Hasegawa's 1/32 scale
Ki-44-II-Hei Shoki

by John Trueblood

My 1/32 Nakajima Ki-44-II-Hei Shoki(Devil Queller), Allied code name “Tojo” is the 2009 Hasegawa release. It depicts the aircraft of Captain Yoshio Yoshida, 3rd Chutai, 70th Sentai as it appeared at the Kashiwa airfield in mid-1945.  Captain Yoshida was born in Hiroshima in 1921 and died in 2000.

During the war he shot down 6 Boeing B-29 Superfortresses. He was presented the Bukosho the highest award of the Imperial Japanese Army. The 6 stylized kill markings were meant to represent samaras (maple tree seeds). Maple seeds fall to the ground in a spinning motion similar to the flat spin “death spiral” of  a mortally wounded B-29. (descriptive and terribly sad imagery). 

I covered all of the Shoki’s natural metal areas with Bare Metal Foil.  By using different shades and varying the aluminum grain orientation a realistic appearance can be realized. Each aircraft panel needs to be foiled separately and it’s best to apply any paint prior to the Bare Metal Foil as masking tape can pull up the aluminum and ruin your efforts.

The flat panels are easy to foil but compound curves, (I’m talking about you, engine cowling) are more of a challenge. With practice I’ve learned how to use the foil over almost any surface.

During my research on the Ki-44, I found 1 B&W photo of Captain Yoshida’s Shoki and used it for reference. I applied a custom mix of Tamiya clear color over aluminum for the Aotake primer. 

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Thumbnail panels:

Eduard’s 32652 interior set was used to enhance the already decent Hasegawa cockpit. Quickboost 32077 for the gun barrels along with QB 32072 for the exhaust.  

True Details resin wheels and Eduard JX095 canopy mask round out the aftermarket items. I added some additional details such as the boarding pegs, landing gear indicators and brake lines.

Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2021 by John Trueblood
Page Created 10 November, 2021
Last Updated 10 November, 2021

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