Zoukei-Mura has graciously provided the IPMS Reviewer Corps with a first look at their brand new 1/32nd scale Kawasaki Ki-100-I Otsu Type 5 Fighter. Part 1 of this review looked at the box contents: Sprue-runners, decals, masks, and instructions.

Assembly Process

The instruction booklet is 75 pages of very well illustrated pictures and graphics of each step. One of the great things that impressed me about the instructions are the parts are properly named and this gives the functional operation use within the mechanical system of the airplane. Very informative and educational.

The instructions are broken down into 5 sections of the assembly process:

1. Engine
2. Fuselage
3. Wings
4. Landing Gear
5. Final Outfitting

The sections are logical steps for building this Ki-100 where you assemble from the inside out. Zoukei-Mura designers have engineered the fuselage where only the bottom seam will need to be filled and sanded. It is obvious that great care and foresight was taken into account for the hobby builder.

The one area to note is this is a high precision kit. Meaning you must pay more attention to the assembly process and detail to make each part fit with NO GAPS. Because if there are gaps, the tolerance build-up begins to add up with each step. When bringing together the major sub-assemblies, things may not fit or seam gaps will be large.

As you build this plane, the under-skin detail is so rich (and many) and knowing you have to cover them up is a shame and a difficult decision as you apply the glue. But as they say in the hobby, I know the detail is there underneath the plastic.

Conclusion for Part 2 of the Assembly

This is a great kit. During the assembly process, it became apparent this is not a kit for beginners. This is an advanced kit with lots of details and some thin fragile parts. It is more geared towards the advanced to expert builders who are experienced with exercising bucket loads of patience through several check fits. This is quite evident when bringing the sub-assemblies together as it exposes flaws in the building process if done less than perfect.

Along the build process you are rewarded with a large amount of detail and it is very educational since the instructions identify each part. For an aviation fan, this is still a must kit to have and build since is shows so much mechanically.

A recommendation during the assembly process is to not glue the parts after initial check fits. Wait until the end of a logical step to use glue to bond the parts together. That way you can make 100% sure of precise fit with not gaps or pre-loading.

I want to thank Zoukei-Mura for providing the Ki-100 kit and IPMS/USA for allowing me the opportunity to review. I look forward to begin completing the assembly and conclude this review in Part 3.

Highly Recommended!