**** DONE: Nakajima Ki-43-II Hayabusa, Satoru Anabuki - Aircraft of the Aces GB.

[Gak]

Username: Gak
First name: Nino
Category: Beginer
Scale: 1:72
Manufacturer: Hasegawa
Model Type: Nakajima Ki-43-II Hayabusa
Aircraft Assignment: Satoru Anabuki
Accessories: None

This wasn't my original idea for this group build, but since I'm facing some significant changes in my life in the near future, I'm not certain when and if I'll be able to build models again.
I found this old Hasegawa kit in my stash and decided to build it instead. The kit is really basic and I have to finish it until next week, so it probably won't be a peek of the scale modelling, however it will enable me to participate in this GB and build one more model...



Satoru Anabuki (1921-2005, sometimes Satoshi) from wikipedia

was, depending on the source, the second or third highest flying ace of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II, with 39 victories (51 claimed). Strangely enough there are 53 claimed victories to be found in his autobiography "Soku no Kawa", where his first triple kill (nos. 10-12) was mis-counted as just one (next kill was noted as no. 11).



Early life

Born into a farming family, he entered the Tokyo Army Aviation School in April 1938. He was assigned to the 3rd Chutai of the 50th Sentai, stationed on Formosa in 1941.

Imperial Japanese Army Air Force career

With the outbreak of the Pacific War, he fought in the conquest of the Philippines, where he claimed his first victory, a Curtiss P-40, on December 22, 1941. On February 9, 1942, he shot down two more. Soon after, his unit returned to Japan to exchange their Nakajima Ki-27 "Nates" for more advanced Ki-43 "Hayabusa" (allied code name "Oscar"). The 50th Sentai was then sent to Burma in June 1942. On 24 January 1943 he shot down his first heavily-armed B-24 bomber. He claimed to have shot down three B-24s and one P-38 fighter escort in a single engagement on 8 October 1943, but this has been disputed.

In 1944, he was reassigned back in Japan to be a flight instructor at the Akeno Army Flying School. He flew in the defense of the home islands and survived the war. When the Japan Self-Defense Forces were formed in the early 1950s, he enlisted and flew a helicopter for many years before retiring.

[Gak]

The kit



A rather basic cockpit. There are no details of any kind inside the cockpit. However if a model is built with a closed canopy, visibility of the cockpit is very poor, so this is not a significant disadvantage.

[Wurger]

Looking good. Keep working.

[rochie]

nice work

[ozhawk40]

Welcome to your first GB Nino, and good progress so far.

Cheers

Peter

[Airframes]

I agree with all. Hope you haven't got major problems looming, to prevent you modelling.

[Crimea_River]

Good work Nino!

[brucejscott]

Looking good Nino and welcome aboard!

[Nxthanos]

Nice selection, always had a soft spot for oscars, WWII's forgotten fighter!

[Wayne Little]

welcome aboard!

[tigerdriver]

great start, i really must break my japanese plane duck one day, the oscar is a pretty ole thing

[Wayne Little]

i really must break my japanese plane duck one day

Don't just talk about it.....action!

[Gak]

Thank you for the welcome! I'm really glad to participate!

I agree with all. Hope you haven't got major problems looming, to prevent you modelling.

No, not really... Another change of post without knowing where, when and on which duty . I think after 10 years of service I'm getting a little tired of that...

Anyway, here is some progress of this project. It's nearly finished and it's turning out to be a nice little airplane after all. The model is really nice for a 1987 mold and it's a real pleasure to build after some more demanding projects. On the last photo there is a hint of my original idea for this GB, that I'll hopefully still manage to pull off

[brucejscott]

Very nice! The chipped paint effect looks good.

[Crimea_River]

Well done!