Toryu Posted May 26, 2023 Share Posted May 26, 2023 In a desperate response to the ever increasing presence of US strike forces over Japan the Rikugun Sanbo Hombu (Japanese Army HQ) in July 1945 ordered several Air Training Divisions to augment air defence. The Akeno Kyodo Hikoshidan formed the 111th Sentai around a cadre of experienced instructors equipped with Type 5 Fighters (Goshikisen). Ki-100-I Otsu 16280 flown by Lt Mamoru Tatsuda of the 2nd Daitai, 111th Sentai My occasional visitors will remember that I love exploiting vintage kits. Otaki are among my favourites, motivated by the considerable number of Japanese models which I bought in the seventies and eighties. Another, more heroic reason is my penchant for challenging projects. Otaki kit OT2-15 from 1974 As it happened I acquired this kit twice, the second one being an Arii re-issue. I misbelieved that the one in my possession was a Ki-100-I Ko with the high-back fuselage. Now I had a couple of outdated kits (I wished one at least were from Hasegawa), so latterly I decided to take them on. It proved to be a lucky providence that I owned two! Overall dimensions of the Otaki product are accurate, and their classic rendition of engraved panel lines and rivets appears to be more or less in the right place. Some proportions of the fuselage are miscarried, however, as are the nose profile and the wheel wells. This is where my duplicate kit comes in. The following pictures describe some modifications - for those with an asterisk* I cannibalised secondary parts. Other areas were improved with aftermarket help (engine, cockpit, wing racks, landing flaps, gear doors, canopy) - Not only were the various modifications quite demanding but also the complex tail markings which were masked and brush-painted. I struggled with the Sora iro blue #34. Finally I resorted to Tamiya X-14 Sky Blue toned down with a thin medium grey overspray. For the olive-brown #7, Colourcoats ACJ22 Ohryoku nana go shoku is an excellent choice. It has a rich volume and covers and dilutes very well. I hope my efforts make this classic kit look 40 years younger (I wish it were true for me, too...). Other attractive Kawasaki fighters are featured here. Michael REFERENCES KAWASAKI ARMY TYPE 5 FIGHTER, FAMOUS AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD NO.23, TOKYO, 1990 KAWASAKI ARMY TYPE 3 "HIEN" & TYPE 5 FIGHTER, MECHANIC OF WORLD AIRCRAFT 2, JAPAN, 1994 I.J. ARMY KAWASAKI TYPE 3 & 5 FIGHTER, MODEL ART NO.428, TOKYO, 1994 JAPANESE AIRCRAFT INTERIORS 1940-1945, ROBERT C. MIKESH, MONOGRAM AVIATION PUBLICATIONS, STURBRIDGE 2000 KAWASAKI KI-100 GOSHIKI-SEN, AERO DETAIL 32, GIUSEPPE PICARELLA, TOKYO, 2009 KAWASAKI KI-61 HIEN / KI-100, KAGERO MONOGRAPH 18, LESZEK A. WIELICZKO, LUBLIN, 2014 KI-61 AND KI-100 ACES, NICHOLAS MILLMAN, OXFORD, 2015 33 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrispisme Posted May 26, 2023 Share Posted May 26, 2023 Nicely done! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zigomar Posted May 26, 2023 Share Posted May 26, 2023 Hello Michael! A skillful exploitation of another "toy" from the past. The Go-Shiki is more than a radial engine put on a Ki-61II airframe, and your scratch job is nothing but first class. Even the US intelligence was not aware of her existence, and it was certainly a better fighter than the Ki-84. So.... once again thank you for the enjoyement, Ichi ban otaku des!All the best! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted May 26, 2023 Share Posted May 26, 2023 I have both kits you have mentioned in the stash. (Should really build more.) I am so glad to see what these kits can be made into. Just superb building and finish on the Ki 100. Thanks for sharing and inspiring. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackman Posted May 26, 2023 Share Posted May 26, 2023 Those Otaki/Arii kits are gold. I love the external details and the rivets. You've made an excellent build 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted May 26, 2023 Share Posted May 26, 2023 (edited) Otaki kits were so far ahead of their time, and with some modeling skills, a little help from aftermarket or donor kit parts, and the expertise you obviously have, a state of the art model cam be built. Not my scale, but I know great modeling when I see it, Toryu, and this is definitely that! 👌 Mike Edited May 26, 2023 by 72modeler corrected spelling 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toryu Posted May 27, 2023 Author Share Posted May 27, 2023 On 26/05/2023 at 16:15, Zigomar said: The Go-Shiki is more than a radial engine put on a Ki-61II airframe, and your scratch job is nothing but first class. Thank you Jean and my other laudators! The reliable Mitsubishi Kinsei engine and the superb handling performance of the Ki-100 made it a more efficient fighter than the Ki-84 with its more powerful but troublesome Nakajima Homare. Kawasaki also offered a ‘modern’ cockpit layout. It was too bad that the wing did‘t allow installation of the superior 20 mm Ho-5 cannon for a battery of four. The synchronisation of the cowl guns reduced their efficiency to some degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
François Escudé Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 Fantastic build of this niceJapanesefighter What a job !!! Bravo !!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigglesof266 Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 A truly impressive Ki-100-1b from the Otaki original and Arii reissue, as is your presentational photography of it. Quite made my morning to view it. 👍 I've had quite a few Otaki and Arii 1/48 in my time, but no longer have the patience or desire to mod anything, preferring pretty much OOTB builds. If I want detail in anything then it's Eduard Profipack, Limited Edition or similar. My in home audience, many of whom are retired military and/or airline pilots who have been WWII aircraft enthusiasts and kit builders at least in their childhood, by and large couldn't tell the difference anyway. If it resembles the type as well as those Otaki kits of their era do, it is. That said, I have the 1/48 initial Ki-100-1a from Hasegawa here in my stash awaiting build. Thanks for your inspiration and the motivation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toryu Posted June 2, 2023 Author Share Posted June 2, 2023 Thank you @Bigglesof266 True, I sometimes long for the straightforward kits, too. I do have some in my stash. But time and again I'm drawn to improving those antiques. I like the unusual and unique. The Otaki Ki-100 made me hesitate when I spotted the unexpected profile issue with the cowling. But I really didn't want to buy a third one, and so I started. The feeling of accomplishment compensates for the travail. ハッピーモデル構築 - Michael 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VolkerR. Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 Great job. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 That's some serious modelling, Michael! Always good to see an old kit made into the model it always aspired to be.... James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 Always nice to see modelling skill deployed on an older kit. Very nice model and the scheme looks great. Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberto Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 Very nice 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giampiero Piva Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 Very, very nice ! Congrats. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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