1/48 Hasegawa Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa

by Laurent  Boildieu

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Nicknamed the falcon, the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa was the standard fighter of the JAAF (Japanese Army Air Force) in WW2.  This aircraft was flown by Captain Hideo Miyabe, second Chutai from the famous 64th Sentai.  The model depicts a Nakajima Ki-43-II Hayabusa based in Palembang airfield in Sumatra, in the summer of 1943. Miyabe became the commander of this famous sentai in 1945.  He is also credited with the first attack on a B-29.  By war's end he was credited with 12 official victories, but some historians believe that he has shot down more than 12 enemy aircraft, perhaps 30 or more.

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I used the 1/48 kit from Hasegawa. It was build straight from the box without any improvement.  I used the decals from the box and Lifecolor acrylic paints.

Laurent

Photos and text © by Laurent Boildieu