A+V Models 1/72 Rikugun Ki-93

A+V MODELS 1:72 RIKUGUN KI-93
'INBOX Review'

Reviewer: John Lacey (rec.models.scale)

This is the first complete resin aircraft kit I have purchased from A+V Models and on first impressions, I intend in returning to their line. I picked it up in a pre loved bin from Snowy Mountain Models (Hi Ron!) for whom I can only give the highest praise for service and satisfaction.

Upon opening the stout cardboard box, I was confronted with a mass of dark, creamy resin, a number of white metal items, a film for the instrument panel, a length of wire, a single vac canopy and an etched metal fret, in addition to a small decal sheet by MPD and a single page double sided instruction sheet.

Resin of a finely engraved and delicate nature naturally makes up the bulk of the kit, consisting of airframe components, spinners, main wheels and wafers containing prop blades, undercarriage doors, exhaust stacks, a tail wheel and a rear machine gun. The larger parts are attached to pouring blocks and will require care to remove. At this point, a little flutter went thru my system. This little beastie has 6 bladed props! Alignment here will prove to be 'fun'.

White metal components are two seats, main landing gear legs, undercarriage retraction arms and a control column. All parts have minor flash but are very finely detailed. A nice surprise considering other white metal components I have dealt with in the past.

The etched fret contains seat belts, torque links, rudder pedals and two antennae, one of the trailing and one of the loop varieties, not mentioned in the instructions.

The canopy is a singular vac sheet without frame lines are any way of orienting it against the airframe. Given the front and rear profiles of the canopy look much the same, this is going to be a puzzler.

The instructions consist of three photos of poor quality, an exploded assembly view, a good four view profile and a detailed data block.

Decals consist of Hinomarus only, although having used MPD decals before I can vouch for their opacity and thinness.

The recommended colour scheme is overall orange, as befits a Japanese prototype with black nose panels and brown props and spinners.

In conclusion, it will take a fair amount of time and patience to successfully complete this kit, but considering the nature of the subject, will be a worthwhile investment for those who like Japanese WW2 aircraft of prototypes and 'what ifs'.

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