Pavla 1/72 scale
Kyushu K11W1 Shiragiku

by Harvey Low

Here is my 1/72 PAVLA Kyushu K11W1 “Shiragiku” (White Chrysanthemum) Japanese Trainer/Kamikaze.

It was adopted in January 1944. The aircraft could carry up to four students, with the pilot sitting one step higher than the rest of the training crew. It carried a rear-firing 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Type 92 machine-gun, and two 66 lbs (30 kg) bombs for armament training.

Used extensively by the navy, almost 800 were built. It was to supplement and replace older trainers like the K3M "Pine", although not all crew liked the performance of the K11W.

As with many Japanese aircraft towards the end of the war, the K11W was pressed into service in the Kamikaze role. Stripped of all armament, the backseat was removed to load a fully fueled A6M Zero Fighter drop tank there. Apparently, the navigator in the back sat on the drop tank itself! The aircraft was so obscure that it never received an Allied code name.

I know I should have waited to build the new released by RS and KP, but then again I hate to “orphan” old kits, and besides the RS and KP models were not out when I did it any ways. It is in the June 2024 issue of Military Illustrated Modeller. 

Harvey Low

Model and Text Copyright © 2026 by Harvey Low
Page Created 27 October, 2026
Last Updated 27 October, 2026

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