AZ Models 1/72
Nakajima NC, Type 91-1
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History
The Imperial Japanese Army issued a request for proposals for their
third generation of fighters in early 1927. The request went only to Mitsubishi,
Kawasaki and Nakajima. With the help of two engineers seconded from Dewoitine,
Nakajima designed their Model NC, powered by a 450 hp, license built Bristol
Jupiter VI, as their response. All three airplanes proposed were rejected
by the IJA but Nakajima further developed their NC design and built two
prototypes on their own initiative. The Army bought the design and ordered
it into production as the Type 91. Five pre-production airplanes were
built in 1928 for intensive testing and development in 1929-31. Nakajima-built
Jupiter VIIs powered these five, and the production models. With all the
bugs ironed out, 320 Type 91-1s were built by Nakajima in 1931-34 along
with another 100, or 115 depending on your source, were built by Ishikawajima
In 1933, the slightly cleaner Type 91-2 was designed around the supercharged
Nakajima Kotobuki 2 engine of 850 hp. This engine was a licensed derivative
of the Jupiter VII. The 91-2 was a bit faster than the 91-1 but only one
prototype and 22 production models were built before the Kawasaki Type
95, Ki 10 “Perry” began to replace the Type 91s in first line
service. The 91s did, however, soldier on as trainers and hacks into WWII.
The Kit
The very attractive, decently strong, end-opening box contains one sprue-tree
of 30 parts injection molded in a medium gray styrene. Mold alignment
is good with no more than normal mold parting lines on the parts. The
propeller will benefit from a little refinement resculpturing. The engine,
nine cylinder fairings, the seat and two interior pieces are cast in a
medium gray resin. The 60 parts photo-etched in stainless steel are beautifully
detailed and fine. Two small clear sheets provide five cockpit area parts.
The, correctly part-numbered, sheet for the windscreen has the wrong windscreen
but it will be very easy to correct.
The sharply printed decal sheet provides markings for two airplanes.
The six page, fold-out instruction sheet covers both the Type 91-1 and
91-2, which is issued as a separate kit by AZ Models although everything
needed for the -2, except the decals, is included in the -1 kit.
Digression
In 1984, Gordon Stevens’ Rareplanes issued a vac kit of this subject.
It is one of the best of the Rareplanes kits and included, rare for Rareplanes,
decals. This old kit is, at least, equal in quality of outline, proportion
and surface detail to this new AZ Models kit.
Conclusion
This is a truly fine kit of a very attractive, unusual and obscure subject.
It can be built out-of-the-box into a contest winner. Some of the smaller
PE parts may, however, prove daunting to even the most dexterous modeler.
I paid $32.98 plus 8.9% sales tax for mine at Emil Minerich’s
Skyway Model shop in Seattle.
References
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Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941: Robert C. Mikesh & Shorzoe Abe,
Putnam, UK, 1990, ISBN 1-55750-563-2.
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Camouflage & Markings of Imperial Japanese Army Fighters: Model
Art, Japan, 1989.
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Scale Models magazine: December 1984, build review of Rareplanes
kit by
Bill Matthews.
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