Eduard 1/48 Ki-61-Id Photo Etch Enhancements
By Jacob Russell
Last year Tamiya released the definitive 1/48th scale Kawasaki Ki-61 kit, a Ki-61-Id. The kit is accurate and it is quite well detailed. But there are very real limitations to injection molding technology, so Eduard has released a number of photo etch sets for it, 3 of which we will review here.
Item number 48920 is a set of landing flaps. This is a highly detailed, fairly complex set. You will need to supply some .3mm wire, and its use is detailed in Eduard's well illustrated instructions. I will add my standard advice that you use your preferred magnifiers, photo etch scissors, and also a good folding tool-you'll need it.
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49822 is a standard, 2 fret PE set. It consists of 57 parts on 2 frets, one of which is pre-painted. The pre-painted fret is dedicated to the cockpit. Among the items included are a new instrument panel, rudder pedal straps, gunsight sighting bead, radio dial faces, sidewall consoles, etc.
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The second fret includes enhancements such as new landing gear doors, oleo scissors, brake lines, canopy and windscreen grab handles, etc.
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Finally, 49823 is a pair of seatbelts. Tamiya's cockpit is well detailed, so use this set is all you want to add is a seat harness.
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I have long been a fan of Kawasaki's elegant inline engined fighter. It gave a very good account of itself against considerable Allied opposition. Eduard's PE sets add an additional level of refinement to Tamiya's great kit. I recommend these sets and I would like to thank Eduard for the review samples.
