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Thread: Official Kawasaki Ki-45 'Randy" Painting Thread

  1. #1

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    Default Official Kawasaki Ki-45 'Randy" Painting Thread

    Here's a 1/200 scale Ki-45 from Armaments in Miniature. The cast did not have the peg/screw assembly in the belly of the model, I added a steel nail head flush with the bottom of the fuselage. The model is painted with Vallejo Model Color 70791 Green Gray overall and Military Green Mottling. Decals are from Miscellaneous Miniatures. It's marked as an aircraft in 53 Sentai, 3 Chutai.

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    Last edited by flash; 01-16-2021 at 03:41. Reason: add pics

  2. #2

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    Beautiful.
    I can't give you more REP...

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    Here is a group of Ki-45's. Since they are all such low detail models, there were very few panel lines to fill. What few there were, I did with the miracle product, Flory Models Wash. Pretty much just the control surfaces and landing gear doors on the AIM models. I chose not to do any lines at all on the Shapeways models as they were very poor and not straight. Trying to put any color in them looked really choppy.

    First is a 16th Sentai, 2nd Chutai, Ki-45-KAIa. This plane would have been in Malaya and China, 1942 - 43. It is a prototype model from AIM. It is very low detail, but still pretty nice. Decals are mostly Misc Mini, but I made the Sentai insignia as he only has some later war variants for sale. It is the standard snake skin camo pattern. It took me quite a while as I do not have a steady hand. A deep breath between each little spot along with me continuously telling myself, "don't paint circles", "don't paint circles" so as to have an interesting pattern. I had a nice war time picture of the plane and just kept looking at it every few minutes. I was actually very relaxing to do. The base is Mr Color IJA Gray and the camo is Vallejo Model Color, Olive Grey.

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    Here is a similar plane from the 1st Chutai from Wings Pallet

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    Next is 5th Sentai, 2nd Chutai, Ki-45KAIa. This plane also would have been found in Southeast Asia and China, 1942 - 43. It is also an AIM model as above with home made Sentail markings. I heavily faded and weathered this plane with oil paints. As usual, the picture doesn't do it justice. In person, the fades and color modulation looks pretty cool. This guy is painted to match the color and pattern on the only surviving example in the world. The standard Mr Color IJA grey lower, and Kawasaki Green upper. If you haven't tried Mr Color paints, they are absolutely fantastic. They have a ton of great and accurate colors. I would say they spray as well, or even better than Tamiya, but have way, way more color choices.

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    The next two are a couple of Shapeways models. They were also very low detail, which made painting them a little harder. These are both later war Home Defense models as evidenced by the wide white bands under the HinoMaru. These planes were stationed at various airfields in Japan with the intent to intercept B29s. The white bands were masked and airbrushed.

    The first is a 53rd Sentai, 2nd Chutai Ki-45-KAIc night fighter. This plane would have been armed with two dorsal 20mm Ho-5 machine cannons aiming up at an angle, similar to the German Schrage Musik for attacking bombers from below. I chose not to weather this plane at all because the decals were so pretty. They are stock Misc Mini except I added the red diagonal command stripe on the fuselage. This unit was widely photographed and you can easily find lots of great pictures on the net. This guy was just all Mr Color Kawasaki Green top and bottom, and from looking at the one surviving example, it is very accurate.

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    Finally we have another Ki-45-KAIc from the 4th Sentai, 2nd Chutai. I was actually able to paint the camo freehand with an airbrush on this one. Very thin paint, very low pressure. This guy is Mr Color IJA gray base with Mr Color Kawasaki green camo.

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    Here is the inspiration for this one. The pattern is more mottled and freehand brushed than the earlier fine snake skin pattern above.

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    Last edited by Dak21; 01-15-2021 at 21:32.

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  5. #5

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    Beautiful aircraft Dave. Love the details and camo work.

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    These all look good, but that first one is a real stunner. Nice work!

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    Super paint jobs!
    I laugh in the face of danger - then I hide until it goes away!

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    Very nice Dave. Love the last one with the soft air brushed spots.

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    I am both encouraged, and overwhelmed. Thank you for sharing.

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  11. #11

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    Thanks everyone for the generous kind words. As I’ve said before, your feedback is always appreciated, and makes it worth the effort. Especially in these days of the pandemic, being able to share the results is half of the reward. When I can coax my wife to look at them, she’ll take a quick glance and usually pick the most colorful one and say “I like that one, it’s the most pretty”.

    I’ve been using a wet palette lately, and that helps a ton with the detail painting. Pretty much removes the need for thinner, or drying retarders, while providing a superior result. I could never have gotten such a clean pattern on the snake skin model without it.

