Kits News: Zoukei-Mura 1/32 Kawasaki Ki-100-1 Otsu “Goshikisen”

On July 15, 2022July 15, 2022 By acarothersvlrmIn Kit/Product NewsLeave a comment

At the end of March, Zoukei-Mura presented a mock-up of a 1/32 Kawasaki Ki-100-1 Otsu “Goshikisen” along with some CAD drawings. The news quickly appeared on both Brit Modeller and Large Scale Planes’ forums and was enthusiastically received.

Part of the enthusiasm is due to the fact that no mainstream model manufacturer has released either the Ki-100 Otsu (fastback) or the Ki-100 Ko (razorback) in 1/32 scale. While kits have been produced in 1/48th scale (Hasegawa and Otaki/Arii) and 1/72nd scale (Aoshima, Fine Molds and RS Models), there have been absolutely no injection molded kits in 1/32nd scale.

If you wanted to build either plane in 1/32 scale, you had to buy the 1/32 Hasegawa Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Tony) kit, and one of the Alley Cat resin conversion sets. Those conversion sets are no longer in production, but once the Zoukei-Mura kits are released, I am assuming we will see some of the Alley Cat conversion sets for sale on eBay.

The Ki-100 was a Ki-61-II airframe mated with the reliable Mitsubishi Ha-112-II Kinsei radial engine. The result was an very agile and maneuverable fighter with a good rate of climb and excellent handling characteristics. It was considered superior in all respects to its predecessor, the Ki-61 Hien. The Ki-100 was also considered by some Japanese pilots who flew both types to be superior to the Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate. It was first flown in February 1945, and the IJAAF began equipping units with the Ki-100 in March 1945, albeit in very limited numbers.

Due to its late entry into the war, the Ki-100 was not given a code name by the Allies, and its performance characteristics were unknown to the United States Army Air Force and the United States Navy. Anecdotal accounts suggest that the Ki-100s may have been misidentified as Ki-84s due the the fact that both had radial engines. There was no Ki-100 captured during the war for evaluation, and there were no evaluations after the cessation of hostilities to determine how it compared with the Navy’s Corsairs and Hellcats and the Army Air Force’s Lightnings, Mustangs and Thunderbolts.

While the Ki-100 did not have a significant impact in the air war over Japan due to is late entry into combat, it provided the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force with a very capable dogfighter in the hands of an experienced fighter pilot. One wonders what impact it would have had if it had been supplied in sufficient numbers and flown by experienced fighter pilots. Unfortunately, from an historical perspective, it falls into the category of “too little, too late.”

Radu Brinzan has confirmed that Zoukei-Mura intends to release both the Ko (razorback) and Otsu (fastback) versions of the Ki-100 as supported by the above CAD drawings. That is great news!

When these kits will be released is unknown. Zoukei-Mura has previously announced a line of five Fw-190 kits, an Ar-234 kit, and a P-51B/C kit. It may be a while, but definitely worth the wait.

Kit News: Eduard’s Next 1/48 North American P-51D Mustang Release; A P-51D-20 Weekend Edition Boxing

On October 12, 2021October 12, 2021 By acarothersvlrmIn Kit/Product News1 Comment

In this month’s edition of INFO Eduard, Eduard announced that their next release of their P-51D Mustang kit will be a Weekend Edition focusing on the Block 20 Mustang. The decal options include two European theater Mustangs and two Pacific theater Mustangs. The first Pacific theater Mustang is the widely recognizable The Flying Undertaker, flown by Major William A. Shomo of the 82nd TRS, 71st TRG. The other Pacific Mustang is the 458th FS, 506th FG Iwo Jima VLR Mustang, The Boll Weevil/A Neat Package, flown by 2nd Lt. Bennett C. Commer and 2nd Lt. Henry C. Seegers, Jr.

All three VLR groups were initially equipped with Block 20 D models. As losses and attrition took its toll, Block 25 D models were used as replacement aircraft. The distinctive equipment used on VLR Mustangs, the SCR-695 IFF transmitter set, the AN/ARA-8 homing adapter and twin Uncle Dog antennae, were field modifications on Iwo Jima for both Block 20 and 25 models.

