Arawasi International

Magazine 

Issue No.10

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron.com
 

The autumn edition of Arawasi International has some surprises for you within its pages!

Beginning this issue the editorial team kicks off two new features that are sure to be welcomed by fans of Japanese wartime aviation and are set to become standard for future Arawasi Internationals.

The first of these two new features is titled “On Closer Inspection”.  Basically it is a very detailed look at an individual aircraft.  The coverage includes the background of the machine, its employment, construction and colour schemes.  The second new future debuting in this issue is “Project Only” and this will cover experimental and prototype aircraft developed for the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 

Thumbnail panels:

Issue No 10 is a busy publication covering pre-war as well as wartime Japanese aviation.  Its contents are as follows:

• On Closer Inspection.  The Yokosuka K5Y1 (Willow) - This issues main feature and it provides comprehensive coverage of the landplane version of the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force’s biplane trainer. I was impressed with the depth of this article as it provides a plethora of images both wartime black and white ones and colour ones of the world’s sole surviving Willow in Indonesia and of the replica machine located in Japan.  Also included is a reproduction of the original painting specifications for the machine suitably translated of course!  Eight superb colour profiles by Zygmunt Szeremeta illustrate the various schemes worn by the aircraft and there is an A-3 sized page of 1/48 four-view drawings too.  This page is separate from the magazine.  If you have the old 1/48 scale Otaki or Nichimo Willow in your stash this article will tempt you into dragging them out!

• The Riddle of the Guns, Part 1.  A great article that explains the various armament configurations carried by the Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu heavy fighter.  A great article that could have just as easily sub-titled “How to make sense of the Haseagwa Toyru!”

• An Insight into the Captains of Industry: The Kawanishi Aircraft Company.  This article provides you with a history of the Kawanishi Aircraft Company from its formation to the modern day.

• Radical Racer: Kawanishi K-2.  A detailed coverage of the Kawanishi one-off racer from 1921.  A speed machine, it was the first Japanese aircraft designed and built from the outset in the pursuit of pure speed.  The article provides black and white images as well as a three-view drawing.

• Japanese Aircraft over Inner Mongolia, Part 2 - Suiyuan Incident, November 1936.  The second and final installment of the account of the covert air operations conducted by units under the command of Kawaida Yoshimasu.

• Project Only: Kawanishi J6K Jimpu.  - This the first of the new and to become a regular series that is devoted to lesser-known Japanese aviation projects.  The article covers the Kawanishi J6K Jimpu and includes some first rate images as well as a great colour profile and plan view drawing.

• Unit History - 73rd Sentai, Imerial Japanese Army Air Force.  The article covers the wartime history of this unit and includes excellent period black and white images as well as interpretive colour profiles of the photographed machines.

• Of Heroic Tales and Heraldic Tails.  A brief article that discusses unknown unit markings.  This one features the Mitsubishi Ki-51 Sonia.   A wartime photograph as well as a colour profile interpretive drawing of the depicted machine.

• When Mignet’s “Flea Circus” Came to Japan.  This article covers the French aircraft designer Henri Mignet, his 1930s tour of Japan and his desire to bring the joys of flying to the masses using the “Flying Flea” aircraft.  A pretty comprehensive article indeed!

The magazine is presented in English text, is A4 in size, comprises 50 pages printed on good quality glossy paper as well as the pull-out supplement with 1/48 scale drawings (from the Willow article).  There are plenty of images too with 69 black and white photos and 28 colour ones, as well as 14 colour profiles.

The Arawasi International magazine just keeps getting better with every issue.  It is real value for money and will appeal to the hard-bitten fan of wartime Japanese aviation as well as the casual reader.

Thanks to Arawasi Magazine for the review sample

Review Copyright © 2008 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 22 December, 2008
Last updated 22 December, 2008

Back to HyperScale Main Page

Back to Reviews Page