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1/72 - Kawasaki Ki.100-I (new variant) by RS Models - released


Homebee

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RS Models has just released a 1/72nd Kawasaki Ki-100-I (low back type) kit - ref. 92273

Source: https://www.rsmodels.cz/en/p/391/92273-kawasaki-ki-100-i-low-back

 

Quote

With the Ki-100 proving such a success, it was decided to initiate production of this aircraft, the resulting Ki-100-Ib differing only by having the cutdown rear fuselage and all-round-view canopy that had been designed for the proposed Ki-61-III.

4 decal variants:

1. Ki-100, Akeno Flight Training Division (111th Air Regiment, flown by Mj. Yohei Hinoki (12 victories, Miki AF, Hyougo prefecture Japan, July 1945

2. Ki-100, 5th Air Regiment, Kiyosu AF, Aichi prefecture, Japan, July 1945

3. Ki-100, 244th Air Regiment, flown by Regiment Commander Maj. Teruhiko Kobayashi (12 victories), Yokaichi AF, Shiga prefecture, Japan, July 1945

4. Ki-100, 244th Air Regiment, flown by Regiment Commander Maj. Teruhiko Kobayashi (12 victories), Yokaichi AF, Shiga prefecture, Japan, July 1945

 

A total of 99 of this version was built before production was brought to an end by the growing weight of USAAF air attacks. A more effective version had been planned, to be powered by the Mitsubishi Ha-112 engine which incorporated a turbocharger to improve high-altitude performance, but only three of these Ki-100-II prototypes had been built and flown by the end of the war.

 

Box art

 

92273-ki-100-predni-strana.jpg

 

92273-ki-100-zadni-strana.jpg


126f.jpg

 

121d.jpg

 

121c.jpg

 

121e.jpg

 

V.P.

 

Matt-Memory2.jpg

Edited by Homebee
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I just hope that the resin radial engine used for the sprue photo is NOT the one I will find inside the box.

Even from my childhood I remember that Ki 100 was powered by the 14-cylinder Mitsubishi Ha 112 Kinsei while in the picture some 18-cylinder radial is clearly visible :rage:

Cheers

Michael

Edited by KRK4m
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FineMolds has poor surface details and is technologically simpler - it's a monstrously antique (1999) tool.

But at least both this and the Aoshima 2013 tool, which is light years ahead, have 14-cylinder engines :rofl:

Cheers

Michael

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7 hours ago, KRK4m said:

FineMolds has poor surface details and is technologically simpler - it's a monstrously antique (1999) tool.

But at least both this and the Aoshima 2013 tool, which is light years ahead, have 14-cylinder engines :rofl:

Cheers

Michael

You must mean the old one which was based on the Hasegawa Ki-61 wing with a short run fuselage added.
They have new-tooled the kit long ago and these kits are very good.

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2 hours ago, zegeye said:

Fine Molds Ki-100 are very good model.  And in my opinion surface detail is not poor on them. 

And FM has a better fit.

 

2 hours ago, occa said:

You must mean the old one which was based on the Hasegawa Ki-61 wing with a short run fuselage added.
They have new-tooled the kit long ago and these kits are very good.

I had both the older (FP-3 from 1990) and the "new tool" (FP-17 from 1999) kits by FineMolds.

And - honestly - I found almost no difference in quality between them.

Here you can compare the inbox reviews of both

http://modelingmadness.com/scott/axis/j/ki100preview.htm

https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/8/8/3/169883-23-instructions.pdf

Unless there was some "3rd generation" FineMolds kit that I don't know about.

The Aoshima 2013 tool (kit 008096) is much better than any of the FineMolds kits I have had.

And the RS one - although slightly behind Aoshima - also looks better than both FineMolds kits.

Cheers

Michael

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So where can I find that mythical "new tool" you're talking about?

Scalemates only lists four boxes of the 1:72 Finemolds Ki-100 : FP-2 and FP-3 from 1990 and FP-17 and FP-22 from 1999-2001.

And in the manual they added to the FP-17, all parts (including the single-row 7-cylinder engine) are identical to those shown in Scott van Aken's Modeling Madness review.

So - for me at least - the FP-17 and FP-22 are NOT new tool kits - just a slightly reworked old ones with new decals and new boxarts.

What are the Finemolds catalogue numbers of these "new tools" you're talking about?

I can't believe the Scalemates can be so wrong - in addition, the FP-17 manual clearly shows the code "FP-17", so it's not a manual for the ancient FP-3.

Some kind of a Modeling Madness in the full sense of these words :rage:

Cheers

Michael   

Edited by KRK4m
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I was just pointing to that both review links you gave above were dealing with the old kits.

FP17 and FP22 are the newer tools, these kits also abandoned using the Hasegawa wing and so have a new wing.

Tho not interested in engaging in a battle about this lol, cheers.

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Occa - I don't want to get into battle either. And I understand what you wrote, but probably you don't understand my question - maybe my English is too weak (or imprecise), sorry. However, I would just like to know what catalogue numbers are assigned to these mythical 'new tool' kits because both the FP-22 I had some 15 years ago (bought and sold in a week because I didn't notice any difference to the FP -2 I had 10 years earlier) and the FP-17 (from which I attached the instruction via Scalemates) are identical to FP-2 and FP-3, respectively.

And this is not a mistake "by Scalemates", because on the sheet they show, the catalogue number "FP-17" is clearly visible (between the Finemolds trademark and the b/w boxart in the upper right corner).

https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/8/8/3/169883-23-instructions.pdf

Are you sure that this "state-of-the-art" Japanese kit of Ki-100 is a Finemolds product? Aren't you talking about the Aoshima one?

