KAWASAKI KI-61-I TONY HEIN PLASTIC MODEL KIT 1/72 HASAGAWA

The Type 3 fighter Hiyan is the only liquid-cooled fighter among the Japan fighters that served in the Pacific War. As a result of efforts to reduce aerodynamic drag and weight, it was completed as a well-balanced aircraft that could maximize both speed and maneuverability, and was officially adopted in 1943. However, the poor production caused by the lack of basic industrial power and the malfunction of the Ha 40 liquid-cooled engine due to unfamiliarity with maintenance were the crying points of this machine. Nevertheless, he fought successfully in the Philippines, New Guinea, and mainland air defenses. Especially in mainland air defense battles, we are struggling in combat against B-29s because we maintain a high utilization rate due to the stable supply of parts and the work of veteran mechanics, and because the high air performance was better than other Japan aircraft. In particular, in Flight No. 244 Squadron, led by Captain Teruhiko Kobayashi, the youngest squadron commander in the history of the Army, they fought fiercely, and by the end of the war, they had shot down more than 160 B-29s, boasting the best unit victory.