[Don Boose]

Here is my first entry in Chris’s ECardmodels Marek Contest. I hope to build all three of the Marek 1/50 Shokis before it’s over.

I started this particular model last year and it made a cameo appearance in my M-37 build thread (first photo below). My hope is that it was in such an early stage that Chris will allow it as a legitimate entry. I resumed work last week and can show a little progress.

The model is of a Nakajima Type 2 Fighter Model 2 (Ki-44-II), Shoki, codenamed “Tojo” by Allied intelligence. Specifically, it is Aircraft No. 64 assigned to the Akeno Army Flying School (Akeno Rikugun Hikō Gakkō) some time prior to 20 June 1944. I think it is of a Ki-44-IIa (Type 2 Fighter Model 2 Kō) because the wing guns appear to be 12.7mm. Mike, Shrike, Charlie, and others will point out that some Ki-44IIbs had the 40mm HO 301 wing cannons replaced by 12.7mm HO 103 machine guns and the Ki-44IIc had 12.7mm guns in both wings and fuselage. Both types were in service in 1944, so there is room for argument about this particular aircraft, but I think the odds are on my side.

I set the date as pre-20 June 1944 because on that date the Akeno Flying Training Division (Akeno Kyōdō Hikōshidan) was formed and the tail insignia (red spiked disk with stylized kanji character for “Akeno”) was changed by adding wings to the disk.

This assessment is based on Richard Bueschel’s Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki in Japanese Army Air Force Service (Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1996); Jim Long’s very thorough discussion of the Ki-44 subtypes and armament in J-Aircraft Forum (http://www.j-aircraft.org/smf/index.php?topic=5995.0); and the Wings Palette posting of Kazuaki Koizumi’s painting of Aircraft No. 93 of the Akeno Army Flying School (http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/f/774/65/2). I have taken the liberty of posting a photo of that painting below.

The model consists of 30 part numbers (some, like the wheels and propellers, have multiple parts). I printed it out on Wausau 67 lb. Exact Index (.009”/0.2mm thickness 145 g/m2).

So far, I have found only one problem. Parts D and E (fuselage formers) are mislabeled as E and F). Photo 3.

Photo 4 shows the workbench/writing desk when I resumed the build last week. I will post again later today to bring the build up to date.

Don Boose