Due to the fact that the 506th Fighter Group assigned two pilots to each plane, the markings on certain planes provide for interesting decal options. The Boll Weevil/A Neat Package is a nice example of this.

*556 The Boll Weevil/A Neat Package (Bennett C. Commer via Dr. John Benbow)*

*556 The Boll Weevil/A Neat Package (Charles Barr via Dr. John Benbow)*

Kudos to Eduard for providing a multitude of 1/48th scale P-51D Mustang kits which cover blocks 5 to 25 with so many decal options. Something for everyone.

Eduard’s 1/72 Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat Weekend Edition

On October 6, 2021October 6, 2021 By acarothersvlrmIn Kit/Product NewsLeave a comment

One of Eduard’s releases for October 2021 is a new Weekend Edition boxing of their popular 1/72 Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat kit. Eduard’s 1/72 F6F-3 has been on the market since 2011, and this is the third Weekend Edition boxing that has been released by Eduard.

This boxing includes decals for Lt. Cdr. David McCampbell‘s F6F-3 Hellcat The Minsi. Lt. Cdr. McCampbell was the CO of CAG-15 abroad the USS Essex, and flew this aircraft during the U.S Navy’s raids against Iwo Jima which began on June 14, 1944, and continued until August 5, 1944.

Lt. Cdr McCampbell was the top U.S. Navy ace with 34 confirmed victories. While he did not score any confirmed victories in combat over Iwo Jima, Lt. Cdr. McCampbell would score 10.5 victories in The Minsi during combat over Saipan, the Philippine Sea and Guam. The Minsi was scrapped in September 1944 after suffering damage from anti-aircraft fire.

Kudos to Eduard for including decals for The Minsi in this boxing. While most modelers will prefer decals for Lt. Cdr. McCampbell’s F6F-5 Minsi III with its impressive scoreboard of kills, it is nice to have the option to build his first Hellcat.

The other decals included in this kit are: a VF-38 F6F-3, stationed on Munda Airfield, New Georgia, Solomon Islands; Lt. Alexander Vraciu’s F6F-3 “White 32”, VF-16, USS Lexington with 18 kill markings; and a VF-27 F6F-3 aboard the USS Princeton with the snarling cat mouth. Very nice decal options.

Kit News: Lone Star Models’ 1/48 Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (48723)

On January 25, 2021February 27, 2021 By acarothersvlrmIn Kit/Product News4 Comments

One plane that has been neglected by the mainstream injection molded model manufacturers is the Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer. Patrol bombers tend not to get a lot of love. While I often see the PB4Y-2 on a lot of modelers’ informal “wish lists” of kits they would like to see manufactured, that interest has not translated in a new injection molded kit being released.

This is not to say that a kit of PB4Y-2 has never been released. Matchbox released a PB4Y-2 in 1/72 scale way back in 1980. Revell reissued the kit in 2009, but the kit is seriously lacking by today’s standards.

After market manufacturers have stepped into to fill that void. Since Monogram’s release of its 1/48 scale Consolidated B-24J Liberator in 1976, several after market vacuform and resin manufacturers (Attic Aircraft, Concise Models & Graphics, Cutting Edge Modelworks, Koster Aero Enterprises, Wilde Sau Resin) have produced conversion parts to convert the Monogram B-24 kit into a PB4Y-2 Privateer. I have seen some really nice PB4Y-2 builds converted from the Monogram B-24 kit.

Mike West of Lone Star Models recently announced the upcoming release of a 1/48 scale full resin kit of the PB4Y-2 Privateer, with white metal parts, metal main landing gear struts, vacuformed clear pieces, and a large decal sheet. The price of the kit is listed at $290.00 which does not appear to be out of line since it is an all resin 1/48 scale four engine bomber.

Below are pictures from Lone Star Models’ website showing some of the resin, white metal and vacuformed kit pieces.

I have purchased several resin products from Lone Star Models over the years and have been impressed with the level of detail and the quality of casting.

