Hasegawa 1/48 Kawasaki T-4

Japanese Air Self Defence Force, 13th FTW, Japan c.1988-99

T4_005 T4_002

Hasegawa released their kit of the Kawasaki T-4 in the UK in 2000. As it's a Japanese aircraft they seem to put a special effort into it. It goes together well, but not flawlessly; there is some filling and sanding to be done, but it's minor. The kit is pretty comprehensive with complete intake trunking and poly caps to hold in the tailerons and the undercarriage. The moulding for the pitot on the nose is exceptionally fine. A very comprehensive decal sheet is supplied that enables aircraft from at least 25 different Japanese operators to be built — I chose the most colourful example with the larger-than-normal orange tail and wing sections. The only disappointment I had with this kit is that the recessed detail fades quite badly towards the edge of the major components, such as the fuselage. I built it straight from the box, apart from replacing the fin pitot with brass tube and wire, and finished it with Humbrol enamels, Johnson's Klear, an oil wash and Humbrol Matt Cote.

T4_001 T4_003 T4_004 T4_006 T4_007 T4_008

T4_009 T4_010 T4_011 T4_012 T4_013 T4_015

T4_014

Year bought: 2000 (No idea where from)

Year built: 2000 (Send Marsh, Surrey, UK)

Back to Model Index