Under New Management - Ki-27 over Hong Kong

[JasonC]

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.

 

[Shalako]

Interesting subject!!!

[JasonC]

3 hours ago, Shalako said:

Interesting subject!!!

Thanks.

 

Getting stuck in with the cockpit and engine. Nothing added to the kit parts except a cushion out of epoxy putty and masking tape lap belts. Even those are unlikely to be seen through the small cockpit opening. IJA interiors at this time were apparently a dark blue grey (Hairanshoku) . The colour I've used is perhaps a little light, but it will surely get darker in the absence of any illumination in there.  

 

 

 

The engine was sprayed with black primer, then Tamiya TS-30 Silver Leaf. Then a wash of thinned Citadel Black Templar. The crankcase cover was painted light grey.

 

[JasonC]

Cockpit installed and ready to close up. Looking darker already. I've cut a bulkhead out of sheet styrene to fit just behind the engine, otherwise there's a good chance you'd see daylight through the front from the cockpit opening.

 

[JasonC]

And the fuselage halves together. Just a little Mr Surfacer...

 

 

...and sanded down. The small amount of filler that's left after sanding shows how nice the fit is.

 

[JasonC]

The wings next. With everything else more or less lined up, there was a narrow gap at the back end of the starboard wing join. I've filled the widest portion with some fine stretched sprue, and perhaps some even finer stuff will fit into the remaining gap. Ideally I'd like to avoid much filler on this joint, as any sanding will start to obliterate the surface detail you can see in this shot. If all goes well then I should be able to disguise the joint as another panel line.

 

[shortCummins]

the rivet detail looks really good, even more so when you realise its an "old" kit

 

rgds

John(shortCummins)

[JasonC]

21 minutes ago, shortCummins said:

the rivet detail looks really good, even more so when you realise its an "old" kit

Indeed, puts a lot of newer kits to shame!

[JasonC]

Finished! RFI here.