Tachikawa Ki-9
Here’s my build of the old Nichimo Ki-9 Type 95 Akatonbo (Spruce) in 1:48. Not a bad kit, and I found the build enjoyable.
On this one I did the following:
- Hollowed out the exhaust stacks
- Made new windscreens from clear acetate (the kit windscreens are thick and ugly!)
- Eduard color Japanese seat belts
- New instrument panels with Airscale decals
- Rigged with RB Products flat stainless wire
- Miscellaneous fuel lines, hand grips, step from wire
- Model Master paint and kit decals.”
The Ki-9 was a two-seat medium-grade (basic) trainer built by the Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd. in the 1930s. It was a biplane of unequal wingspan powered by a 350 hp nine-cylinder Hitachi Ha-13a radial engine. Some were used as a blind flying trainers with a folding hood over the rear cockpit, and several were equipped with a glazed canopy over the rear cockpit for use as a staff officer and VIP transport. Near the end of the war some were used in kamikaze attacks using 100kg anti-ship bombs and/or oil drums filled with high explosives or fuel in the rear cockpit.
Tachikawa produced 2,395 aircraft, production ending in 1942. Another 220 were built by Gasuden from 1943 to 1945.
Impressive job for sure on an old kit
Awesome
Nice! Great looking scheme. I did one about four years ago, it's somewhere on this site, the decals still worked, and it had rigging wire, my father took photos of a number of these at a field in Korea at the end of WW2. he was with the occupation forces. The rear cockpits were covered over.
Excellent result and great improvements on the original Nichimo kit, Chas!
Nice work, Chas. Those Nichimo kits are still viable with a little TLC.
Fine work on a good kit. Gotta love the orange finish.
Very nice, Chas (@chasbunch). This paint scheme is very distinctive. I have been dragging this kit around for several decades, and almost started building it several times, but every time I look at the second wing and the flying wires I change my mind.
A really nice result, Chas @chasbunch
All the extra work you put into this is definitely worth it.
Awesome, Chas.
Nice job with the flat stainless wire!
Another fabulous build! @chasbunch
Excellent! The details you added go a long way toward improving the scale appearance of a model. Those old Nichimo, Fujimi, and Otaki kits have aged well, and with some extra work like what you did, can be made into some very impressive finished products. I find plenty of these old goodies at swap meets for $5 to $10 each. Great job!
That is a real beauty! I love all the obscure Japanese aircraft - especially these older ones.
A very nice biplane. I really like it.
Gotta love the ol' Spruce, especially the John Deere wheel fenders on this one. Great job on it.