History Brief

The Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien ("flying swallow") is a Japanese World War II fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. Built to compete with the P-40 Warhawk, the Ki-61-I was the first Japanese fighter to feature a liquid-cooled inline V engine. It was also the only mass-produced Japanese fighter of the war to use a liquid-cooled inline V engine. The first encounter reports claimed Ki-61s were Messerschmitt Bf 109s: further reports claimed that the new aircraft was an Italian design, which led to the Allied reporting name of "Tony", assigned by the United States War Department. The Japanese Army designation was "Army Type 3 Fighter”. Over 3,000 Ki-61s were produced. Initial prototypes saw action over Yokohama during the Halsey-Doolittle Raid on 18 April 1942, and continued to fly combat missions throughout the war. Most of the type was tasked with defending the home islands against bomber flights.

This 1/48 scale decal set, available from Iliad Design, provides markings options for 3 different P-47N’s flown by the Puerto Rican Air National Guard, Hawaii Air National Guard, and Maryland Air National Guard. Markings are included for three natural finish Thunderbolts. The Iliad set includes 3 special markings and enough marking data to complete 3 aircraft.

The three options are:

Brengun has been bringing out more and more stuff in 1/144 scale, kits, accessories and detail sets. This is darned good, because those of us who do “Braille scale” need more and more help. Many of the older kits are so lacking in detail that any addition would be SO welcome. And this is one of those detail sets.

So on to the adventure. The detail set is a single PE fret, approximately 3 ½ by 6 ½ inches. (9cm X 16.5cm). There is a single page instruction sheet which shows the Revell parts replaced by PE parts and the PE add-ons for some parts.

The latest journal of Cross & Cockade International - Autumn 2015, features a color painting by Geoffrey Watson of the Vickers FB.19 A5227 on the cover. A5227 carried interesting armament in the form of two extra Lewis machine guns on the lower wing just inboard of the wing struts, bringing its total armament up to four machine guns. This issue also includes a separate A2 size sheet in color covering Ordnance Survey maps that are marked up with the location of WWI aviation interest sties in Ireland.

Cross & Cockade International is a non-profit UK based group known as the First World War Aviation Historical Society that publishes their journal four times a year. They also provide a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publish WWI themed books like the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier. In fact, this issue includes some updates for that monograph in the Fabric section.

Eduard Brassin line continues to expand by adding a very nice all-resin model of the AM-39 Exocet missile. While the Exocet is forever associated with the Super Etendard, it is also used in different aircraft, like Mirage V, Alpha Jet, Super Puma helicopters, and patrol aircraft like Breget Atlantic and P-3 Orion, just to name a few. As such this aftermarket set can be used in many different models.

In the box you get several cast resin pieces, all free of bubbles and imperfections. The casting blocks are small in size and easy to remove.

The missile body and body fins are cast in a dark-colored resin, while the missile exhaust tubes are cast in a clear-colored resin. The parts cast in clear-colored resin (exhaust tubes) are the only option you have; to build a Block 1 or a Block 2 AM-39. Do your research as to which block version you should build.