Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'Kai Tak'.
Found 1 result
-
A dozen Japanese Ki 36 bombers of the 45th Sentai escorted by nine Ki 27 fighters of the 10th Independent Chutai, operating from Guang Zhou, approach Kai Tak from the west in a V formation. They machine gun and dive-bomb the barrack blocks and the RAF's three dispersed Vickers Vildebeeste torpedo bombers. They then attack the two surviving Supermarine Walrus amphibians and sink them both. - Not the Slightest Chance - The Defence of Hong Kong, Tony Banham, 2003 Linked images with permission of Nick Millman Over the past few years I’ve been slowly collecting kits themed around fighter aircraft with a Hong Kong connection. There’s clearly a lot of RAF representation there, but there’s also the Japanese aircraft that were based there during the war. Starting more or less chronologically from 1941 (no 1/48 Vildebeest available yet!) we come to the Ki-27. After the Mosquito I wanted to build something quick and relatively simple, and the Ki-27 fit the bill perfectly – small, fixed undercarriage, and one colour all over. Main references for this build will be Nick Millman’s excellent Aircraft of the Aces book (#103) and blog posts on the topic. There’s a post covering the attack on Hong Kong; material that didn’t make it into the book. Within this is a photo of a Ki-27 of the 10th Independent Chutai (10th Dokuritsu Hiko Chutai, 10 DHC) on the ground at Kai Tak - the image at the top of the page. Ronnie Olsthoorn (the artist for the book’s profiles) has produced an additional profile of this machine (linked with permission). The 1/48 Hasegawa (ex-Mania) kit is an oldie but a goodie. In fact, for a kit that dates way back to 1977 it’s nigh on astonishing. Surface detail is fine and overall the fit seems like it will be good. Had it arrived in an Eduard box with this year’s date you might hardly bat an eyelid.