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    I like the 2nd one it's the prettiest

    Great cards, Dave! REP

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    Thanks Chris. My wife agrees with you ��

    I should have noted that the white hexagon is the arc of the upward firing Schrage Musik style guns.

    I hope to do a few more in the future and include the anti-shipping model.

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  15. #15

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    Lovely cards, ALMOST as nice as your painted minis, but not quite!

    One query - the forward firing arc - are they fixed guns?
    If so, shouldn't the arc be 60 degrees, not 90?
    Yours just looks a bit wide compared to my Bf.110s...
    I laugh in the face of danger - then I hide until it goes away!

  16. #16

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    Hi Tim,

    Yes, the guns are all forward firing, including the Schrage Musik. I just took a look at an ME110 and must say I agree with your assessment. I’ll revise the cards when time permits.

    The rear gun is flexible and there was lots of room for the gunner to pivot the weapon. That is why I went with a wide arc there.

    Thanks for the feedback!

  17. #17

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    I adjusted to forward firing arcs to 60 degrees as suggested by Tim. Thank you for the feedback!

    For some reason, the old ones with the 90 degree arc appear to still be there outlined in a blue field. Maybe one of the admins knows how to get rid of the old, incorrect images?

  18. #18

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    Dave,

    To get rid of unwanted images you'll have to go to edit, advanced, then manage images. Pick the one on the list to delete....

    Also your mailbox is full. Time to do some deleting there too!

    Peter

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dak21 View Post
    For some reason, the old ones with the 90 degree arc appear to still be there outlined in a blue field. Maybe one of the admins knows how to get rid of the old, incorrect images?
    Because you selected them for the post but haven't added them, or, haven't deleted them they will appear in the blue field.
    The admin does know how to get rid of them & 'tis done but Peter is right, you can do that too if you need to.

    "He is wise who watches"

  20. #20

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    Great, thanks guys.

  21. #21

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    Great cards Dave, thanks. Not to get some of these Nick beauties from AIM.

  22. #22

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    Dave, thanks for providing cards, they are great!

  23. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dak21 View Post
    Ok folks. I had to repost the Ki-45 cards yet again. When I was getting ready to print them out, I realized they should have been made on a Fighter base. I incorrectly put them on an HF base because of the two engines. Sorry for the inconvenience, but here are what I think are finally correct. A little bit Frankenstein-ish, but they'll work if you want to put this plane on your table.

    Attachment 301236

    Attachment 301237

    Attachment 301238

    Attachment 301239

    Dave,
    Not sure why you changes the format to Fighter, from Heavy Fighter. I checked the Unofficial Stats Committee files, and the Ki.45 is not there (could have missed it). What I have, is a copy of an unpublished version of a proposed card:
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    This partcular card may not match the version of plane you have on your card, but the format should be the same, IMHO.
    Mike
    "Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
    "Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59

  24. #24

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    You are right Mike.
    Ki.45 wingspan is 15 meters.
    So it has definitely a Heavy Fighter base, as Bf.110 (16 meters), Beaufighter (17,6 meters) and Do.17 (18 meters).
    The latter is the limit with Heavy fighter base and Bomber base (Ju.88 A-1 wingspan is 18,4 meters and gets a Bomber base).

    Ki.45 was supposed to be released in WOW Rain of Destruction, that would have included Heavy Fighters and Medium Bombers.
    https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sh...l=1#post317607

  25. #25

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    The Ki-45 came in just the under the 50' span line.
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  26. #26

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jager View Post
    The Ki-45 came in just the under the 50' span line.
    Karl
    So, the unpublished "official" card is wrong?
    Mike
    "Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
    "Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59

  27. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by OldGuy59 View Post
    So, the unpublished "official" card is wrong?
    I don’t think so.
    According to the WOG WW2 Battle of Britain Rulebook, multi-engine heavy fighters are placed on larger bases than single-engine aircraft.
    As the Ki.45 has two engines, it is a heavy fighter and has a larger base than single-engine aircraft.

    The future P.38 Lightning miniature (two engines, wingspan 16 meters) should also have a larger base than single engine plane.


    MULTI-ENGINE AIRCRAFT (page 26)
    BASIC RULES
    Multi-engine aircraft include multi-engine bombers and multi-engine heavy fighters. Unless otherwise stated, all rules for multi-engine aircraft apply to both categories.

