Homebee Posted May 28, 2021 Author Share Posted May 28, 2021 (edited) Sources: https://www.specialhobby.net/2021/05/sh72270-tachikawa-ki-54-hei-hickory.html https://www.specialhobby.net/2021/06/sh72270-ki-54-hei-obtisky-vylisek.html Test sprues V.P. Edited June 3, 2021 by Homebee 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homebee Posted June 3, 2021 Author Share Posted June 3, 2021 Decals ref. 72270 - Tachikawa Ki-54Hei (Ki-54c) "Hickory" Source: https://www.specialhobby.net/2021/06/sh72270-ki-54-hei-obtisky-vylisek.html V.P. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackaubrey22 Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 Price of the Tachikawa Ki-54Hei ‘ Hickory’ on special hobby website. https://www.specialhobby.eu/en/our-own-production/special-hobby/tachikawa-ki-54hei-hickory.html 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homebee Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 (edited) Expected very soon - ref. 72270 - Tachikawa Ki-54Hei (Ki-54c) "Hickory" Source: https://www.specialhobby.eu/en/our-own-production/tachikawa-ki-54hei-hickory.html Quote The Ki-54 Hickory was a WW2 Japanese twin engine aeroplane which was manufactured in four main versions used for pilots training, wireless operators and navigators training, aerial gunnery training and finaly the version used for both transport and anti-submarine patrols. The kit comes on four styrene sprues and one with clear parts. The first incarnation of our kit is the transport variety and brings three Japanese airframes, one of which in two guises. Among the schemes you will also find the Ki-54 Hei / Hickory no.5541 which had to make an emergency landing on the Towada lake on 27 September 1943. The plane was found and fished out of the lake on 5 September 2012 and was put on display at the Misawa museum. An airframe which can boast with its interesting past is the 10.Dokiuritsu Hikodan Shireibu machine which was used to fly the Lieutenant General Masao Baba capitulation delegation to Borneo. For this particular option, the decal sheet has the green capitulation crosses as well. the Ki-54 has never been kitted in styrene format before decals cater for airframes with interesting history paint masks also available V.P. Edited June 10, 2021 by Homebee 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homebee Posted June 18, 2021 Author Share Posted June 18, 2021 (edited) Schemes - ref. 72270 - Tachikawa Ki-54Hei (Ki-54c) "Hickory" Source: https://www.specialhobby.net/2021/06/sh72270-tachikawa-ki-54-hei-kamuflaze.html V.P. Edited June 18, 2021 by Homebee 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 As nice as those schemes are, I think the only one I could airbrush is the last one! Though I wonder if attempting this one with a paint pen would work, as I saw someone the other day did a Ju88 with one? I guess it's just a case of getting the right green. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homebee Posted June 24, 2021 Author Share Posted June 24, 2021 (edited) Released - ref. 72270 - Tachikawa Ki-54Hei (Ki-54c) "Hickory" Source: https://www.specialhobby.eu/en/our-own-production/tachikawa-ki-54hei-hickory.html And a in box review:; https://www.kfs-miniatures.com/1-72-tachikawa-ki-54-hei-hickory-special-hobby/ V.P. Edited July 6, 2021 by Homebee 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Russell Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 From concept to plastic in nine and a half years - it sounds a long time but it's not that unusual. I hope it's nice. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 (edited) On 3/26/2021 at 1:39 PM, fightersweep said: This wasn't on my radar, but now it is, I'll be picking one up for sure. Apart from anything else, it's a nice looking aeroplane and something different and that makes it worth having alone. This goes back a while Steve but did you end up getting one of these, did you build it and if so how did you find it? It just caught my eye as I was trawling t'net. EDIT oh wow, just noticed it was (finally) only released very recently so maybe you didn't! Edited August 9, 2021 by TonyOD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightersweep Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 @TonyOD No. Not yet Sir! Suffice to say though that, for a reasonable £17.99, there is a Hickory currently sitting in my Hannants basket (Would have bagged it sooner, but my basket was full of Special Hobby "Lightly Armed Emils") Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 @fightersweep I just fancied something with red circles and more than one engine, that doesn't have "Hasegawa" on the box and necessitate the sale of a kidney to own. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightersweep Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 5 minutes ago, TonyOD said: @fightersweep I just fancied something with red circles and more than one engine, that doesn't have "Hasegawa" on the box and necessitate the sale of a kidney to own. Well, looking at the sprue shots and going by the quality of their Emils I'm putting together, this kit should tick all of those boxes. Can't wait to pick one up myself. Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 6 hours ago, fightersweep said: Well, looking at the sprue shots and going by the quality of their Emils I'm putting together, this kit should tick all of those boxes. Can't wait to pick one up myself. Steve I'm slightly concern by this report though saying that the fit of the kit is really bad, which doesn't seem to resemble the SH kits released over the last few years. https://www.facebook.com/groups/848474938507986/permalink/4645284088827033/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 Bear in mind that this is a release of a kit originally announced much earlier in their original programme, and possibly the majority of the tooling dates from that time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 10 hours ago, Graham Boak said: Bear in mind that this is a release of a kit originally announced much earlier in their original programme, and possibly the majority of the tooling dates from that time. Seven or eight years ago already SH kits fits perfect. So problem might appear when they started again temporary abandoned project. I have just bought this kit, and I am going to buy the trainer version as well - to be frank - despite any sad news that it does not fit perfectly.... Regards J-W 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 I certainly intend buying the trainer version. But then I'm not as concerned as some about having to fiddle with a kit to make it fit, and after the problems created by more modern kits such as the Airfix Blenheim and Hurricane, I don't find the quality of that period of SH kits at all off-putting. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalea Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 Have started mine just to see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightersweep Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 Hadn't heard about the possible fit issues myself. As long as it's no worse than the Roden He 111C I'm currently building with a hammer and Isopon P38, then I think it'll be ok. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alt-92 Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 1 hour ago, fightersweep said: a hammer and Isopon P38 That's the spirit Angle grinder for getting injection gates off and we're done. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackaubrey22 Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 I'm building my ki-54 and hardly any parts are lined up. It's a shame because the plane is really interesting. For this reason, I don't think I will buy the trainer version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Russell Posted October 6, 2021 Share Posted October 6, 2021 Having read the Scale Aircraft Modelling review (and the author's Fakebook posts quoted above) and looked at the comments here, I was a bit worried about how mine would build up. It's on the schedule for later this year but I did a test fit. To my surprise the fuselage halves are an exact fit and the wings are the same length when fitted with the landing light recesses all square. I taped it together and found the right weight to simulate the dihedral. Of course this is a dry fit with tape but I did it several times and it fitted well each time. I hope I can repeat this when I cement it together. It seems that setting up the dihedral properly is a crucial step in the build and maybe a small amount of adjustment to the upper wing halves may be necessary - adding or subtracting. I have to agree with the review that the cabin door is a poor fit and the windows may be also from my micrometer measurements. I wonder if the reviewer's kit was under-cooked - pulled from the mould too quickly or otherwise mis-handled? Once I build it I will post it on BM. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Russell Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 On 10/6/2021 at 2:18 AM, Ed Russell said: Once I build it I will post it on BM. Ed, thank you for your clarification, I have bought both boxes (one is already with me, the second will be soon I hope) and I am very happy that it is better model then skeptical review announced before. Regards J-W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piotr Mikolajski Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 (edited) TBH I thought SH72445 Tachikawa Ki-54Otsu / Hickory ‘ Gunner Trainer’ was released already but Special Hobby posted photo of decals plus some info. Quote We started selling the first version of the Japanese trainer and transport aircraft SH72270 Tachikawa Ki 54 Hei in June this year. Your interest in this model has exceeded our expectations and it is already sold out. Therefore, we have included another version of this elegant aircraft, the SH72445 Tachikawa Ki-54 Otsu / Hickory ' Gunner Trainer', among the upcoming models for the first quarter of 2022. This was primarily intended for training multi-engine gunners. To streamline training, this version even carried a pair of gun turrets, joined by an aerodynamic cowling. The new model will offer three Japanese machines, an all-grey machine, an all-grey machine with upper surfaces painted green in field conditions, and a green-grey machine. The decals for this model are already ready for printing. If anyone desires the first, no longer available version of the Ki-54 Hei, they need not despair. As all the mouldings for SH72445 need to be pressed, the order for mouldings has been increased so that we can also prepare a re-release of SH72270. Source: https://www.specialhobby.net/2021/12/sh72445-tachikawa-ki-54otsu-hickory.html Edited December 18, 2021 by Piotr Mikolajski Source 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 I already ordered this variant too (along radial Kawanishi Alf) I hope they will come soon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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