Tamiya's 1/48 scale
Ki-61d Hien

by John Trueblood

Tamiya’s kit of the Ki-61d Hien (allied code name Tony), in my opinion, surpasses in every way the previous offerings from Otaki and Hasegawa.  

As is typical with Tamiya you get spot on accuracy, exquisite detailing , clever engineering and perfect fit. Additional detail consisting of Eduard FE 822 & 49-822 provided cockpit and exterior enhancement, along with  Quickboost  resin replacements for the gun barrels and engine exhausts.

The paints used were AK Extreme Metal and Tamiya. The markings are a combination of kit decals and HGW Wet Transfers.

I choose to model an aircraft flown by Second Lieutenant Shunz? Takashima of the 244th Air Group, Chofu Airbase as it appeared in May of 1945.

Period photographs show his Hien with only light “road rash”. Lt. Takashima was a member of the 57th Class of the Army Air Academy and was born in the Okayama Prefecture.  He experienced deadly success against B-29 Superfortresses as can be seen by the port side kill markings below the canopy.

In early June of 1945 he was appointed a Special Attack (Kamikaze) Squadron Leader and died in a failed attack against the U.S. Navy; he was 20 years old.

Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2022 by John Trueblood
Page Created 29 September, 2022
Last Updated 29 September, 2022

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