Hasegawa 1:48 Kawasaki Ki-45 Kai Tei Toryu (Nick) — 4th Flight Regiment is an injection-molded plastic kit of the Japanese twin-engine heavy fighter that was used, among other roles, as a night fighter against American B-29 bombers.
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An injection-molded plastic kit of the Japanese twin-engine heavy fighter Kawasaki Ki-45 Kai Tei in 1:48 scale. The boxing is aimed at aircraft of the 4th Flight Regiment — one of the units that operated the Ki-45 in the defense of the Japanese home islands. The designation Kai Tei corresponds to the fourth production modification of the type (KAId in Western usage), that is the late, night-fighter form of the aircraft. The kit is plastic, with decals for that scheme.
The Ki-45 Toryu — the name means dragon slayer — was a Japanese twin-engine heavy fighter; the Allies gave it the code name Nick. It was originally designed as a long-range escort fighter, but it found its real calling elsewhere: in the defense of Japanese airspace against night raids by B-29 bombers. The Kai Tei version was adapted for that with heavy forward armament — a pair of 20 mm Ho-5 cannon in the nose and a 37 mm Ho-203 cannon in a ventral gondola, plus a defensive machine gun in the rear of the cockpit. And yes: on Tei version aircraft a pair of obliquely upward-firing 20 mm cannon also appeared behind the cockpit — the same principle the Germans used under the name Schräge Musik: the night fighter slid in beneath the bomber and fired into its unprotected belly. It is only fair to add that this was a later addition, not equipment on every aircraft built. The crew consisted of the pilot and a second man; the Ki-45 was slower than single-engine fighters, but it carried armament that a single-seater could not have lifted.
A twin-engine aircraft means more work on alignment: always dry-fit the engine nacelles and their mounting to the wing before you glue anything — an error in the angle of a nacelle shows on the finished model. The cockpit is long and clearly visible, so it is worth investing time in it even after the fuselage is closed; mask the glazing. Use liquid cement for plastic and even out the surface with a primer. Late Japanese aircraft were usually dark green on top and bare metal or light gray below — on a model in this scale, do the edge between them with an airbrush and a slight softening rather than a hard transition. Spray a gloss clear coat before the decals and a matte one after them; pick out the panel lines with a capillary paneliner and do not overdo it — the Ki-45 were not airshow machines, but they were not wrecks either.
The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.
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