FEResin 1/144 Ki-46-III Otsu/Hei (Dinah) Kit First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | June 2007 | Manufacturer | FEResin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Ki-46-III Otsu/Hei (Dinah) | Scale | 1/144 |
| Kit Number | 144057 | Primary Media | Resin, Vac |
| Pros | Excellent casting and details! | Cons | |
| Skill Level | Intermediate | MSRP (USD) | $TBA |
First Look
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Mitsubishi's Ki-46 was designed as a twin-engined reconnaissance aircraft for the Imperial Japanese Army. The twin-engine design provided the needed safety for being able to sustain flight over long stretches of water, even in the event of an engine failure.
First flown in 1939, the aircraft's range allowed the aircraft reach targets in northern Australia, Burma, Indochina, etc. Like many aircraft with some adaptability, the Ki-46 was adapted into other missions to support combat operations. Its glass nose was replaced with a stepped nose which housed a variety of gun armament for ground attack or intercepting B-29 Superfortresses.
Like most aircraft that came online in the beginning of the war, the Ki-46 gradually went from flexible airborne platform to fighter bait and was withdrawn from service in 1945.
FEResin has released the Ki-46 in 1/144 scale - in resin! This kit is molded in tan resin and consists of 40 parts, plus two vacuformed canopies. The casting quality is exquisite.
The fuselage is hollow-cast and the kit provides an interior. The interior is a floor that extends from the cockpit to the rear cabin, on it are two bulkheads dividing the cockpit, mid-section, and rear cabin. In the cockpit is a pilot's seat, control yoke, and instrument panel. In the rear cabin is a crewman's seat and aft-firing machine gun.
The wing is one-piece and some care will be requied to remove the molding channel that will be in the way of the cabin floor.
Thereis a lot of detail and small parts including building up the two three-bladed propellers and landing gear assemblies.
Like most of the better resin kits out there, this one has two vacuformed canopies - one to mess up and one for the finished model.
Markings are provided for two aircraft:
- Ki-46-III Otsu, 17th Independent Wing, Chofu AB, 1944
- Ki-46-III Otsu/Hei, 16th Independent Wing, Kiyosu AB, 1945
This is an impressive little kit that will go together quickly, though it should be attempted by modelers with some skills working with small resin parts and cyanoacrylate adhesives.
My sincere thanks to Hobbyshop.cz for this review sample!