Ki-43-II Hayabusa in 1/72 by Alex Rodionov

 

Alex Rodionov has very kindly shared several examples of his very fine 1/72 scale models with AoJ, a  Ki-44 in 2022, B5N1 and D3A2 in 2021, and an A6M5 in 2019. It is a double delight to show  these images of his Ki-43-II model made from the Arma Hobby kit, the Hayabusa being a personal favourite and the CBI theatre of particular interest. 

Alex's model shows off the elegant lines of the Nakajima fighter beautifully and the scheme is striking. The aircraft flown by Captain Masao Miyamaru, 2nd Chutai leader in Hiko Dai 50 Sentai, based at that time in Burma and as depicted in Osprey Aircraft of the Aces # 85 Ki-43 'Oscar' Aces of World War 2 by Hiroshi Ichimura.

 

 

Alex used acrylic paints Gunze (GSI Creos) H60 IJA Green for the upper surface camouflage and mixed the brown from Tamiya XF-64 Red Brown and XF-72 Brown (JGSDF). The decals are from Rising Decals set 72036 'Emperor's Eagles Pt. III'.

 

 

This Sentai used an untypical Chutai colour sequence of red, yellow and white. The Kanji character on the rudder is Miyou or Tae 妙, which the Osprey book asserts as meaning 'exceptional skill' (which should be 妙技 - Miyougi) but it has been suggested that it was probably named for his wife Taeko 妙子 which is a popular girl's name, not only in pre-war days but also nowadays.  Taeko means a beautiful lady with a self-controlled mind but who has an inner steel. Model Art 395 states that the names  of wives were also applied to some 50th aircraft. The controversial Satoshi Anabuki applied Kimikaze to one of his aircraft, which was a play on words because it sounds like 'Imperial Wind (3rd Chutai Hayabusa were typically named after winds or words relating to climate) but the first character represented the diminutive 'Kimi' for his wife's name 'Kimiko'.

 

 

Masao Miyamaru was born in 1912 and graduated from the 50th NCO cadre of the Army Air Force at age 22, going on to attend the Army Air Academy and graduating from that in 1938. He served with Hiko Dai 50 Sentai in the Philippines campaign and in Burma flying the Ki-27, becoming the 2nd Chutai leader in February1942 and returning there in September 1942 with the unit after it had converted to the Ki-43 in Japan from April to June 1942.  His second tour flying in combat over Burma lasted a year and he returned to Japan in August 1943 to become an instructor at the Akeno Flying School. 

 

 

To reinforce the Philippines as part of the third phase of the Sho Operation No.1 Akeno was to provide two air regiments with Ki-84 Hayate fighters, to be attached to the 21st Air Brigade of the 4th Air Army. A composite unit of six Chutai was subsequently formed at Akeno in October 1944 as Hiko Dai 200 Sentai with 47 Ki-84 fighters and a core of flying instructors, Miyamaru joining the unit as a Chutai leader. The unit staged via Shanghai to the Philippines where it joined the composite 30th Fighter Group (with 16th and 22nd Air Brigades). During combat in the Philippines and despite being reinforced with 68 replacement aircraft the unit suffered badly with a total of 35 aircraft destroyed or heavily damaged on the ground, 22 destroyed in air combat or missing on operations and the loss of 30 pilots between 26 October and 23 November, an early casualty being Masao Miyamaru who was killed in action over Leyte on 29 October 1944.

With special thanks to Alex for sharing another gem of a model.

Image credit: All photos © 2026 Alexander Rodiniov.