Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (new project) - September 10, 2023
Hello everyone. It's me Antony, back with another blog in 2023. We are now on September 10 - past the half of 2023. Now that I'm working and my 7th semester has started, my time for Blogs decreased to some occasions. At least it is good to be back at work.
I'm still waiting for any news related to the new civil service exam of this year - with some to the education and health departments; and the subscriptions to be open in case I plan to apply for another public job. Like I said before, I may give it a shot, but it will be the same thing as before - Reserve my days and my spare-time for study. If I fail, it would be another civil service performed, with my money being spent for nothing.
For the calling process to work as a teacher, I definitely gave up due to the lack/low number of vacancies for mathematics teachers. My mom said for December they might re-open the subscriptions. However, I'm not sure I plan to do that in case I'm going to wait for too long until they reach to my position and then I announce my interest for that vacancy.
Enough of that, let's go for the important. For today, I'm going to bring new project I started recently. As always, I'll never get tired of starting new projects while I have a load of them to conclude. The new aircraft I started is the Japanese Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien or Tony by the Allied codename for Japanese planes. As always, I like to share the story of planes, vehicles, ships, weapons and more.
The Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Flying Swallow) is a Japanese World War 2 fighter aircraft. It was used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service, designated as the "Army Type 3 Fighter". It was the only Japanese air fighter powered by an inverted liquid-cooled V-12 piston engine to enter service in the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (with the Yokosuka D4Y one of the naval dive bombers and the Aichi M6A the naval attack floatplane being powered by the Aichi Atsuta AE1P 32 - the license-built version of the DB 601A engine). Allied intelligence initially believed Ki-61s were Messerschmitt Bf 109s and later Italian Macchi C.202, which led to the Allied reporting name of "Tony". As diplomatic relations between Germany and Japan grew, some Messerschmitt Bf 109 and its engine - the Daimler-Benz DB 601; were shipped to Japan by U-Boots in 1941. Since the majority of planes were powered by radial engines, the Japanese saw interest in the in-line engines and ordered the license-production for their aircraft. Kawasaki responded to a specification by the Imperial Japanese Army for a new interceptor powered by this type of engine. The first aircraft designed by Takeo Doi and his deputy Shin Owada of Kawasaki Aircraft Industries was the Ki-60, emerging in March 1941. During the trials, the Ki-60 presented a considerable number of flaws, making it less desirable for the Imperial Army as the new Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki was developed and later adopted by the Army. After three prototypes of the Ki-60, Takeo Doi and Shin Owada paid attention to the flaws, designing the Ki-61 as a lighter and armed general-purpose fighter, intended to be used mainly in an offensive, air superiority role at low to medium altitudes. Its main power plant was the Kawasaki Ha-40, a license-built version of the German DB 605 engine. The first flight occurred in December 1941. It was armed with two 12.7 mm Ho-103 machine guns in the nose and two 7.7 mm Type 89 machine guns in the wings. In response to some skepticism from the Army officers, a dogfight was simulated by Kawasaki between two Ki-61 prototypes and the Nakajima Ki-43-I, a pre-production Nakajima Ki-44-I, a defector-flown Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Goudkov LaGG-3, a Messerschmitt Bf 109E-7, and a captured Curtiss P-40E Warhawk. The Ki-61 proved the fastest of all the aircraft and was inferior only to the Ki-43 in maneuverability. During its operational service, the Ki-61 was seen during the Doolittle Raid (April 18, 1942) when the USAAF Capt. C. Ross Greening misidentified as a Bf 109. The plane had been code-named "Mike", but later received its code name "Tony" as it looked like an Italian Macchi C.202 aircraft. The first Hien were integrated into the 23rd Chutai, and entered combat for the first time in early 1943, during the New Guinea campaign. The first Sentai (Air Group/Wing) fully equipped with the Hien was the 68th in Wewak, New Guinea, followed by the 78th Sentai stationed at Rabaul. During this time, the Ki-61 was showing its engine problems and the lack of spare parts to maintain its lifespan. Even so, Allied pilots saw the Ki-61 a troubling adversary compared to other Japanese fighters, with the P-38 Lightning being the closest option of the time to confront that Japanese air fighter. Unlike the Zero and the Ki-43 that lacked a self-sealing fuel tank that could burst into flames when hit, the Ki-61 did integrate it. The Ki-61 was used to intercept American B-29 Superfortresses when Japan entered a defensive stance, with the 244th Sentai being responsible for downing 73 B-29 bombers plus 92 damaged through ramming tactics. Kawasaki designed its successor, the Kawasaki Ki-100. It would be powered by a more powerful engine, the Kawasaki Ha-140 of 1,500 hp. However the main engine factory was destroyed during a bombing raid, forcing the engineers to redesign the aircraft with a Mitsubishi Ha-112-II radial engine. The Ki-61 had 3,078 units built during WW2 until Japan's surrender in 1945.
Here's the images of the Ki-61 Hien:
The Ki-61 received the same material from the G.55 Centauro, with a small adjustment on the spots' size and colors. Unlike my previous planes, I decided to create a simple and clean model - without any extra components and details like the engine exhaustion outlets, the landing gear, the cockpit, the antenna and the armaments. It worked.
The first components made were the radiator box underneath the plane's fuselage, the Pitot tube and the antenna. The propeller blades were imported from the A6M / Ki-43 planes. Just to speed up its development.
The Ki-61 received a new cockpit, engine outlets, an air intake on the engine cowling, a ring-like antenna and armaments. In addition, the Imperial Japanese Army roundels and the yellow material were imported to the plane; and the propeller blades had its texture modified to combine with the propeller spinner. So far, it's looking good. Funny thing is: the Ki-61 looks a little identical to the Italian Macchi C.202 Folgore.
The next components to make are: minor adjustments on the wings and fuselage, the cockpit interior components, the landing gear and fairings, the aerial attachment, a nice decal to represent its respective Sentai, a nice texture and rigging it. Probably after the Ki-61 I shall make the Ki-100 with the nose's redesigned.
Well, that's it for now my friends. I hope you like this Blog. I don't have updates from my original works to share you. In case I have some spare time to enjoy, I'll be working on other things aside from Blender projects and my personal things. Until the time comes, you will be surprised to see them. See you next time.
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