Hasegawa 1/144 YS-11 'JMSDF 61 Sq', previewed by Scott Van Aken

The NAMC YS-11 is a turboprop airliner built by a Japanese consortium, the Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation. The program was initiated by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1954, the aircraft was rolled out in 1962, and production ceased in 1974. The YS-11 was produced at a loss, and was the only airliner wholly designed and manufactured in Japan until the development of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet.

The requirement for all Japanese commercial aircraft to be equipped with TCAS (collision avoidance system) by 2006, resulted in the type being removed from Japanese airline service by that time. As of 2017, only eight remained in service with the Air Self-Defense Force for flight checks and other purposes. This particular kit allows you to build either a YS-11M transport (which was retired from service in 2014) or a YS-11T radar trainer version (which was retired in 2011).

THE KIT

Hasegawa has done at least a dozen limited editions of this kit in both the military and civilian colors over the years. It is a very nice kit that most 1/144 modelers tend to overlook, which is a shame. Typical of kits in this scale, there is no cabin detail and in this case, the cockpit is a single piece with molded on seats. Hasegawa provides three square metal pieces and a 'fastener' piece to help hold this weight behind the cockpit piece. If one is using the stand, then I'd recommend not adding the weights. Note that various holes need to be opened in the fuselage halves depending on the variant you are building.

The engine halves will trap a polycap so the props can be installed after painting. The decal sheet includes the prop de-icing boots, a nice feature. Wings are upper and lower halves for each side and while Hasegawa recommends attaching the engines before gluing the wings on, I'd be sure that the wings have a good fit with no gaps before doing this. You are provided with separate parts for the gear up option in terms of the nose and main gear doors.

If building the trainer version, you will have an entire sprue of bits and pieces to add to the kit. Not so many extras for the transport.

Instructions are standard stuff with Gunze paint references. There are also notes on filling in a few panel lines that one may wish to consider. Interestingly, though you have a clear windscreen, you also are provided with a windscreen decal. Often time airline modelers want their kits to resemble those company produced models by filling in the clear screens and using a decal. The nicely printed sheet includes flight surface de-icer boots and separate cheatlines for the transport or trainer. The transport option is the box photo plane from 61 Squadron while the similarly painted trainer is from 205 squadron. Both planes are white over light gull grey. Some fairly careful masking will be needed for the demarcation line between the two colors as the cheatline is not very thick.

In all, Hasegawa has provided another very nice limited edition boxing of the home grown YS-11. If you are a 1/144 modeler, you should seriously consider this one for your collection. I think you will be pleased with how nicely it builds.

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KIT #:	10806
PRICE:	$29.69
DECALS:	Two options
REVIEWER:	Scott Van Aken
NOTES:	2014 Limited Edition