1:72 J1N1-S Gekko Weapons

Hobby 2000 1:72 J1N1-S Gekko Weapons, an armament set

This item is not an aircraft model. It is an accessory armament set from the Polish maker Hobby 2000, intended for models of the Japanese night fighter Nakajima J1N1-S Gekko in 1:72 scale. According to the manufacturer's designation it contains the weapon parts, that is the part of a model where the difference between standard plastic and a more accurate part shows the most. With the Gekko that goes double: the obliquely aimed cannons in the fuselage are the characteristic recognition mark of the whole type and they are impossible to miss on a finished model.

The real subject

The Nakajima J1N1 came about originally as a twin-engine escort fighter, but it did not succeed in that role and was used mainly as a reconnaissance machine. Its real career came only with the conversion into the J1N1-S Gekko night fighter (Allied code name Irving). It received obliquely aimed cannons in the fuselage with which it could attack Allied bombers from below and outside their defensive fields of fire, a principle that German night fighters discovered at the same time. The Gekko thus became one of the few Japanese aircraft able to fight heavy bombers at night.

Use

• The set serves to replace the armament parts from a plastic J1N1-S Gekko kit in 1:72 scale; the aircraft model has to be obtained separately.
• Separate the parts carefully and clean them up; dry-fit the seating of the oblique barrels in the fuselage before you reach for glue.
• On small parts cyanoacrylate glue in a minimal amount works well.
• Use a primer before painting; accent the barrels and their muzzles with a darker shade so that the detail stands out.

Who the set is for

For modelers who build the Gekko in 1:72 scale and want its most typical feature, the oblique armament, to look convincing. Collectors of Japanese aircraft who like to complete standard kits with more accurate parts without major surgery on the model will appreciate it too.

This is an accessory for a model: the package contains neither the aircraft kit nor glue or paints.