Microscale Decal | 32-20: Ki-61 Tony

Reviewed by Kevin Williams

This sheet from Microscale, while certainly not new by any means, nonetheless offers up some very attractive schemes for the Ki-61. Being sheet number 32-20, this sheet is actually quite dated, and was designed for the only extant kit of the Tony back in that time frame, the somewhat iconic Revell offering. All together, six Heins are represented, three in a dark green over silver, two all bare aluminum, and one silver with dark green mottle coarsely sprayed on all upper surfaces. (Note: No indication is generally given of control surfaces being painted a different color, but since this seemed to be a standard practice with the Ki-61, I'd assume that they are. References therefore, should be carefully checked regarding any of these six schemes.)

The six different air frames that are depicted on this set, those being (in no particular order):

(Note: the free interchange of the terms silver and aluminum, is somewhat confusing to me, as I cannot definitively say if one or the other is correct, but again, careful attention to references may be prudent, and clarify matters greatly.)

Decal Sheet

As can be seen in the scan above, no national insignia are included, save for the two fuselage meatballs with a yellow outline. Decals, though aged, are nonetheless quite sharp and crisp, with great opacity and register, as well as vibrant color. Plenty of very basic stenciling is also included. My experience in the past has been that despite the age of the decals, having been stored in a cool, humidity free environment, they'll undoubtedly work flawlessly, and are very thin, as thin as most of the better contemporary decal sheets available.

Instructions/Illustrations

Instructions are very basic, and typical of the time in which Microscale printed these. A two sided paper (black & white) accompanies the sheet, and though profiles are offered, it's still a bit awkward to visualize the schemes. (I suppose I've grown to be rather spoiled by the full color artwork that accompanies more current offerings.)

Recommended without reservation.

Review copy courtesy of my stupidly large decal stash.

For those with a genuine passion for Japanese aviation subjects, I heartily recommend a visit to J-aircraft.com

Further Recommended Reading/Reference Material

Osprey Publishing: Ki-61 and Ki-100 Aces

Model Art: I.J.Army Kawasaki Type 3 & 5 Fighter

Maru: Type 3 "Hien" & Type 5 Army fighter

Monogram Aviation: Japanese Cockpit Interiors, Part 1

© Kevin Williams 2016

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This review was published on Tuesday, June 07 2016; Last modified on Tuesday, March 14 2017