Ed Russell Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 The Tachikawa Ki-54 was a twin-engine advanced aircrew trainer. It entered production in 1941 as the Type 1 Advanced Trainer Model A (Ki-54a). The Ki-54 was given the Allied reporting name Hickory. There are several magazine and internet posts reporting fit difficulties with this kit. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235021248-172-tachikawa-ki-54-hickory-family-by-special-hobby-ki-54hei-released/ However I found no issues at all with it except that the door was a poor fit. The easy option is to make sure you do a bit of interior and leave it open. The wings, fuselage, detail parts etc all fitted without any problems. It was built out of the box except that I used the ASK Scale Masks set which worked very well, replaced the too short exhaust pipes with tubing and replaced the pitot tube with steel tubing and wire. This kit represents a Ki-54c and camouflage option C represents a plane assigned to the 10th Dokuritsu Hikodan Shireibu (10th Independent Air Brigade). Originally it was probably painted overall with Army Grey Green #1 at the factory and then the camouflage mottle would have been applied by the Army depot preparing the aircraft for unit delivery. The best representation of the typical Army # 1 colour is Gunze Mr Color 128 and a good reprentation of the Army greens used for mottle is available as 'Nakajima Green' in several paint ranges. The paint information contained in the Red Roo notes accompanying the kit were provided by Nick Millman, author of the excellent Aviation of Japan blog - http://www.aviationofjapan.com/ I didn’t think I had the skill and patience to do a decent finish with an airbrush or by brush painting. I used a paint pen with the finest tip I could find and SMS lacquer paint which comes ready diluted for spraying. The nearest approximation to the IJAAF colours in the SMS range are PL 94 Grey Green for #1 and D1 (Deep Green) for the 'Deep Green Black colour' mottle. I found the SMS paint very easy to apply with both airbrush for the base coat and the paint pen for the mottle. The decals went on without problems except the stylized 10 on the vertical stabilizer was too translucent and had to be covered with suitably cut areas of decal sheet sprayed white. At the end of the Pacific War, this aircraft was painted in surrender markings (kit option D) and it flew a Japanese delegation to Labuan Airfield. Aboard was Lieutenant General Masao Baba, Supreme Commander of Japanese Forces in Borneo who formally surrendered to Allied forces under Major General Sir George Wootten. General Baba was subsequently found guilty of war crimes, sentenced to death and hanged at Rabaul. After this duty, the aircraft went to Australia. Until the 1970s, the fuselage was used as a children's playground near Canberra Airport. It remains today in the AWM Annexe at the Treloar Technology Centre. 31 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volksjager Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 (edited) Very nice work. The camo looks great. I bought this myself from Red Roo when it came out and just waiting for the Eduard PE set to come out in Australia before I start mine. Good to hear you didn't have to much trouble with it going together, certainly looks like it went together well for you. I also use the SMS paints exclusively and Grey Green is spot on for the Japanese base colour. Haven't used them on the paint pen like that but certainly works for the camo pattern you made. The note from Nick are also a great addition Edited November 25, 2021 by Volksjager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Russell Posted November 26, 2021 Author Share Posted November 26, 2021 I have had a couple of enquiries about the paint pen. I believe there are several manufacturers but the one I used was this https://www.montana-cans.com/en/marker-inks/acrylic-marker-ink/acrylic-empty-markers/montana-acrylic-empty-marker-fine-2mm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 Nicely done Ed..... it looks superb mate. I`m waiting to see if they do a release with `captured' markings in it as I think the RAF used a few in Malaya and Indo China just after the war on local liaison duties. Cheers Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Russell Posted November 26, 2021 Author Share Posted November 26, 2021 Certainly the French Air Force used a number of them and there was at least one aircraft operated by 273 Squadron for a few months in late 1945 in French Indochina. However pictures have not surfaced of these. There are profiles of the French ones and pictures here https://wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com/2015/08/30/wwii-japanese-aircraft-in-postwar-french-service/ but nobody has taken a guess at the RAF one. It would look cute in mottle camo like mine with RAF roundels and small MS codes, maybe in white on a camo background. There is a Chinese one pictured here and Korean ones on the net. https://alchetron.com/Tachikawa-Ki-54 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Russell Posted December 26, 2021 Author Share Posted December 26, 2021 On 11/27/2021 at 8:36 AM, tonyot said: I`m waiting to see if they do a release with `captured' markings This one looks easy - but is it a glass or painted nose (looks same as spinners) and what's the marking on the nose LHS? https://j-aircraft.com/captured/capturedfrom/TAIC/TAICSKI54/taicswpa_ki54_hickory.htm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 (edited) 14 hours ago, Ed Russell said: This one looks easy - but is it a glass or painted nose (looks same as spinners) and what's the marking on the nose LHS? https://j-aircraft.com/captured/capturedfrom/TAIC/TAICSKI54/taicswpa_ki54_hickory.htm The extreme nose looks painted to me Ed,.... and I haven`t got a clue what that nose art is? I`ll probably do an RAF one at some stage. Edited December 27, 2021 by tonyot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 Ed, very nice result, I have not seen this thread in November in some way I overlooked her... I ordered now the second kit - the trainer variant. Regards J-W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zigomar Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 Pretty neat built! You do not have to worry about the way you painted green as often it was done with brushes or blooms! So your's pretty nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Russell Posted January 17, 2022 Author Share Posted January 17, 2022 On 12/28/2021 at 5:25 AM, Zigomar said: often it was done with brushes or blooms! So your's pretty nice! Thank you! I think this one was spray painted hence the more-or-less overall regular pattern. However, you are correct in saying brooms, mops etc were used. Look at this one..... https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235054554-kawasaki-ki-61-revell-172/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Nice work Ed! I like the technique of using the paint pen for the squiggles. I may have to give that a try on an upcoming project. Cheers, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dric Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Nice model for an elegant airplane. 👌 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapam Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 Looks excellent! A stroke of genius to use a pen for that scheme! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dov Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 Excellent! You did well to use such a pen! I like it. Do you know that there are also pens for maskol? Much easier to use as everything before. For any Japanese a/c in future use iut to get the weathering done! Easier to use as salt. Happy modelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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