| Scale | 1/48 |
|---|---|
| Type | Fighter |
| Period | The Second World War (1939-1945) |
| Country | Japan |
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Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Japanese Flying Swallow) is a Japanese single-engine metal low-plane with a classic World War II tail. The flight of the prototype took place in December 1941, and the first aircraft entered operational units in February 1943. The heart of the aircraft was a Kawasaki Ha-40 or Ha-140 engine, i.e. German DB with Daimler-Benz liquid cooling. 601A built under license. The Ki-61 surprised the Allied forces during the fighting in New Guinea in June 1943, where it was mistaken for a copy of the German Messerschmitt Me-109, which was later suspected to be a copy of the Italian Macchi C202 or another Italian fighter. For this reason, he was nicknamed "Antonio". or "Tony". During the battles of 1943, Ki-61 fighters demonstrated their significant advantage over American machines such as the F-4 Wildcat. Ki-61s later fought in the skies over New Britain and New Ireland, and in 1944 they were used in battles in the Philippines. Later they were used to protect the Japanese islands. Some of them became kamikaze planes. The Ki-61 was certainly a very good fighter, but its Achilles heel was limited mass production due to engine problems. Technical data (Ki-61-I version): length: 8.94 m, wingspan: 12 m, height: 3.7 m, maximum speed: 580 km/h, lift: 15.2 m/s, maximum range : 580 km, maximum ceiling 11,600 m, armament: stationary - 2 12.7-mm No-103 machine guns and 2 20-mm No-5 guns, suspended - up to 500 kg of bombs.
glue and paints are not included in the set
