1:32 Kawasaki Ki-61-I Hien

The defenders of Tokyo from the 244th Sentai

The Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien was an exception among Japanese fighters of the Second World War. It was the only series-built type to be given a liquid-cooled V-type engine, and so Allied observers at first took it for a machine of German or Italian origin; only later did they assign it a code name of its own.

All three options on the sheet belong to the 244th Sentai, the unit whose task was the defense of the Tokyo area against raids by heavy bombers. Two of them show aircraft of the Tei sub-variant with a blue 24 from the spring of 1945, one of which is listed as the machine of Major Teruhiko Kobayashi, who commanded the unit. The third choice is a Hien with a red 24 flown by the same pilot in December 1944.

Differences between the sub-variants

Compared with the earlier machines, the Tei sub-variant had a lengthened fuselage and 20 mm cannon built into the fuselage, which shows in the outline of the gun covers as well. It is worth checking that the kit you choose matches this form in particular, because in 1:32 the difference in the length of the fuselage is obvious at first glance.

The unit's finishes were usually dark green on the upper surfaces, with home defense bands around the fuselage and the leading edges. The colored numbers on the fuselage served to tell the flights apart and the sheet offers them in both shades covered.

Japanese fighters are popular at this size thanks to the combination of a slim fuselage with striking colored markings. The numbers and the unit markings on the sheet are done so that they stand out on the model without looking coarse. It also helps that two of the options differ mainly in the color of the fuselage number, so one package gives you an interesting pair.