Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu "Nick" 1/5 Short kit

This exact 1/5th Scale Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu is suitable for R/C competition, a museum static display and/or everyday enjoyment at your R/C flying field! A variety of unique Scale Paint Schemes were documented that allows you to build a one of a kind aircraft for yourself!

In December 1937 the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force issued a requirement for a two-seat, twin engine heavy fighter. A design team headed by Tako Doi went to work and came up with an aircraft not dissimilar to the Messerschmitt Bf 110 ... the Kawasaki Ki-15 Toryu. The word Toryu means "Dragon Killer", which was the purpose of this aircraft who's specific design was intended to be a superior night fighter for Japan's home defense against US bombers.

David's 1/5th Scale design is an excellent flyer with stable flight and landing characteristics. The aircraft can be powered by two 50cc gas motors but a few flyers are building theirs with equivalent electric motors.

Brief Aircraft History

The first Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu (dragon killer/slayer) prototype flew in 1939, a cantilever mid-wing monoplane with retractable tailwheel landing gear. A slender fuselage provided enclosed accommodation for two in tandem.

Problems followed with the engine installation, and it was not until September 1941 that the Ki-45 KAIa entered production. Armament of this initial series version comprised one forward-firing 20mm cannon, two 12.7mm machine-guns in the nose, and a 7.92mm machine-gun on a flexible mount in the rear cockpit; there was also provision to carry two drop tanks or two 250kg bombs on under-wing racks. This type entered service in August 1942 but was first used in combat during October 1942, soon being allocated the Allied codename "Nick". The Ki-45 KAIa was joined by a new version developed especially for the ground-attack/anti-shipping role, the Ki-45 KAIb. Standard armament comprised one 20mm cannon in the nose, a forward-firing 37mm cannon in the fuselage, and one rear-firing 7.92mm machine gun, plus the under-wing provision for drop tanks or bombs; a number of alternative weapon installations were tried experimentally, including the use of a 75mm cannon for attacks on shipping.

The Ki-45 KAIa was, for its day, heavily armed and proved quite effective against the USAF's Consolidated B-24 Liberators and when these bombers were used more extensively for night operations, the Ki-45 was adapted to attack them. This is when the night-fighting capability of the type was discovered, leading to development of the Ki-45 KAIc night-fighter that proved to be one of the most successful Japanese aircraft in this category. Ki-45 Toryu's remained in service until the end of the Pacific war, production totaling 1,701 including prototypes, being used for the defense of Tokyo, and in the Manchuria, Burma and Sumatra areas of operations.