Giuseppe 'Joe' Picarella MRAeS has very kindly provided this fascinating and beautifully presented news story to the Aviation of Japan blog. Screen shot from Asahi.com news website Kamikaze’s return by Giuseppe 'Joe' Picarella On 15 March this year, Ayami Koh of the Asahi Shimbun (Asahi Press) website made the surprise announcement that the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Historic Archives had placed an aviation artefact of national importance back on display for the Japanese people. The item in question is a skin panel (as shown in the heading image above, screen shot ..read more

Other Japanese subject 1/72 photo-etch sets available from Marabu Design include:- M72013 A6M2 Zero (for Airfix kit) M72020 Yokosuka D4Y1-3 Judy (for AZ model kit) M72028 Nakajima Ki-44 I Shoki (for Sword kit) M72033 Nakajima B5N2 Kate (for Airfix kit) M72040 Kawasaki Ki-61 I-Tei (for Tamiya kit) M72041 Kawasaki Ki-61 I-Otsu or Hei (for Fine Molds kit ) M72052 Nakajima Type 91 (for AZ model kit) Shown in the heading image and below is the impressive set M72052 for the Nakajima Type 91 kit, of possible interest to both Japanese and Chinese aircraft enthusi ..read more

I'm not a great fan of photo-etch. This is not a reflection on the photo-etch, originating in model railway circles (?) and now offering exceptional scale details for model aircraft, but on my own inability to master it to a degree of comfort and confidence. Marabu Design is a Czech Republic based company that was unfamiliar to me until their photo-etch detail set M72055 for the 1/72 scale Sword Mitsubishi G4M1 'Betty' came to my attention. That kit itself had impressed but the Marabu Design photo-etch set for it is superlative and has tempted me to give it another go. The last time I h ..read more

Rather larger than the 1/144 scale Mavis preceding it, this magnificent and fully crewed Kawanishi H8K2 Type 2 Flying Boat Model 12 'Emily' flying boat in 1/72 scale has been built by Jan Voorbij of Holland from the Hasegawa new tool kit, presenting a 'Little and Large' feature for the IJN's flying boat duo. The title quote relates to the iconic 1944 colour movie 'The Fighting Lady', narrated by Robert Taylor, where an 'Emily' is encountered and attacked by aircraft from  USS Yorktown (CV-10).  Jan's model represents an aircraft operated by 802 Ku at  Shortland ..read more

Once again Mark Smith beguiles with a model which can easily be taken for a larger scale - the graceful Type 97 Flying Boat  (Kyu Nana Shiki Hikoh-tei 九七式飛行挺 or Kyu Nana Taitei 九七大挺), Kawanishi H6K 'Mavis'. Rainy Day Kit: Trumpeter's Mavis by Mark Smith The Trumpeter 1/144 scale kit of the Kawanishi H6K Mavis flying boat has been around since 2003, and has always seemed a bit of a sleeper. It’s an accurate but simple kit which looks great in military or civil markings.  Considering the size of the original, it’s perfect for those who don’t have space to display the ancient 1/72 Has ..read more

The history of the Nichimo 1/48 scale (ex-Marusan 1/50 scale) 'Jake' kit was the subject of Part 2 of 'Jake a Tale of Two Scales' way back in November 2016 here. Now Michael Thurow presents the third and final part of his impressive resurrection and improvement of his own, older build of that kit, as so splendidly realised in the heading image above. The previous parts 1 and 2 of his article are here and here. Over to Michael then: The Nichimo E13A 'Jake' revisited ‒ Part 3  Michael Thurow The third part of my 'Jake' renovation story describes the final assembly and finishing of the ..read more

Since the last AoJ survey of Hasegawa 1/72 Aichi E13A1 'Jake' kits in November 2016 (seems like yesterday!) here, the long running 'only game in town' for that scale has seen further re-releases. Box art and details as follows:- A combo kit released in 2018 featuring 'Jake' with markings options for Z1-23 or ZI-26 (prescient!) and an A6M2-N Suisen 'Rufe' with markings options for YII-105 orYII-107 from Kamikawa Maru. A combo kit released in 2020 featuring 'Jake' with less well known markings options for 'Omi-4' (オミ-4) or 'Omi-5' and Kawanishi E7K1 Type 94 Model 1 'Alf' with markin ..read more

Back to IJN floatplanes and a hat tip to Aviation of Japan's Texas correspondent Mark Smith for alerting to this remarkable 1/72 scale US Navy aircraft recognition model of an Aichi E13A1 'Jake' in the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) collection. The model reportedly dates to 1943 and is of wood construction with a clear plastic canopy. It was transferred to NASM custody from the US Department of the Navy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Sharp eyes may note that it includes a crew of three figures and panel lines are represented. Mark suggests that this appears to be the ty ..read more

The Scalemates website lists the LS Judy box shown above as released in the 1980s and after the 'white box' release. Whether other box variants existed is unknown, but before their demise in 1992 LS issued the kit in the 'grey' box type shown below, and this time with an improved and more complete decal sheet containing tail codes for our old friend Yo-201 - with the yellow command stripes - and for a 523 Ku aircraft 鷹-3 (Taka-3 - 'Hawk'-3). The sheet included white blanks to apply the six Hinomaru to, basic stencilling, flap warning outlines, a data plate and even white drift lines for ..read more

By 1968 LS were presenting in Japanese as エルエス (Eruesu - LS) and in English as the more conservative L. & S. Co., Ltd. In 1966 they had released their 'Twin-Engine Series 1/72-1/75' with models of the Mitsubishi G3M 'Nell' and Ki-67 Hiryu. In an ambitious marketing decision each type was released in three separate kits with different parts and decals to suit.   G3M1 Model 11/21 with parts for either early or late versions with flat-topped or domed turrets G3M2 Model 23 with 'turtle shell' dorsal turret L3M1 Type Nippon-Go which could be completed as the civilian trail-blazing ..read more