1:48 Ki-61 I Hien Control Surfaces

Replacement control surfaces for the Ki-61-I Hien in 1:48 scale

It is not a kit but an accessory set. It holds replacement control surfaces cast in resin: the ailerons, the rudder and the elevators, and with them the control rods of the rudder and the elevators. The set suits models of the Ki-61-I in all patterns and, thanks to the shared construction of the tail surfaces and the wing, the related Ki-100 type in the same scale as well.

What the set adds to a model

Fabric-covered rudders have a sag between the ribs, fine stitching and marked hinges. In a resin casting these details are captured more sharply than in injection-molded plastic. The enclosed control rods are a small item that changes the impression on a finished model a great deal, because they connect the rudder with the rest of the airframe and the eye registers them at once. Deflected surfaces moreover create the impression that the aircraft has just stopped rather than that it is standing in a display case.

Building tips

Wash the castings in lukewarm water with detergent to remove the release agent. Cut the casting blocks off with a saw and not with cutters, and level the surface on abrasive paper laid on a flat board. Sand resin wet and protect your airways. Cut the original surfaces off the plastic parts along the engraved line and level the edge with a file. It is glued with cyanoacrylate super glue; a gel variant gives time to set the angle. Choose the deflection sparingly and logically: the rudder and the ailerons in agreement, the elevators usually slightly down.

Who the set is for

• builders of Japanese fighters in 1:48 scale
• modelers who want the rudders deflected
• those interested in a finer structure of the fabric covering and in the control rods
• more experienced modelers working with resin

This is an accessory for a model. The kit, paints and glue are not included in the package.