In Box Review of Otaki 1/48th Scale
Japanese Ki-43 "Oscar" Fighter
Kit no. OT2-5-300
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1975
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1975
HISTORY:
The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa ( "Peregrine Falcon", "Army Type 1 Fighter") was a single-engine land-based tactical fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II.
The Allied reporting name was "Oscar", but it was often called the "Army Zero" by American pilots because it bore a certain resemblance to the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the Imperial Japanese Navy's counterpart to the Ki-43.
Both aircraft had generally similar layout and lines, and also used essentially the same Nakajima Sakae radial engine, with similar round cowlings and bubble-type canopies (the Oscars' being distinctly smaller and having much less framing than the A6M).
While relatively easy for a trained eye to tell apart with the "finer" lines of the Ki-43's fuselage especially towards the tail and more tapered wing planform; in the heat of battle, given the brief glimpses and distraction of combat, Allied aviators frequently made mistakes in enemy aircraft identification in the heat of a dogfight, reportedly having fought "Zeros" in areas where there were no Navy fighters.
Like the Mitsubishi-produced A6M Zero, the radial-engined Ki-43 was light and easy to fly and became legendary for its combat performance in East Asia in the early years of the war.
It could outmaneuver any opponent, but did not have armor or self-sealing tanks, and its armament was poor until its final version, which was produced as late as 1945.
Allied pilots often reported that the nimble Ki-43s were difficult targets but burned easily or broke apart with few hits.
In spite of its drawbacks, the Ki-43 shot down more Allied aircraft than any other Japanese fighter and almost all the JAAF's aces achieved most of their kills in it.
Total production amounted to 5,919 aircraft. Many of these were used during the last months of the war for kamikaze missions against the American fleet.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: One
Length: 8.92 m (29 ft 3⅜ in)
Wingspan: 10.84 m (35 ft 6¾ in)
Height: 3.27 m (10 ft 8¾in)
Wing area: 21.4 m2 (230.4 ft2)
Empty weight: 1,910 kg (4,211 lb)
Loaded weight: 2,590 kg (5,710 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 2,925 kg (6,450 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Nakajima Ha-115 fourteen cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 858 kW (1,150 hp
Maximum speed: 536 kilometres per hour (333 mph) at 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) (286 knots (530 km/h) at 4,000 metres (13,000 ft))
Cruise speed: 355 kilometres per hour (221 mph; 192 kn) at 4,000 metres (13,000 ft)
Range: 1,760 km (952 nmi, 1095 mi)
Ferry range: 3,200 km (1,730 nmi, 1,990 mi)
Service ceiling: 11,200 m (36,750 ft)
Rate of climb: 3,900 feet per minute (20 m/s) ()
Wing loading: 121 kg/m2 (24.8 lb/sq ft)
Power/mass: 331 W/kg (0.20 hp/lb)
Armament: 2× fixed, forward-firing 12.7 mm (.50 in) Ho-103 machine guns in the cowl with 270 rpg
Bombs: 2× 250 kg (551 lb) bombs
The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa ( "Peregrine Falcon", "Army Type 1 Fighter") was a single-engine land-based tactical fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II.
The Allied reporting name was "Oscar", but it was often called the "Army Zero" by American pilots because it bore a certain resemblance to the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the Imperial Japanese Navy's counterpart to the Ki-43.
Both aircraft had generally similar layout and lines, and also used essentially the same Nakajima Sakae radial engine, with similar round cowlings and bubble-type canopies (the Oscars' being distinctly smaller and having much less framing than the A6M).
While relatively easy for a trained eye to tell apart with the "finer" lines of the Ki-43's fuselage especially towards the tail and more tapered wing planform; in the heat of battle, given the brief glimpses and distraction of combat, Allied aviators frequently made mistakes in enemy aircraft identification in the heat of a dogfight, reportedly having fought "Zeros" in areas where there were no Navy fighters.
Like the Mitsubishi-produced A6M Zero, the radial-engined Ki-43 was light and easy to fly and became legendary for its combat performance in East Asia in the early years of the war.
It could outmaneuver any opponent, but did not have armor or self-sealing tanks, and its armament was poor until its final version, which was produced as late as 1945.
Allied pilots often reported that the nimble Ki-43s were difficult targets but burned easily or broke apart with few hits.
In spite of its drawbacks, the Ki-43 shot down more Allied aircraft than any other Japanese fighter and almost all the JAAF's aces achieved most of their kills in it.
Total production amounted to 5,919 aircraft. Many of these were used during the last months of the war for kamikaze missions against the American fleet.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: One
Length: 8.92 m (29 ft 3⅜ in)
Wingspan: 10.84 m (35 ft 6¾ in)
Height: 3.27 m (10 ft 8¾in)
Wing area: 21.4 m2 (230.4 ft2)
Empty weight: 1,910 kg (4,211 lb)
Loaded weight: 2,590 kg (5,710 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 2,925 kg (6,450 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Nakajima Ha-115 fourteen cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 858 kW (1,150 hp
Maximum speed: 536 kilometres per hour (333 mph) at 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) (286 knots (530 km/h) at 4,000 metres (13,000 ft))
Cruise speed: 355 kilometres per hour (221 mph; 192 kn) at 4,000 metres (13,000 ft)
Range: 1,760 km (952 nmi, 1095 mi)
Ferry range: 3,200 km (1,730 nmi, 1,990 mi)
Service ceiling: 11,200 m (36,750 ft)
Rate of climb: 3,900 feet per minute (20 m/s) ()
Wing loading: 121 kg/m2 (24.8 lb/sq ft)
Power/mass: 331 W/kg (0.20 hp/lb)
Armament: 2× fixed, forward-firing 12.7 mm (.50 in) Ho-103 machine guns in the cowl with 270 rpg
Bombs: 2× 250 kg (551 lb) bombs
THE KIT:
Otaki is a prolific model company based in Tokyo, Japan.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows 2 "Oscars" shooting down a P-40 Warhawk above the clouds.