    HEAVY FIGHTERS
    Multi-engine heavy fighters normally have two crew members and usually have two firing arcs; these miniatures are placed on larger bases than single-engine aircraft.
    These planes use the same rules as two-seaters for shooting, aces and novices (see page 24).
    They use the same rules as multi-engine bombers for special damage (pages 30-32) and blind spot (page 33).

    BOMBERS
    A bomber differs from a heavy fighter by the symbol 💣 on the bomber's aircraft card.

  28. #28

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    OK, that is a new rule for me.
    Let me think.
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  29. #29

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    I sent a PM to Andrea for clarification. While I can see the Ki-45 being under this rule, the Westland Whirlwind (45' span) is harder to justiy, IMO.
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  30. #30

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    OK, I heard back from Andrea. The rule of thumb cutoff for single/fighter bases is 15m, which is 49.2' English (which they don't use anymore).
    I had in memory 50', so rounded up. Therein is the problem of different measurement systems
    The Ki-45 has a 14,5m(47.5') span; the Ki-45 KAI has a 15.02m(49.25') span.
    Andrea was also thinking all heavy fighters exceeded the 15m mark; a quick trolling through Wiki proved that to be correct.
    So with apologies to Dave, since it is only the earlier model Ki-45 that is less than 15m span, I would rule all Ki-45s use the heavy fighter base.
    The Whirlwind, with a 45 ft 0 in (13.72 m) span, will remain a fighter base.
    Sorry for the confusion with this, and thanks to Simon for pointing out the rule in the BoB book.
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  31. #31

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    Guess the P-38 will now need a HF base too. Any others?

  32. #32

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    Thank you for the clarification, Karl.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jager View Post
    The Whirlwind, with a 45 ft 0 in (13.72 m) span, will remain a fighter base.
    So, it shows that the multi engine Heavy Fighters rule, which supposes that their miniatures are placed on larger bases than single-engine aircraft, is not correct,
    As the two engine Whirlwind would be placed on a single engine base, because of its wingspan less than 15 meters.

  33. #33

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    Nice work all, but you are missing wings that is what counts.

  34. #34

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    Quote Originally Posted by monse View Post
    Thank you for the clarification, Karl.



    So, it shows that the multi engine Heavy Fighters rule, which supposes that their miniatures are placed on larger bases than single-engine aircraft, is not correct,
    As the two engine Whirlwind would be placed on a single engine base, because of its wingspan less than 15 meters.
    Andrea replied that since the Whirlwind was a single-seat fighter, the heavy fighter rule did not apply. The P-38 has a span of >15m, so will be on the HF base.
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  35. #35

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    So, the Whirlwind gets a standard Fighter base, and yet EVERY other multi-engined fighter has to use the Heavy Fighter base?

    One rule for everyone, with just one single exception?

    Just put the Whirlwind on the same base as all the others - Keep It Simple!
    I laugh in the face of danger - then I hide until it goes away!

  36. #36

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    Thanks for all the detailed analysis and discussion. Sorry to have caused such a controversy, but in the end, we all now have a better understanding of the issue. Personally, I like the HF base conclusion. I’ll repost the Ki-45’s on the HF base as soon as I can get to it. I’ll be deleting the F base versions at that time. Thanks again!

  37. #37

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    Quote Originally Posted by Flying Helmut View Post
    So, the Whirlwind gets a standard Fighter base, and yet EVERY other multi-engined fighter has to use the Heavy Fighter base?

    One rule for everyone, with just one single exception?

    Just put the Whirlwind on the same base as all the others - Keep It Simple!
    Actually, it is simple: heavy fighters are defined as having 2 crew (I would add, 2+ crew).
    The whirlwind is not a heavy fighter, despite having 2 engines.
    The P-38 isn't either, but it's wingspan does put it on a HF base, like all planes between 15m and 19m.
    Single-seat twin engines fighters were pretty rare in WW2.
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  38. #38

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    Your explanation is relevant, Karl.

    Moreover, here are the wingspan and length of the twin engine Whirlwind and some single engine two-seaters edited by Ares with a standard fighter base :

    Westland Whirlwind : 13,72 m / 9,83 m
    Junkers Ju.86 Stuka : 13,8 m / 11,1 m
    Aichi D3A Val : 14,37 m / 10,19 m

    So the Whirlind is smaller than these two seaters.
    It is logical that the Whirlwind miniature should have a standard fighter base.
    And it would appear disproportionate on a heavy fighter base.

  39. #39

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    OK guys, here are the corrected cards. Sorry for the delay. Been really busy!

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  41. #41

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    Great cards Dave, thanks for the upgrade.

  42. #42

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    I just picked up my first Ki-45 so these excellent cards are greatly appreciated.



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