Master X 1/48 Kokusai Ta-Go
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 Overview
I had no idea that this plane existed until this model showed up. Upon
reading the history overview in the instructions, there's no wonder: only
one was built and it was flown only once. Made of wood, the Ta-Go was
a fixed-gear suicide aircraft powered by a 110hp Hitachi H-47 engine.
Its sole flight took place on June 25, 1945.
The Kit
This is the first Master X kit I have looked at in detail, and my initial
overall impression is that it is rather good. The kit is cast in a dark
green resin, with a small fret of photoetch, white metal landing gear,
and a simple decal sheet. As the original aircraft was very simple, so
is this kit. The wing is a one-piece solid casting, while the fuselage
is split into right and left halves. The remaining resin parts are cast
in connecting wafers. While this might result in a bit more cleanup work,
it also helps protect some of the smaller parts.
 Construction
of this model will be very straightforward and rapid. The cockpit, being
open, is where most of the time will be spent, as that opening is large
and there is nothing to obstruct the view. The photoetch provides the
instrument panel and seat belts, while resin pieces form the rest. Once
this interior is finished, there is little else to do other than close
up the fuselage, add the wings and tailplanes, and move on to the landing
gear. It is this last part that will present the most difficult work,
at least in this sample. The white metal landing gear pieces are heavily
pitted, which will require lots of filling and sanding. The shapes are
very simple, though, so there is not going to be any worry about removing
delicate detail.
 Once
these steps are done, all that remains is to paint the aircraft. The Ta-Go,
simple in construction, is also very simple in painting: overall green.
No fancy paint schemes here, and, in fact, since it was a brand new aircraft,
only flown once, you could even skip all the weathering. The decals are
nicely printed, providing hinomarus and the tail emblem.
Conclusion
 This
is a rather interesting subject to produce a kit of, and the people at
Master X have done an excellent job. Of course, the proof is in the pudding,
as they say, and if there is any question as to whether this kit can be
built, I suggest you take a look at the photos of John Vojtech's finished
Ta-Go. My thanks to UMM-USA for the review sample. Visit their website
for this and other Master X kits.
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