1:72 Azur FRROM The Nieuport NiD-29 C1 is a fighter designed br by Gustave Delage in 1918. WWI ended before it was produced. In 1920 it was selected as new fighter by the French Aéronautique Militaire and the delivery to the units started in 1922. 700 of this aircraft were produced. In 1925 the French Aéronautique Militaire had 25 NiD-29-equipped squadrons. Several aircraft fitted with bomb-racks took part in low-level assault tasks in North Morocco at the end of 1925. The Nieuports remained in service with France till the end of the 20s. Aircraft were also produced under license in Belgium, Japan, Italy and Siam. They were used by the air forces of other countries as Spain, Sweden, Argentina, Kwansi, China and Manchuria. In 1922 the Belgian Aéronautique Militaire ordered 108 aircraft. Twenty aircraft were delivered direct by Nieuport from 1922 (Ni.1 to Ni.20) and eighty eight were built under license by SABCA (Ni.21 to Ni.108) these were delivered between January 1924 and October 1926. During 1931 they were replaced by Fairey Firefly IIM fighters. Sweden ordered ten Nieuport NiD-29 C1 in 1925. In the new Flygvapnet (created on first July 1926) they were named J2 (Jaktflygplan 2, for fighter aircraft 2) and wore the numbers 63, 65, 67, 69, 611, 613, 615, 617, 619 and 621. In 1929 seven machines were still in service. In 1922 the Italian Army selected the Nieuport NiD-29 C1 for the new Regia Aeronautica. Macchi and Caproni built these under license. It was named Macchi M.29 by Italians. The first Italian built machines were delivered to fighter units in October 1924, all together 175 aircraft were built by both Italian firms. They remained in service till 1931. In 1923 the Spanish Aviacion Militar ordered 30 aircraft. Deliveries started from the end of 1923. They equipped the fighter group of Getafe (Madrid). In September 1924 some were sent to North Morocco, they were based at Nador (Melilla). They took part in the Morocco war. Spanish aircraft were withdrawn in 1931 and replaced by Nieuports 52. The Nieuport NiD-29 C1 was selected by the Japanese Army to replace the Spad XIII and Ni.24. In 1923, one machine was bought in France. The NiD-29 was built under license by Nakajima which produced 608 machines. The type was called Ko-4 by Japanese. The Hiko Rentai (Air regiments) 1, 3, 4, 7 and 8 were equipped with Ko-4. Fighter units with Ko-4 took part in the invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and 1932. A lot of fighter schools were equipped with Ko-4 in 1937 (according to some sources, they were still in service in 1941). In China, the Kwansi government bought ten Nakajima Ko-4s in 1935 for advanced training. The following year the Kwansi joined the central Nanking government. All the aircraft were then integrated into the Chinese Air Force. At the end of 1937 seven Ko-4s were still in service for training. Manchuria bought four Ko-4s. After the Japanese invasion, these aircraft were put into service by the Japanese Army. In 1937 one Ko-4 was used by the new Manchukuo military aviation. In 1923 the Siam Aeronautical Service chose the Nieuport NiD-29 for its fighter units. Twelve machines were ordered from France as well as forty Hispano 8Fb engines. Licensed construction was also negotiated. The NiD-29 C1 was named Bin Khpa Laï 4 (it means fighter model 4). Forty aircraft were built by local factory. The 52 aircraft equipped four fighter squadrons. In 1937 they were replaced by Curtiss Hawks II & III (some sources claim several machines remained in service for training until 1941).(Information from Azur FFROM) The Kit On opening what seems to be Azur FFROMs standard open end box you are presented with a model which can only be described as one of few parts. There is one sprue of shorter run injection plastic, two small bags of resin parts, one sheet of clear acetate for the canopy, and a small PE fret. The parts feature some nice if restrained detail, appear to be well moulded with no problems. The fabric effect on the wings is very good for this scale, some of the smaller parts have a little bit of flash, but its nothing serious. Construction like most aircraft starts with the cockpit. This is made up from a combination of plastic and PE parts for the finer items. Once this is made and installed the fuselage and be closed up. Once this is done the lower wing and the tail planes are attached. Next step is to attach the wheels and their bracing struts. All of these are plastic. Also at this stage what appear to be oil coolers? In resin are attached to the wheel bracing struts. The guns can then be added to the top of the area behind the engine cowling. The kit includes open guns, and ones covered by a shroud without any real explanation in the instructions of which ones to use. I guess the modeller will have to consult references. The engine cylinder heads and exhaust are attached next. These are supplied in resin, and are very small / delicate. Once finished with the engine its on to the upper wing. There are a total of 10 individual struts to line up here so this will not be a quick job. Once finished there is the small matter of the windscreen, and small it is! This is printed on a flat sheet of thin acetate and will have to be cut out the folded by the modeller. Given the bad vac canopies I have seen on other 1:72 bi planes this might be a better idea? Finally with this kit Azur FFROM have actually provided a rigging diagram! Decals - France & Belgium Boxing The France & Belgium Boxing of the kit gives three choices of markings. ND-29 C1 of SPA 124 "Fayette" Soiux Indian Head Emblem (France) - Overall Dark Green ND-29 C1 of SPA 81, German occupation Force 1924 (France) - Overall Dark Green ND-29 C1 of no85 of 9th Escadrille de Chasse Of belgium 1922 - Dark Green over Aluminium Dope Decals - Export Boxing The Export Boxing of the kit gives three choices of markings. ND-29 C1 of the Flygvapnet J2 (Sweeden) - 1926 - overall Aluminium Dope ND-29 C1 of M29 of the Regina Aeronatica, 70th Sqn (Italy) - 1927 overall Aluminium Dope ND-29 C1 of the First Fighter Group Spanish Military Aviation, Getafe in 1926 - Overall Dark Green Decals - Nakajima Ko-4 Boxing The Nakajima Ko-4 Boxing of the kit gives four choices of markings. Nakajima Ko-4 No.83 Imperial Japanese Army - overall Grey / Green Nakajima Ko-4 No.695 Imperial Japanese Army - overall Grey / Green Nakajima Ko-4 No.220 Imperial Japanese Army - overall Grey / Green (Red Rudder) ND-29 C1 of Bin KhpaLai 4 of the Royal Aeronautical Serive of Siam in 1936 - Overall Dark Green All decals are by Aviprint and look to have good colour density and be in register. Conclusion This kit from Azur FFROM does fill a gap in the "tween wars" fighter era. I cant find any evidence of anyone else doing this kit outside of short run resin. The kit is not an easy one by any means, but should build up to a nice model with some time and care. Overall recomended to those with some bi-plane building under their belts. Review sample courtesy of