1/48 Hasegawa Ki-44 Shoki (Tojo)

Gallery Article by Tony Feredo on Jan 10 2011

 

Nakajima Ki-44 “Shoki” (Tojo)
Ex – Akeno aircraft transferred to the 29th Sentai
Zablan Airfield, Philippines
November 1944 

After a short break, I went back into building WWII Japanese aircraft and the first kit that I pulled out from my stash was this Hasegawa Ki-44 Shoki (Tojo). The model was built straight OOB and never encountered any problems during the assembly. I used both automotive acrylic and Mr. Color paints for the camo. When I acquired the kit several years ago, the decals had yellowed and have become brittle so I decided to raid some hinomarus from other kits. The Akeno Army Flying School tail emblem was the only decal that I used from the kit.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

The model depicts an aircraft that used to belong to the Akeno Army Flying School in Japan but was eventually transferred to the 29th Sentai. A number of Ki-44s from Akeno were sent to the the 29th and 246th Sentais as replacement or reinforcement aircraft when both units were stationed in the Philippines in late 1944.

Cheers and Happy Modeling!

Tony Feredo

Photos and text © by Tony Feredo