#145 Mitsubishi Ki-15-II
Building the ARII 1:72 kit of the Mitsubishi Ki-15-II in IJA service.
Notes
The Mitsubishi Ki-15 (雁金, Karigane, English: Wild Goose) Army Type 97 Command Reconnaissance aircraft (九七式司令部偵察機, Kyunana-shiki sireibu teisatsuki) was a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft and a light attack bomber of the Second Sino-Japanese War and Pacific War. It began as a fast civilian mail-plane. It served with both the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy (as the C5M) and was code-named “Babs” by the Allies.
The Kit
I picked up the ARII No. 53011 1:72 kit at Yodobashi Akihabara in 2023 for ¥792.
It has decal options for two versions:
- Mitsubishi Ki-15-II Army Type 97 (IJA)
- Mitsubishi C5M1 (IJN)
Paint Scheme
For inspiration, I’m borrowing the boxart from the Fine Molds kit and some builds I’ve seen on ebay. I haven’t found any actual references yet.
| Feature | Color | Recommended | Paint Used |
|---|---|---|---|
| seats | Interior Green | H58 | |
| cockpit floor and interior | Interior Green | H58 | |
| engine | Steel | H18 | |
| exhaust | Burnt Iron | H76 | |
| prop (C5M) | Silver | H8 | n/a |
| prop, spinner (Ki15) | Red Brown | H47 | |
| main camo (C5M) | IJA Gray | H61 | n/a |
| main camo (Ki15) | IJN Gray | H62 | |
| fuselage base color | Gray Green | C128 | |
| camouflage | Dark Green (Kawasaki) | C130? H330 | |
Aircrew Figures
The kit has 2 aircrew figures - which is great! Bad news is that they are not great molds, but probably good enough once hidden under the canopy.
| Feature | Color | Recommended | Paint Used |
|---|---|---|---|
| cap, gloves, boots | Mahogany | H84 | |
| straps | Khaki Green | H80 | |
| face | Pale Brown | H44 | |
| overalls (Ki15) | Khaki | H81 | 70.921 English Uniform |
| overalls (C5M) | Red Brown | H47 | n/a |
Build Log
Figures aren’t great, and I’ve just done a basic interior, as it is not very visible..
Quick background painting…
Final Build Gallery
Credits and References
- this project on scalemates
- Mitsubishi Ki-15-II Type 97 Mk2 Babs C5M1 ARII No. 53011 1:72