In Box Review of Otaki 1/48th Scale
Japanese Army Type 4 Fighter "Frank"
Kit no. OT2-10
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1975
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1975
HISTORY:
A plane which since July 1942 had been designed and manufactured by the Nakajima Aircraft Mfg. Company for trial under the name Ki-84. It was officially adopted in April 1944 by the Army as the Fighter Type 4 "Hayate" and the mass production was started.
The number of the Hayates produced by the end of WWII totalled about 3,500, which ranks next to that of the Zero and the Hayabusa, but is the largest in Japanese aircraft history in view of the number produced in about a year.
The performance of the Hayate was equal to or higher than that of the Allied fighters in those days. This was the first fighter worthy of the name having excellent speed (climbing ability), firepower and maneuverability that became available to the Army.
Those days when Japan feared she might lose the command of the air even over Japan proper,the Hayate called "the defensive fighter to turn the fate of the Greater East Asia" was accepted by fighter units with hopes as a new fighter to beat enemy combat planes.
It made its first campaign over Central China as a member of the 22nd Air Flotilla. As the main-strength of the Japanese Army, it later showed activity against overwhelming American planes in the Battle of Leyte in the Philippines and the Battle of Okinawa.
Many were used as bomb-laden suicide attack planes to smash bodily into the enemy. The Hayate also bravely intercepted B-29 bombers and ship-planes of U.S. Task Forces invading Japan proper.
The Allies' pilots had an extreme horror of the Japanese fighter and called it "Frank". The Hayate had a maximum speed of 624 km/h, which was higher than that of any other fighter of Japan.
The high speed was much due to the excellent performance of the Nakajima's HA-45 engine being employed. The engine had take-off output of 2,000 hp and was 1,180 mm in maximum diameter, i.e. output per unit front area was 1.83 hp/sq. cm., which was remarkably high for an air-cooled engine.
Thus the engine was ideal for a fighter that was expected to fly faster. A large number of the HA-45 engines were also mounted on the Navy's famous high-speed reconnaissance planes such as the Saiun and the Shidenkai.
Many of the engines produced towards the end of the war, however, did not show such high performance as originally designed because of the shortage of materials and lowered working technique.
Consequently, the Hayate's working ratio and flying performance were extremely lowered and the fighter could not display its ability in full. The bad condition of the engines also resulted from the fact that the octane rating of fuel was lowered towards the end of the war.
When the Hayate, using fuel of 140 octane rating and high-quality ignition plugs was tested in the United States after the war, it made a record of a maximum speed of 689 km/h, and was praised as "the best one of all Japanese fighters that appeared in the Pacific War.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Length: 9.92m
Width: 11.238m
Weight: 2,698 kg (tare), 3,890 kg (including regular equipment)
Engine: Air-cooled HA-45 engine of Hoshi Type, 18 cylinder, (nominal output): 1,780 hp/6,200 rpm
Max speed: 624 km/h (6,500 m)
Cruising range: 2,168 km/3,868 kg (a reserve fuel tank carried)
Armament: Two 12.7 mm HO-103 machine guns (fuselage), Two 20 mm HO-5 machine guns (main wings), Two 30 -250 kg bomb
A plane which since July 1942 had been designed and manufactured by the Nakajima Aircraft Mfg. Company for trial under the name Ki-84. It was officially adopted in April 1944 by the Army as the Fighter Type 4 "Hayate" and the mass production was started.
The number of the Hayates produced by the end of WWII totalled about 3,500, which ranks next to that of the Zero and the Hayabusa, but is the largest in Japanese aircraft history in view of the number produced in about a year.
The performance of the Hayate was equal to or higher than that of the Allied fighters in those days. This was the first fighter worthy of the name having excellent speed (climbing ability), firepower and maneuverability that became available to the Army.
Those days when Japan feared she might lose the command of the air even over Japan proper,the Hayate called "the defensive fighter to turn the fate of the Greater East Asia" was accepted by fighter units with hopes as a new fighter to beat enemy combat planes.
It made its first campaign over Central China as a member of the 22nd Air Flotilla. As the main-strength of the Japanese Army, it later showed activity against overwhelming American planes in the Battle of Leyte in the Philippines and the Battle of Okinawa.
Many were used as bomb-laden suicide attack planes to smash bodily into the enemy. The Hayate also bravely intercepted B-29 bombers and ship-planes of U.S. Task Forces invading Japan proper.
The Allies' pilots had an extreme horror of the Japanese fighter and called it "Frank". The Hayate had a maximum speed of 624 km/h, which was higher than that of any other fighter of Japan.
The high speed was much due to the excellent performance of the Nakajima's HA-45 engine being employed. The engine had take-off output of 2,000 hp and was 1,180 mm in maximum diameter, i.e. output per unit front area was 1.83 hp/sq. cm., which was remarkably high for an air-cooled engine.
Thus the engine was ideal for a fighter that was expected to fly faster. A large number of the HA-45 engines were also mounted on the Navy's famous high-speed reconnaissance planes such as the Saiun and the Shidenkai.
Many of the engines produced towards the end of the war, however, did not show such high performance as originally designed because of the shortage of materials and lowered working technique.
Consequently, the Hayate's working ratio and flying performance were extremely lowered and the fighter could not display its ability in full. The bad condition of the engines also resulted from the fact that the octane rating of fuel was lowered towards the end of the war.