Cheers

Michael

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I've just checked my FP3 and FP22 kits.  Although very similar they are not quite identical, details such as wheel wells and having the pitot probe as part of the wing moulding.  OK, perhaps the differences were there between FP2 and FP3, but I suspect not.  Otherwise the kits could easily be mistaken for each other. 

 

PS  I remember the earliest Fine Molds kits as having Hasegawa Ki.61 sprues, in some cases the complete kit.  The founder of FM was, it was said, an employee of Hasegawa who disagreed with their policy of only producing one version of any type.  I suspect the later toolings are indeed their own, the excess Hasegawa sprues not being available, but not necessarily different to the originals in the smaller details.

 

Personally, I consider these kits set the standard as high as is necessary for 1/72 fighters, and there is very little room for worthwhile improvement.  Some might call for a more detailed cockpit, but not me.

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  • Homebee changed the title to 1/72 - Kawasaki Ki.100-I (new variant) by RS Models - released
On 3/26/2022 at 6:01 PM, KRK4m said:

Occa - I don't want to get into battle either. And I understand what you wrote, but probably you don't understand my question - maybe my English is too weak (or imprecise), sorry. However, I would just like to know what catalogue numbers are assigned to these mythical 'new tool' kits because both the FP-22 I had some 15 years ago (bought and sold in a week because I didn't notice any difference to the FP -2 I had 10 years earlier) and the FP-17 (from which I attached the instruction via Scalemates) are identical to FP-2 and FP-3, respectively.

And this is not a mistake "by Scalemates", because on the sheet they show, the catalogue number "FP-17" is clearly visible (between the Finemolds trademark and the b/w boxart in the upper right corner).

https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/8/8/3/169883-23-instructions.pdf

Are you sure that this "state-of-the-art" Japanese kit of Ki-100 is a Finemolds product? Aren't you talking about the Aoshima one?

Cheers

Michael

Michael I think if in the kits you have (FP2 and FP 17) have exactly the same content then someone fooled you when they sold it to you, the kits respectively the parts especially the wing should be markedly different.

Cheers
Martin

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Hello,

 

As Graham Boak wrote above there is a difference between the original FP Ki-61 and Ki-100 versions (like maybe from FP1 to FP8) and their later kits (like around FP15-FP22 references – sorry I will not be more precise here on exact references here.)

 

I had both series. The original lower reference number series were black boxes (ie black and white boxart). More importantly parts were a mix of the Hasegawa Ki-61 sprues (often the full Hasegawa Ki-61 kit including a useless Ki-61 fuselage) with specific Fine Molds parts (and this mainly was main fuselage and a few parts).

 

These boxes later were re- released with coloured box art. From what I saw, my understanding, saw, is that the version specific Fine Molds sprues that originally were designed to complement the Hasegawa parts were now completed with new FineMolds sprues. These new FM parts replaced the old Hasegawa kit and are more detailed (cockpit, legs and doors etc…) and probably sharper. These references therefore are 100% Fine Molds and no longer mixed Hasegawa + Fine Molds parts.

Fuselage both being common to older and newer Fine Molds series and being prominent in the kit design, this can easily leave the impression that kits are the same.

 

Personnally, over the years I have bought both the older and newer Fine Molds series then the Aoshima Ki-61/Ki-100 series.

Aoshima Ki-61/100 kits are very complete and detailed but over the years, I was more and more deterred by the strengh of panel lines and surface details.

 

In the end my personnal choice are (and still are) the Fine Molds upgraded series.

 

Eric B.

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I have, and have enjoyed, several RS kits, but (even apart from the engine) I wouldn't expect them to quite match the FM quality.  I didn't get the new Aosima, but did have the old.-II.  Least said is best, but it did catch my eye how flat and wide the underside of the rear fuselage is on this one.  Understandably as it was intended to match the belly radiator of the Ki.61.  However an aircraft designed for a radial would have had a thinner more-rounded lower fuselage...just like the older Aosima kit!  Somehow I don't believe such a change was ever intended or even considered.

 

Now for a new kit of the _II with its turbocharger?

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I will date myself here, but I clearly recall purchasing the first late-1980's series of Fine Molds kits. There were 4 of them: Ki-61-II and Ki-100; "fastback" and "bubble top" variant of each. These are better described as conversion sets - each contained a full old Hasegawa Ki-61-I Tei kit, and a new sprue with a rather "lim-run"-looking set of fuselage halves and supporting parts.

 

About 10 years on, 3 of the 4 were re-released. Eric B's description is perfect, the original fuselages remained but the vintage "Tony" was gone, replaced by another Fine Molds sprue with wings, tailplanes, drop tanks, etc. The "bubble top" Ki-61-II did not re-appear that I know of. I wonder if its fuselage molds were damaged, though to my eye they were the worst of the originals to begin with...perhaps FM just decided to pass.

 

I'm not familiar with the RS kits, but the recent Aoshima ones cover the same 4 Ki-61-II and Ki-100 variants, and nice kits of 3 early "short-nose" Ki-61-I variants. They far exceed the FM kits' interior detail, have crisp exterior surfaces, and add features like an openable canopy. But some accuracy points have been questioned, as mentioned the rear fuselage of the "bubble top" ones seems a bit chunky in section. I do prefer Aoshima to FM overall but it's a close call.

 

The Aoshima series does include the K-100-II turbocharged prototype.

93-D95-B06-087-F-4-A0-D-926-B-9-E4-BFF0-

Edited by MDriskill
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