1/48 Otaki/Arii Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa

by Robert-Jan Willekens

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This is an oldie but goodie; the Otaki/Arii 1/48 scale Hayabusa. Or, to be precise, the Nakajima Ki-43-II Otsu Hayabusa (Oscar). Built OOB, it represents a natural metal aircraft with the white Air Defence bands of the 20th Sentai, based somewhere on the Japanese mainland in February 1944. The model is painted with automotive spray-paint; gloss white wingbands, the typical blueish primer called "Aotake" for the interior and wheel wells (which are way too shallow on this model) and a red-brown propellor and spinner. The canopy and wheels are after-market additions; the decals are from Aeromaster. A colourful model; I like the Japanese aircraft for their colour schemes and elegant designs.

Robert-Jan

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Photos and text © by Robert-Jan Willekens