OK, gentleman, I figure it's time to start my WIP:
I am presenting to you my WIP of the Japanese Type 4 “Chi-To” tank. It’s a 1/35 scale model from Fine Molds. First I would like to give a little history of this tank:
The Type 4 medium tank Chi-To was one of several medium tanks developed by the Imperial Japanese Army towards the end of World War II. While by far the most advanced Japanese wartime tank to reach production, industrial and material shortages resulted in only six chassis being manufactured; only two of these were completed with neither seeing combat.
The Type 4 Chi-To was a thirty-ton, all-welded medium tank with a maximum armor thickness of about 75 millimeters (3.0 in) on the frontal plates.[1] Manned by a crew of five, it was 6.73 m (22.1 ft) long, 2.87 m (9 ft 5 in) high, and 2.87 m (9 ft 5 in) wide. Main armament was a turret-mounted long-barreled 75 mm/L56.4 (4.23 m) gun capable of being elevated between -6.5 to +20 degrees. An 850 meters per second (2,800 ft/s) muzzle velocity gave it an armor penetration of 75 millimeters at 1,000 meters. A single 7.7 mm machine gun was mounted in the hull.
The Type 4's 300 kW (400 hp) gasoline engine was significantly more powerful than the 180 kW (240 hp) engine of the 19-ton Type 3 Chi-Nu,[3] giving it a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph) on tracks supported by seven road wheels.
Development of the Type 4 Chi-To medium tank began in 1943 as an intended successor to the Type 97-kai Shinhoto. The first prototype was delivered in 1944. Similar in appearance but significantly larger than the Type 97, it was the most advanced Japanese tank to reach production.
Intended Type 4 Chi-To output was 25 tanks per month spread over two Mitsubishi Heavy Industries factories. Late war shortage-induced delays caused by the severing of supply lines with conquered territories and U.S. strategic bombing of the Japanese mainland resulted in only six chassis being built by 1945. Just two were completed and neither saw combat.
And for those of you who are interested:
Japanese Tank Nomenclature
There were Two systems: Order System and Classification System, both of which are under the Army Imperial Year System
Army Imperial Year System
The Imperial Year was used as the standard for designating the type, based on the mystical founding of Japan in 660 BC. The accepted practice was to use the last two numbers of the year as a type number, as in the Type 89 medium tank of 1929, with Type 100 for items accepted in 1940. After 1940 only the last digit was used, so Type 2 equipment was accepted in 1942.
Order System
Each tank is given a separate name, based on the order in adaptation. The Type 89 medium tank was the “I-Go”, or “first car/model” while the Type 95 light tank was the “Ha-Go”, or “third car/model” (no second model has been identified).
Classification System
Starting from the Type 97 Chi-Ha, the naming system was changed to incorporate the classification of the tank. Each tank would get a two letter name, with the first letter standing for the type of tank and the second for the order in which the tanks were developed.
The majority of tanks fell into three categories – Chi, Ke and Ho, or Medium, Light and Gun, with Chi and Ke used as single character abbreviations for Chiu (or Chui) and Kei. There seems to have been a category for Heavy (O, short for Oo), but this is only “confirmed” in the sense that it was the unofficial name given to the 120 ton tank O-I.
The numbering system used was based on the Iroha, a Japanese poem. This used every character from the Japanese syllabary once, and for a long time was used to put those characters in order (in a rather poetic version of the ABC). The first two lines of the poem, transliterated in roman letters, ran:
i ro ha ni ho he to
chi ri nu ru wo
If we summarize the naming system:
Chi: Medium
Ke: Light
Ho: Gun (Tank Destroyer)
O: Heavy
1- I or Yi
2 – Ro
3 – Ha
4 – Ni
5 – Ho
6 – He
7 – To
8 – Chi
9 – Ri
10 – Nu
11 – Ru
12 – O or Wo
Using the medium tanks as an example:
Chi-I (Medium First): None (most likely Experimental Type 1 Tank)
Chi-Ro (Medium Second): Type 89 I-Go
Chi-Ha (Medium Third): Type 97 Chi-Ha
Chi-Ni (Medium Fourth): Type 97 Chi-Ni (never got out of prototype status)
Chi-Ho (Medium Fifth) Type 98 Chi-Ho (never got out of prototype status)
Chi-He (Medium Sixth): Type 1 Chi-He
Chi-To (Medium Seventh): Type 4 Chi-To
Chi-Ri (Medium Ninth): Type 5 Chi-Ri
Chi-Nu (Medium Tenth): Type 3 Chi-Nu
Taken from: http://ftr.wot-news.com/2013/12/06/japanese-tank-nomenclature/
And here is the kit:
Here are the extras I purchased:
And my choice in paints, not sure if I'll use the Mr. Color ot Vallejo yet:
And here is the little bit of progess I have. I had to fill some ejector pin marks:
And the lower hull glued:
I haven't decided if I'll paint the hull interior, I only plan to open the top hatches on the turret.
Stay tuned, more to come.
And as always, comments and critiques are welcome!