Both are dark-green over grey under-carriages, with white fuselage bands and yellow leading edges on the wings and dark-blue anti-glare panels in front of their windscreens.
The "Oscar" in the foreground has a white spinner and white stenciled OO on the rudder.
The other "Oscar" has a white 99 on the rudder.
The P-40 is in a wave-pattern of sand and green over light-blue undercarriage. No marks are seen on it. It is trailing smoke.
One corner of the box art has a white and yellow sticker on it with Scale Craft's name on it. They were the U.S. importer and distributor for Otaki when this kit was released in the 70's.
One side panel has a small side view of the cover art subject rudder code 00 and a "Oscar" that is overall bare-metal with a wide white fuselage band with the red Japanese national circle on it, followed by a narrow white fuselage band and rudder code of a black horizontal bar followed by a black circle with a bar across it.
Otaki is a prolific model company based in Tokyo, Japan.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows 2 "Oscars" shooting down a P-40 Warhawk above the clouds.
Both are dark-green over grey under-carriages, with white fuselage bands and yellow leading edges on the wings and dark-blue anti-glare panels in front of their windscreens.
The "Oscar" in the foreground has a white spinner and white stenciled OO on the rudder.
The other "Oscar" has a white 99 on the rudder.
The P-40 is in a wave-pattern of sand and green over light-blue undercarriage. No marks are seen on it. It is trailing smoke.
One corner of the box art has a white and yellow sticker on it with Scale Craft's name on it. They were the U.S. importer and distributor for Otaki when this kit was released in the 70's.
One side panel has a small side view of the cover art subject rudder code 00 and a "Oscar" that is overall bare-metal with a wide white fuselage band with the red Japanese national circle on it, followed by a narrow white fuselage band and rudder code of a black horizontal bar followed by a black circle with a bar across it.
The other side panel has 6 color box arts of other aircraft kits that Otaki manufactures: a Zero carrier fighter A6M5 "Zeke", this kit of the "Oscar", a Ki-61 fighter "Tony", a interceptor-fighter "Shinden", a 93 Advanced Trainer K5Y1 "Willow" and a Type 4 fighter "Frank".
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 3 medium-grey trees, clear canopy and decal sheet in 2 stapled-shut clear cello bags and 3 instructions.
The 1st-instructions is a single-sheet printed on both sides in 9" x 12" format, folded to fit the box and all in Japanese.
It begins with a top and bottom view and 3 side views of "Oscars".
The 1st-side view is the cover art subject (already described above). Illustration further shows a blue diagonal bar in front of the 00 on the rudder.
The 2nd side view is of the "Oscar" on the side panel that is bare metal (also already described).
3rd side view is an "Oscar" that is green over light-grey undercarriage with a white fuselage band and rudder code of a white chevron.
Below these and the reverse side gives a grand total of 5 assembly steps and the parts trees illustrations.
The 2nd -instructions consists of a single-sheet printed on one side in English. It walks you through the assemblies and painting of the parts.
The 3rd-instructions is a single-sheet printed in color on one side on slick-coated paper. It shows a color side view of the 2 schemes on the side panel (already described).
This kit contains 3 medium-grey trees, clear canopy and decal sheet in 2 stapled-shut clear cello bags and 3 instructions.
The 1st-instructions is a single-sheet printed on both sides in 9" x 12" format, folded to fit the box and all in Japanese.
It begins with a top and bottom view and 3 side views of "Oscars".
The 1st-side view is the cover art subject (already described above). Illustration further shows a blue diagonal bar in front of the 00 on the rudder.
The 2nd side view is of the "Oscar" on the side panel that is bare metal (also already described).
3rd side view is an "Oscar" that is green over light-grey undercarriage with a white fuselage band and rudder code of a white chevron.
Below these and the reverse side gives a grand total of 5 assembly steps and the parts trees illustrations.
The 2nd -instructions consists of a single-sheet printed on one side in English. It walks you through the assemblies and painting of the parts.
The 3rd-instructions is a single-sheet printed in color on one side on slick-coated paper. It shows a color side view of the 2 schemes on the side panel (already described).
The parts trees are alphabetized.
Medium-grey letter A tree holds: fuselage, elevators, engine parts, cowling, cockpit floor, bulkhead etc. (10 parts)
Medium-grey letter A tree holds: fuselage, elevators, engine parts, cowling, cockpit floor, bulkhead etc. (10 parts)
Medium-grey letter B tree holds the wings (3 parts)
Medium-grey letter C tree holds: drop tanks, dashboard, landing-gear legs and pants, air intake, tail wheel, main wheels, propeller, spinner, pilot figure, exhaust-pipes etc. (29 Parts)
The clear part is the canopy is next (1 part)
The decal sheet completes the kit contents.
The detail is engraved. Flaps are all molded solid.
Recommended.
Recommended.