Twin-Engine Aircraft Collection 3
Overview
For those not familiar with F-Toys, they produce many series of pre-finished scale models, ranging from aircraft to armor to ships, and even interesting subjects such as guitars. What makes these kits fun is that, when you purchase a box, you have no idea as to what is actually contained within. For example, this set, the Twin-Engine Aircraft Collection 3, is comprised of four aircraft types: Ki-49, Ju 88, P1Y, and B-25. For those four aircraft, each type has two camouflage schemes, resulting in a total of eight options possible in this collection. As each box is tightly sealed, it becomes a bit of a game, a gamble, to open one up and hope that it is the plane you want. As all four types are of excellent quality, though, even if you do not get the specific aircraft you had hoped for you will end up with a nice 1/144 model.
The Kit
So, with that known, I rolled the dice and came up with a Ki-49 Helen in my box. In this case, it was the three-color camouflaged example, decidedly more colorful than the green and gray second option. Upon opening the box, the first thing one notices is the packaging. While this model is prefinished, it is not fully assembled, and so the individual parts need to be protected. This is done by a very secure two-part vacuformed tray that keeps all the individual parts held securely and protect the painted parts.
Upon opening up the clear plastic tray, the parts breakdown is minimal, with the fuselage, wings, and engines making up the main pieces. Within a minute, this model is already together and looking very much like a Ki-49. The construction does not end there, though, as this is not just a simple model but a detailed one. The kit includes landing gear, antennae, and bomb bay doors. For the landing gear and bomb bay, there are options for either gear up or gear down and open or closed bomb bay. These are traditional plastic kit parts, still attached to sprues, although they are painted. The closed bomb bay also has a slot for the enclosed stand.
The finished model still needs a few additions, though, and these are provided on a small decal sheet. These include the underwing hinomarus and the tail emblem. The decals look pretty decent, and should be simple enough to apply. When done, the result will be a very good looking Ki-49.
The next question, of course, is how does this model stack up to the current crop of available 1/144 aircraft. The model looks every part a Ki-49 when compared to photos. Removing the canopy, there is a basic interior that includes some seats, while the dorsal gunner's station has a separate gun. The landing gear is pretty well detailed for this scale, although the gear doors (and bomb bay doors, for that matter) are a bit thick. Speaking of the bomb bay, there is an interior there as well, with bombs molded in place. I know that Hasegawa did a 1/144 Ki-49 ages ago, but I do not have that kit to compare this one to. That said, I think this one would probably stand up quite well to that kit, and with a bit of refinishing, this kit could really turn into an impressive model.
Conclusion
When it comes to 1/144 aircraft, it really does pay off to notice these pre-finished models. The quality of the recent F-Toys releases is stunning, and in some cases is the only choice for those aircraft in this scale. Whether you keep the pre-finished scheme or redo it in something new (this one, by the way, will get redone in that interesting tiger-striped scheme), these models are an affordable addition to any 1/144 collection. My thanks to Georgetown Hobbies for the review sample.