68th Sentai Hien

Started by Pedro L. Rocha · 58 · 2 years ago
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    Pedro L. Rocha said 3 years, 3 months ago:

    You are too kind on your appreciation Louis! @lgardner
    I’m about to complete the cockpit (added some scratch bits) so another update is soon to come around.
    The P-47 is on hold because I’m waiting for some very fine soldering wire to apply to the wheel bays. Other than that it should be completed fast. Thanks!

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    Pedro L. Rocha said 3 years, 3 months ago:

    Final details and weathering added to the cockpit, now I can glue both fuselage halves.

    Montex masks for the canopy are of inferior quality, because not only they have poor adherence but they also managed to do some panels a bit small...


    the 2 wires are to replicate handles located inside the canopy and will be glued later on.
    Next op - Riveting!

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    Louis Gardner said 3 years, 3 months ago:

    All of your work looks magnificent ! I especially like the seat harness. Keep it up my friend.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years, 3 months ago:

    I agree with Louis, Pedro: this is spectacular work.

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    Pedro L. Rocha said 3 years, 3 months ago:

    Fuselage halves glued, and only the canopy and the gunsight to be added


    Notice the chopped rudder, thinned the inner surfaces so that it will fit slight banked.
    Also started an exhaustive riveting work, based on some plans. Only the lower surface of the wing structure is so far completed but later today I’ll be tackling the upper surfaces also. Hope you can see those tiny rivets on the pic

    Although I made some background research about this kit before I started building, I erroneously assumed it to be a short nose version. Guess what? It’s not!


    That portion between the wing and the lower engine panels is the nose extension of the last version Kawasaki produced for its 61 model.
    This means that instead of building the 68 Sentai “Hei” model, I have a late war “Tei” kit in my hands.
    The only decals/masks I have to build this version are 2 machines form the 244 Sentai ace, Major Kobayashi, both well know and made in innumerable models.
    Anyway, between both I’ll be doing the #7 olive green camouflaged Blue 62
    Here’s an excellent drawing from Osprey artist, that diverges from Lifelike decals by showing a blue ribbon between the 2 white ones. I believe the real plane sported this decoration as so
    let’s see how it goes, though this one is not as fancy as the initial 68 Sentai machine 🙁

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    John Healy said 3 years, 3 months ago:

    Looking good, Pedro. I’ve learned a lot reading your thread. I’m tempted to do one of these before the group build ends.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years, 3 months ago:

    Looking great Pedro @holzhamer.
    Kudos to your patience and persistence to rivet this beauty.
    Even if there's change of scheming plans, I really like the olive drab-bed blue 62...
    Might look less flashy than your initial scope, but it serves the Hien's beautiful lines rather well!

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    Erik Gjørup said 3 years, 3 months ago:

    Aahhh . screeching turn. . .

    Good that you discovered it now! The rivets are looking very cool - nice touch Pedro @holzhamer.

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    Louis Gardner said 3 years, 3 months ago:

    Pedro, @holzhamer
    This discovery that your kit is the "long nose" version was caught at the perfect time. I really like the choice of markings you picked. The blue color was an indicator of the pilot being in a "leadership" position.

    Wow ! The rivet work you did on the wings looks incredible. It will go a long way to making this plane look even more authentic. I also like how you have separated the rudder. That too will add some life to the build.

    Most people wouldn't have noticed it if you were to carry on and build your plane with the 68th Sentai markings. But it was a good catch. You picked a good set of markings, and now it will be proper. Earlier I mentioned how I have several Ki-61's completed in my display case that are incorrectly marked... Maybe someday they will get a makeover and get corrected.

    Thanks for posting this update. This is looking very good, and it will only get better from here.

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    Woody Kubacki said 3 years, 3 months ago:

    Finding a Ko/Otsu Hien is nigh impossible without paying $100 . The Tamiya kit is nice but the Hasegawa kits allow you to build some nice New Guinea based planes with the much more interesting schemes.

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    Pedro L. Rocha said 3 years, 3 months ago:

    True that Woody.
    I was convinced that the my “garage sale” Hasegawa kit was one of those early versions, but helás it really is the Tei version... it’s their very first box of the Hien family, guess I should have looked at the reviews with a bit more attention.
    I will keep those Montex masks for a (hopefully) Otsu version kit later in time...Tamiya could very well build that one too 😉

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    Louis Gardner said 3 years, 3 months ago:

    Pedro, @holzhamer
    There's a very comprehensive kit index on the various offerings that Hasegawa has released for the Ki-61. Here's a link to it over at Modelling Madness. It shows most of the 1/48 scale Hasegawa kits for Japanese fighters.

    https://www.modelingmadness.com/splfeat/kr/has48a.htm

    These following kit numbers are for the "short nose" fuselage plastic parts. Hasegawa makes this version, it's just not as easy to find as the others. If you use this list, it might make it a bit easier for you.

    09087 or JT87 Ki 61-I
    09613 Ki 61- I Koh/Otsu
    09654 Ki 61-I Hei ‘244th Sentai
    09670 Ki 61-I Koh ‘68th Flight Regiment
    09744 Ki 61-I Koh/Otsu ‘244th Flight Regiment’
    64718 Ki 61-I Model 1 ‘Shidenkai no Maki’... with fictional cartoon decals

    These 1/48 scale Hasegawa kits will have the shorter fuselage halves in the box.

    Hope this helps... 🙂

    How nice would it be if Mr. Tamiya released a 1/48 scale "short nosed" version of the Ki-61 using the new tool kit ? Or better yet, let's get a Ki-100 using some of the same parts ...
    I'll bet they would fly off the shelves !

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    Erik Gjørup said 3 years, 3 months ago:

    Some nice list Louis @lgardner, but really a Ki-100? - now who on earth would but a plane without a "German" watercooled engine 🙂
    I keep looking at the two Tamiya Ki's in the stash. . . . Oh, and the Judy's. . . .
    Anyway - sorry to intrude on your build Pedro - keep the updates flowin'

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    Pedro L. Rocha said 3 years, 3 months ago:

    @lgardner
    Louis, many thanks for posting the link to that useful information, regarding not only the Ki-61 but all 1/48 Japanese planes made by Hasegawa. It’s really is useful stuff!
    I didn’t knew that page, but looking at Scalemates, in conjunction with info collected at Britmodeller, I was able to understood the complex boxing strategy Hasegawa used all along their Hien family... a bit mad for sure.
    And yes, I also hope to see the early short nose Kawasaki made by Tamiya-san, though I’m not overly optimistic about it

    @airbum Erik, I bet the radial brother of the 61 model would sell good like Louis says, but hey definitely not as interesting as any DB engine plane right? 😉

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    Erik Gjørup said 3 years, 3 months ago:

    You said it @holzhamer, you said it

    but hey definitely not as interesting as any DB engine plane right?
    😀