Kawasaki Ki-28
"Prototype" & "Over China"

AZ Models, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Glen Porter

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In 1935, the Japanese Army held a competition to replace the Kawasaki Ki-11. It included the Kawasaki Ki-28, Nakajima Ki-27 and the Mitubishi Ki-33. The winner was the Nakajima Ki-27 and therefore the Kawasaki Ki-28 never progressed past the prototype stage. This means the decals in the second kit (AZ 7248) are fictitious as the aircraft never flew in combat.

The Ki-28, code named Bob by the allies, was a single seat, single engine fighter with a liquid cooled V-12 power plant which I'm told was a license built version of the BMW 9 engine from Germany. The fuselage looked very similar to the preceding Ki-11 but it lost the competition because it wasn't as maneuverable as the lighter Ki-27.

AZ Models is another high quality short-run model manufacturer from the Czech Republic. I 'm sure, if all of the rest of the worlds model companies shut down tomorrow, we would still be well served by just those from the Czech Republic.

The similarity between this manufacturer (AZ Models) and RS Models is uncanny. In fact the main difference seems to be RS do injected canopies and AZ supply vac-formed ones but I can find no connection except that they both hail from the same country.

These two kits are identical except for the canopies, decals and boxes. Everything else, plastic, resin, PE and even instructions are the same. The instructions have both kit numbers on them and show both canopies and decals.

The nicely detailed tan plastic, very similar to that from Eduard, is all on one sprue with very delicate panel detail but with a couple of small areas of flash and a few ejector pin marks on the inside which may interfere with assembly.

There are only four resin parts, two spatted undercarriage legs with the wheels moulded into the spats, a spinner and the cockpit floor.

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The small PE fret has no name on it so the manufacturer can't be identified but it looks well done with a Sutton type shoulder harness, lap belts, instrument panel, two radiator matrixes, throttle quadrant and two radiator supports.

There are two vac-formed canopies in each kit with the pair for the prototype having a cut-out above and beside the pilots head. Both types are shown in the instructions.

The main area where the two kits differ is in the decals. The prototype (AZ 7247) has markings for only one aircraft which consist of six national markings and six stencils on an overall light grey aircraft.

The other kit (AZ 7248) has markings for two aircraft but as I said above they are fictional as the Ki-28 never flew operationally. One, like the prototype, is in overall light grey but with red markings flown by Capt. Tateo Kato, early 1937, while the other has dark green and brown uppers over light grey below with markings supposedly for 77th Sentai, 3rd Chutai, China 1939. There are recommendations for the light grey in both kits but not for the green and brown but as they are both fictitious, I guess it doesn't matter.

Like the RS Models instructions, these are also a bit basic and in some places some what vague but an experienced modeller should be able to work it all out.

These AZ Models kits are way superior to many other short-run kits so if you're into prototypes, obscure Japanese aircraft or just want some thing different, AZ Models may be the way for you.

Highly Recommended to experienced modellers and Prototype nuts.

Thanks to Legato  / AZ Models for the sample

Review Text Copyright © 2008 by Glen Porter
Page Created 13 April, 2008
Last updated 13 April, 2008

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