1:72 Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate

The real subject

The Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate was a fighter of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force from the end of the Second World War. It was powered by an air-cooled eighteen-cylinder twin-row radial engine, thanks to which it was among the most capable Japanese fighters of its day. Production machines carried 20 mm cannon in the wings and 12.7 mm machine guns in the fuselage, so unlike older Japanese types they also had decent firepower. The aircraft's reputation was, however, held back by problems with the quality of parts and fuel in the last year of the war, when the performance of individual machines varied from one to another.

What kind of kit it is

An unassembled plastic kit in 1:72 scale; the span of the finished model comes out at roughly fifteen and a half centimeters. The parts are held on sprues, so before building, cut them off, clean up the mating surfaces and dry-fit the main assemblies.

• scale 1:72, a model span of around fifteen centimeters
• the subject is the Japanese army fighter Ki-84
• parts on sprues, glued with cement for plastic
• supplied unassembled and unpainted

Building and painting tips

Finish the cockpit before you glue the fuselage halves together, and mask the glazing before spraying. Japanese machines from the end of the war are often modeled with a chipped finish; do the chipping sparingly and only where people really walked on the aircraft, that is at the wing root and around the cockpit. Apply the paint in thin coats so that the fine engraving stays legible.

Who it is for

For modelers who collect aircraft of the Second World War in 1:72 scale. Paints, glue and putty are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.