Hasegawa has re-issued their 1/48 Ki-61 and Ki-100 models as a ‘dual combo’ and it has included a 1/32 white metal figure of pilot ace Kobayashi. The pilot figure is broken down into body plus legs, with separate arms and head. Being a very bad figure painter, I decided to leave the figure alone. Notice the highly detailed face and the virtually non-existing mold line on it.

Upon opening the box you have two full 1/48 scale model with an estimated 125 parts between both models. There are actually 3 canopies, but only two will be used. You are also provided with a huge decal sheet with two options for the Ki-61 and one option for the Ki-100

Being a dual combo I decided to construct them in parallel and benefitting by painting the same subassemblies (using the same colors) at the same time.

As the follow-on to the F-102 Delta Dagger and a beneficiary of the area rule applied to later models of that predecessor aircraft, the F-106 was known as the “ultimate interceptor”. Serving almost 30 years in the USAF, various ANG units, and as a NASA research platform, the F-106A saw a production run of 277 aircraft. Equipped with a Hughes MA-1 integrated fire control system designed to link with ground-based SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) equipment, the Dart was fitted out with four AIM-4 Falcon air to air missiles as well as one of several variants of nuclear-tipped rockets, all designed to take out an incoming Soviet heavy bomber. All weaponry was carried internally in a large weapons bay.

The U.S. Air Force’s Douglas B-66 was developed from the Navy’s Douglas A-3 Skywarrior. The B-66s were used in a variety of roles to include navigation for fighters, electronic reconnaissance, weather reconnaissance, and testing components for future aircraft.

Scale Aircraft Conversion has produced a set of metal landing gears for Testor’s B/RB-66 kits. Metal landing gear is sturdier than plastic gear, and Scale Aircraft Conversions has added details missing from the kit’s landing gear. You will have to use either super glue or epoxy to attach the gears to the model.

These gears are a direct one-for-one replacement of the kit’s molded landing gear. As a helpful guide, I labeled the parts in one picture since there is no installation or placement instructions. To me, this is the biggest flaw of the landing gear set.