Tamiya 1:48 scale Kawasaki Ki-61-Id HIEN (TONY) & 4×4 Light Vehicle Kurogane SET

[Set includes a fighter plane and a four-wheel drive vehicle that supported the Japanese Army]

[About the Hien Type I Ding] The Hien was the only Japanese fighter plane equipped with a liquid-cooled engine in the Pacific War. It is equipped with the Ha40, a license-produced German-made Daimler-Benz DB601 engine. It was characterized by the streamlined nose and elongated main wings typical of liquid-cooled aircraft. It was officially adopted as a Type 3 fighter in 1943, and its armament was strengthened several times to compete with highly bulletproof American military aircraft. Among them, the I-type, which had a nose extended by 20cm and was equipped with two 20mm cannons in the fuselage and two 12.7mm cannons in the wings, was released in the series from January 1944 to January 1945. Approximately 1,360 aircraft, the largest number, were manufactured. The Hien I type utilizes its excellent high-altitude performance and heavy armament to demonstrate its effectiveness in intercepting B-29s in mainland air defense battles. In particular, the bravery of the 244th Squadron, led by Squadron Commander Kobayashi, who was responsible for the air defense of the capital, is well known.

[About the Kurogane Shiki] The world’s first practical four-wheel drive vehicle developed at the request of the Japanese Army was the Type 95 compact passenger car, also known as the Kurogane Shiki. Various improvements were made even after it was formalized, and the type produced from 1932 was equipped with a 33-horsepower V-type 2-cylinder 1400cc air-cooled engine in a three-seater body. Equipped with independent front wheel suspension, rear wheel leaf rigid suspension, and large diameter tires, it demonstrated excellent off-road performance. Approximately 4,800 units of each type were produced between 1933 and 1939, and continued to be used for reconnaissance and liaison operations on a wide range of fronts, from mainland China to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Theater.