History Brief

The Nakajima B6N1 Type 11 attack/torpedo bomber Tenzan, Allied code name “Jill”, was introduced in 1943 as a replacement for the B5N Kate. It was a big improvement over the Kate and, although faster and more maneuverable, it was still no match for the U.S. Navy’s carrier-based fighters. The losses were so great that only one Jill is known to be in existence today.

There were two main production variants of the Jill – the earlier Type 11 and the later Type 12. The Type 11 had the more powerful Mamori Model 11 power plant, a 14-cylinder radial (rated 1870 hp at takeoff), but it proved to be unreliable. The Mamori engine was dropped in favor of the more dependable but considerably weaker Kasei powerplant in the Tenzan Type 12 design.

This is the second product in Eduard’s FABRIC line of seatbelts I have had the pleasure of reviewing. Earlier. I reviewed the 1/32 WWII USAAF fabric seatbelts at http://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/wwii-usaaf-fabric-seatbelts

This set is very similar to the USAAF one, with additional detail to reflect the higher complexity of Luftwaffe belts. As with the USAAF set, the belts themselves are made out of some sort of fine gauze-type material, and have only small attachment points keeping them on their fret. The material is pre-colored, with the belts in a light tan, pads for under the buckles in a slightly darker color, and one leather tab in a brown color. Very faint stitching lines and fabric weave details are evident as well. There is even stenciling and data plate info printed onto the fabric.

The usual sincere appreciation goes out to our friends at Hobbico (Hasegawa USA) for supplying IPMS USA yet another sample of their manufacturer’s prolific output. I am constantly amazed at what they deliver!

I really like the Arado series of aircraft, so when the opportunity to build this one came up, I raised my hand. Having built a few of these in the past, I must comment on the condition of the kit. I did NOT notice any creeping mold-failures, excess flash, or other blemishes that identify what used to be known as an “old” model (anything over 10 years). The kit looked as if it were a brand-new design. Fit and construction confirmed the same. The basic model from Hasegawa is now a decade old, and what is in the box hides its age well. Engineering at its finest, ‘tis true.