1/48 Tamiya Ki-61-Id Hien (Tony)

Nice...one of my fav WW2 a/c...

Lol. You'd think so, but no. Not with this build. Its wonderfull , for a change, to be satisfied with the stock level of detail included.

Only the engine lacks enough detail, but you can't see 90% of it with the fuselage buttoned up. I would've chosen to leave the engine out to detail it separately for display, but you have to install it to attach the propeller.

The reason this build has gone so quickly is because I haven't had to stop to scratch build anything. Not that I couldn't! There is plenty of opportunity with the engine, engine bay, and firewall. 

The cockpit is complete and the detail level is very acceptable. So no scratching needs to be done there. Besides, the pilot hides a lot of it.

I did end up doing a little carving on the pilots head. The O2 mask needed definition and the straps were detailed better with bits of Tamiya tape. 

After some primer I can see a couple of small spots that need a little attention, but he's about ready for paint.  :)

The glass fits so perfectly that it looks like it was molded as part of the fuselage. I've NEVER seen clear pieces fit this well!

But maybe that's because I'm usually building older kits. Lol

I would give this kit a 10/10 but I haven't gotten to the decals yet. I don't know how troublesome they may end up being.

But assembly alone has blown my mind! Everything has fit perfectly so far. That is something else I'm not even close to being used to, or expecting. My new Airfix P-40B doesn't even fit this good! And I LOVE that kit for how easy it is!

This Tamiya kit makes it look like a runner-up. Lol 

This kit is solid gold! I may be ruined by this one lol.

My pilot still needs paint, but at least I've got him in good enough condition to sit in that wonderfully detailed pit.

He fits perfectly; Sits at the right height gazing through the gunsights with his hands on his knees flying the plane with his acute telekinetic powers. Akira!

once painted up he'll look great though. Lol

This kit is sah-weet as honey!

BK - thanks! Tamiya makes it easy. :)

BD - I understand you. This plane wouldn't be a first pick for me either as it's not the most attractive Japanese a/c. But I will be very, VERY happy to add it to my collection!

And I also agree with your second point. It seems that Tamiya gets a little, dare I say "lazy", with those little bits. Uncut masks, decal seatbelts and such. 

But hey, that leaves us some challenges, right? Even if they are small.  ;)

Nice start - that plane hasn't ever really excited me, but that kit sure does, and I do like that spotted scheme. I can't wait to see what you do with it.

As for the masks, that is something that surprised me about Tamiya. I have two of their kits with their masks (F-14A and Brewster 339 -- the export Buffalo) and yeah, they aren't cut. To me, it seems like a total facepalm. We know the technology exists, and Eduard does it perfectly, so I don't know why Tamiya won't. (Then again, I would rather they focus on making better decals and including a harness that isn't a phoned-in decal, but that's just me).

-BD-

Oh my, this is a kit I've been wanting. I'll be watching this unfold for sure. Nice work on the pit so far.

BK

Thanks guys! I don't know what to say. Lol

the parts fit is out of this world! It practically falls together, but then you get a token pilot figure. 

His arms are molded to his legs and lack definition, but his head is a separate piece and is well made. 

So far I've managed to separate his collar from his shoulders and worked on his right side. 

Im not going to worry much about separating the outsides of his arms because it won't be seen, but the insides are the worst of it anyways and I will be carving in better definition.

Honestly, the pilot is the worst part of this kit. I'm more than a little surprised that after all the superb engineering that has obviously gone into this kit, that the pilot fig would have his arms molded to his legs in such a back-dated fashion. The option of having his arms cast free would've been better for having him appear to operate the controls. This is very 70's Monogram retro of Tamiya.

Seriously, this is the biggest complaint I have lol. 

Otherwise this is some outstanding next generation, top tier, king of the mountain, engineering right here.

this is what we all want to see when we open a Tamiya box!

one last thing to mention is that it does include masks for the canopy, but they are NOT pre cut. Kinda like, here's a bonus amplifier for your car stereo, but you have to install it. Lol

I almost feel like they decided not to go that one tiny extra step because of the work already put into it lol.

I don't know. It's still an amazingly engineered kit! And what a subject! A Japanese version of an Me-109! It's not a very large a/c, just like a 109, it is a smallish frame and looks small next to all of the P-40's I'm working on lol.

Anyways, I think I've prattled on enough. I'm pretty close to getting the fuse closed and I'll try to remember to get pictures up before it's done. 

:)

Sorry to here that the pilot figure does not hold up to it's standards.  Although I'm glad to hear and see the quality of this kit as a whole.  For you to put aside your other four builds to build this kit must be nothing short of amazing.

As always, I can't say enough in that everything looks great and I too await the close of the fueselage to see the rest of the builds completed.  Great job sir!

Toshi

Very nice work so far, can't wait to see this one completed.