Hasegawa 1/32 Kawasaki Ki61-I Hei Hien (Tony)

[Stew Dapple]

This is my sixth completion for 2019, the Hasegawa 1/32 Ki-61 Tony, representing an aicraft flown by Sgt. Maj. Iwao Tabata, 39 Training Squadron, Yokoshiba Air Base, Japan in March 1945:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got the kit second-hand and was disappointed to find that the pilot figure had been removed from the sprues, but apart from that it was quite a pleasure to build. I replaced the guns with brass ones from Master which added significantly to the cost of the kit, but the cowl guns in particular were totally worth it as they are very much better than the plastic ones supplied with the kit. I also used an Eduard mask set because I am lazy, and I replaced the forward part of the pitot tube with a section of Albion Alloys Nickel Silver micro-tube.

 

The underside was done in a mixture of Alclad Aluminiums, not because I was after a specific look but simply because I didn't have enough Duralumin to complete the entire underside. All the other paints were, of course, Colourcoats, ACJ04 - IJN Interior Buff Green for the interior and wheel-bays, ACJ22 - IJAAF #7 Ohryoku nana go shoku for the uppersurface camouflage, ACJ08 - Mitsubishi Cowl Blue Black for the anti-glare strip, ACJ19 - ID Yellow for the wing leading edge markings and ACJ23 - Propeller Brown for the prop and spinner.

 

I used the kit decals as there aren't that many aftermarket sets available and much as I would like to do one of the green-blotches over silver aircraft it's a toss-up whether I would be defeated by laziness or inability but it would be one or the other. The kit transfers were a bit thick but settled down well with no silvering. The final coat was Xtracolor XtraFlat varnish for the topside and XtraSatin Varnish for the underside. The nav lights were done in Tamiya clear Red and Blue, and the R/T antenna was done with Infini white rigging lycra (110 denier) threaded through a couple of Bob's Buckles eyelets (the 1/48 ones) and fixed with a dab of superglue.

 

Thanks for looking in

 

Cheers, 

 

Stew

 

 

[Luiz]

Great job👍

 

Luiz

[Toryu]

Very well executed build of the fabulous Hien. The large scale is definitely a challenge.

My suggestion for future photography: Step back one yard and zoom in, and you won‘t get a distortion 😉

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Great looking Tony !  My favorite Japanese fighter of WW2. 

[stevej60]

Great build and finish Stew,love it!

[GREG DESTEC]

Totally agree with all the other chaps.

 

great job Stew 👍

 

 

any progress on the F-84? Or have I missed it??

 

🍺 Greg

[mick]

great work

[Stew Dapple]

Thank you all very much gentlemen, and my apologies for my slow response; I am just back from a camping trip to the Highlands where I learned the true nature of discomfort and the actual definition of agony, was introduced to our very lovely Scottish midges, had to be constantly vigilant in picking ticks off the dog before they got into his fur and spent so long with wet feet that I think I may have contracted Trench Foot.

 

It was a laugh though.

 

Thanks again for your kind responses  

 

Cheers,

 

Stew

[rob85]

Beautiful clean build stew, very nice!

 

Rob

[fubar57]

Very nice looking aircraft. Its kind of refreshing to see one that isn't heavily beat up

[CedB]

Very nice Stew, very nice.

I hope the feet get better soon