When the Hayate, using fuel of 140 octane rating and high-quality ignition plugs was tested in the United States after the war, it made a record of a maximum speed of 689 km/h, and was praised as "the best one of all Japanese fighters that appeared in the Pacific War.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Length: 9.92m
Width: 11.238m
Weight: 2,698 kg (tare), 3,890 kg (including regular equipment)
Engine: Air-cooled HA-45 engine of Hoshi Type, 18 cylinder, (nominal output): 1,780 hp/6,200 rpm
Max speed: 624 km/h (6,500 m)
Cruising range: 2,168 km/3,868 kg (a reserve fuel tank carried)
Armament: Two 12.7 mm HO-103 machine guns (fuselage), Two 20 mm HO-5 machine guns (main wings), Two 30 -250 kg bomb
THE KIT:
Otaki is a prolific model company based in Tokyo, Japan.
Otaki kits were imported and distributed by Scalemates Models based in Northridge, CA in the 70's.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a "Frank" shooting down a U.S. P-51 "Mustang" above the clouds.
The "Frank" is dark-green over a light-grey undercarriage, with a red spinner and yellow leading edges on the wings. It has wide white bars around the wings and fuselage, with red Japanese roundels on them. There is a red lightning bolt outlined in white on the rudder.
One side panel has a small color side view repeat of the "Frank" in the box art scheme and a "Frank" that is in a base of light-blue overall with dark-green mottle. The upper half of the rudder flap is red, it has a white fuselage band and light-blue undercarriage.
Otaki is a prolific model company based in Tokyo, Japan.
Otaki kits were imported and distributed by Scalemates Models based in Northridge, CA in the 70's.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a "Frank" shooting down a U.S. P-51 "Mustang" above the clouds.
The "Frank" is dark-green over a light-grey undercarriage, with a red spinner and yellow leading edges on the wings. It has wide white bars around the wings and fuselage, with red Japanese roundels on them. There is a red lightning bolt outlined in white on the rudder.
One side panel has a small color side view repeat of the "Frank" in the box art scheme and a "Frank" that is in a base of light-blue overall with dark-green mottle. The upper half of the rudder flap is red, it has a white fuselage band and light-blue undercarriage.
The other side panel has 6 color box arts of other aircraft kits that Otaki manufactures: a Zero carrier-borne fighter A6M5 Zeke, a Ki-43 fighter "Oscar", a Ki-61 fighter "Tony", an interceptor fighter Shinden, a 93 advanced trainer K5Y1 "Willow" and a Type 4 fighter "Frank" (this kit).
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds 3 medium-grey trees, a clear canopy and the decal sheet in 2 stapled-shut clear cello bags, and 3 instructions.
There are 2 identical main instructions. One is in English and the other one all in Japanese.
They are both single-sheets, printed on both sides in brown ink, in 8 1/4" x 11 3/4" page format.
The face side begins with the history of the "Frank" an its specifications and a top and bottom view and 3 side views of "Franks".
The 1st side view is bare-metal overall, with a black anti-glare panel in front of the windscreen, 3 diagonal red stripes on the rudder over yellow bottom of the rudder flap outlined in red with a red 91 on it.
It was with no. 73rd Squadron, no. 2 Company, 1944-45.
The 2nd side view is the mottled "Frank" shown on the side panel (already described above).
It was with the 1st Squadron, 1st Company, 1945, Philippines.
The 3rd side view is a "FranK' that is dark-green over a light-blue under-carraige, with a wide white band around the wings and fuselage with the Japanese red roundes on them. It has a red double chevron outlined in white on the rudder over a red 40.
It was with the 35th Squadron, 2nd Company, 1945.
Below these are the parts-trees illustrations.
Trees are alphabetized.
The bottom of the page and all of the reverse side gives a grand total of 13 assembly steps.
The 2nd instructions is a single-sheet printed on one side in color on slick-coated paper.
It shows two side views: The mottled "Frank" and the one with the red double chevron over 40 on the rudder (already described above).
The kit holds 3 medium-grey trees, a clear canopy and the decal sheet in 2 stapled-shut clear cello bags, and 3 instructions.
There are 2 identical main instructions. One is in English and the other one all in Japanese.
They are both single-sheets, printed on both sides in brown ink, in 8 1/4" x 11 3/4" page format.
The face side begins with the history of the "Frank" an its specifications and a top and bottom view and 3 side views of "Franks".
The 1st side view is bare-metal overall, with a black anti-glare panel in front of the windscreen, 3 diagonal red stripes on the rudder over yellow bottom of the rudder flap outlined in red with a red 91 on it.
It was with no. 73rd Squadron, no. 2 Company, 1944-45.
The 2nd side view is the mottled "Frank" shown on the side panel (already described above).
It was with the 1st Squadron, 1st Company, 1945, Philippines.
The 3rd side view is a "FranK' that is dark-green over a light-blue under-carraige, with a wide white band around the wings and fuselage with the Japanese red roundes on them. It has a red double chevron outlined in white on the rudder over a red 40.
It was with the 35th Squadron, 2nd Company, 1945.
Below these are the parts-trees illustrations.
Trees are alphabetized.
The bottom of the page and all of the reverse side gives a grand total of 13 assembly steps.
The 2nd instructions is a single-sheet printed on one side in color on slick-coated paper.
It shows two side views: The mottled "Frank" and the one with the red double chevron over 40 on the rudder (already described above).
Medium-grey letter A tree holds: fuselage, engine parts, elevators, cowling (7 parts)
Medium-grey letter B tree holds the wings (3 parts)
Medium-grey letter C tree holds: propeller, spinner, dashboard, cockpit floor, bulkhead, landing-gear legs and pants, pilot figure, drop tank etc. (32 parts)
The clear part is the canopy (1 part)
The decal sheet completes the kit.
Detail is engraved. Flaps are all molded solid.
Recommended.