If you are contemplating purchasing this kit, there are few things you need to know. First, Lone Star Models is a one man operation. Mike West does all of the product development, casting, order processing, and shipping. Because of a high demand for his products, he has to periodically shut off ordering on his website so that he can catch up with casting, processing, and shipping orders. If you are expecting a quick turnaround after ordering this kit, you might be disappointed.

Second, from time to time, this kit will not be available to order on Lone Star Model’s website (https://lonestarmodels.com/). As I am drafting this post, the kit is listed as “Out of Stock”, which means that Mike has sold the stock he has on hand. Once he has built back up his stock, it will become available to purchase. This is just one of the ways Mike has had to resort to so he does not fall too far behind. If you want to order this kit, you just have to be patient.

Since the kit has not actually been released yet, there have not been any on-line reviews as of yet.

A Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer kit has been on the top of my “wish list” for the last decade, and I have not seen any indication that any of the mainstream model manufacturers (Eduard, Hasegawa, Revell, Tamiya etc . . .) are even contemplating producing a PB4Y-2 in the foreseeable future. This may be a modeler’s only option for a complete kit for quite some time.

Eduard’s Iwo Jima VLR Mustang Boxing; “Very Long Range: Tales of Iwojima”

On July 3, 2020July 3, 2020 By acarothersvlrmIn Kit/Product NewsLeave a comment

Eduard has previously indicated that it intended to release a Pacific VLR boxing of its 1/48 P-51D Mustang kit in August of 2020. What was not known, until now, was whether the decal options for the boxing would be solely for Iwo Jima VLR Mustangs, or a mixture of decals for Iwo Jima VLR Mustangs and other Pacific Mustangs.

That question is answered in the July 2020 Edition of INFO Eduard. The boxing will be a Limited Edition release entitled “Very Long Range: Tales of Iwojima”, and will include twelve different decal options for Iwo Jima VLR Mustangs that covers all nine squadrons of the three Iwo Jima VLR Mustang groups. Below are the decal options.

It’s fantastic to see all nine squadrons represented in this release, and especially nice to see decals for the three squadrons (46th, 72nd and 531st) of the 21st Fighter Group. Other than Major Harry C. Crim’s 300 “My Achin” Ass, 21st FG Mustangs tend not to get a lot of love from kit makers and after market decal manufacturers. While modelers want to build models of fighter aces, and kit manufacturers cater to that demand, it is nice to see decals of lesser known pilots included.

A few notes about the decal options. First, there are two decal options for the 45th FS, 15th FG P-51D-20-NA Mustang serial number 44-63483. This plane was originally assigned to Major Gilmer L. “Buck” Snipes, the CO of the 45th FS, and was named “Tom Kat”. It was later assigned to top VLR ace Major Robert W. “Todd” Moore who scored a total of 12 victories, and was renamed “Stinger VII”.

Second, a modeler has decal options for the two planes flown by the second leading VLR fighter ace, Major James B. Tapp of the 78th FS, 15th FG. The first is “Margaret IV”, a P-51D-20-NA, which is the most recognized P-51D Mustang flown by Major Tapp. The second is “Margaret V”, a P-51D-25-NA, which Major Tapp flew in the last few weeks of the Pacific war. It is nice to have both options.

Third, decals are provided for Lt. Colonel John W. Mitchell’s 11, “Annie Lee”. Lt. Colonel Mitchell gained fame and notoriety for leading the long over water mission that resulted in the downing of the Mitsubishi G4M Betty carrying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Lt. Colonel Mitchell added 3 VLR victories to the 8 aerial victories he had while serving with the 339 FS. He served as the CO of the 15th FG from July 19, 1945, to the end of the war. Very nice addition to the decal options.

Lastly, the decal options provide a nice mix of the early squadron markings and the later standardized squadron markings that were mandated in the last few months of the war. More about the change in squadron markings in a later post.

Kudos to Eduard on this release! If you are contemplating purchasing this boxing when it is released in August, I would not wait too long as Eduard Limited Edition releases tend to sell out fairly quickly.

Iwo Jima Models

Category: Kit/Product News