KAWASAKI Ki-61 HIEN TONY Ki-100 Maru Mechanic 2 Bk FREE USA 1st CLASS POSTAGE

Description: Offered by Over The Blue Horizon and recently obtained in Tokyo is a vintage pictorial from the well-regarded MARU MECHANIC series: “TYPE 3 FIGHTER” better known in the West as the KAWASAKI Ki-61 HIEN. Note that although the title specifies only the Ki-61, it also covers the radial engine variant, the TYPE 5 KAWASAKI Ki-100 Goshiki-sen. The second volume of the series, this nicely-done pictorial covers the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF) Ki-61 and Ki-100 line of fighters. The TONY was the only mass-produced Japanese fighter of the war to use a liquid-cooled inline "V" engine. Powered by a licensed copy of the Daimler Benz DB-601 – the same engine that powered the Me-109 and the Macchi MC-202 – the Ki-61 first flew in December 1941 but did not enter operational service until early 1943 during the New Guinea campaign. Initially, due to its unusual appearance for a Japanese fighter, the Allies believed it to be of German or Italian origin, possibly a license-built Bf 109; the Italian-like appearance led to its code name of TONY. The Ki-61 was utilized in the South and Southwest Pacific, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Okinawa, China, Manchuria, and in the defense of the Japanese homeland against American B-29 Superfortresses. A number of Ki-61s were also used in Tokkotai (Kamikaze) missions launched toward the end of the war. The Ki-100 was the radial-engine variant of the Ki-61 – an evolution made necessary by the destruction of the Ki-61’s in-line, liquid-cooled engine factory by B-29s. Faced with Ki-61 fuselages but no in-line engines, the IJAAF adapted the airframes to accommodate available Mitsubishi Ha-112-H radial engines. Flown first in February 1945, performance of the Ki-100 was at least as good as the Ki-61 and proved more reliable as the radial engine was much simpler to maintain This vintage, 42 page, 7.25 x 10.25 inch (B5 size) softcover was published in 1977 and has the standard MARU MECHANIC format: great detail drawings, color profiles, and Japanese text – all with an overall emphasis on the mechanical aspects of the aircraft. The long out-of-print volumes from this series remain very popular with aviation historians and advanced modelers alike. Condition of this volume on the Ki-61/100 fighters is VERY GOOD bordering on LIKE NEW – amazing considering this book was published in 1977! Note that Over the Blue Horizon ships from the USA with FREE United States Postal Service (USPS) FIRST CLASS shipping to USA buyers! eBay charges sales tax for certain states; Over the Blue Horizon charges Hawaii residents state general excise tax. Your purchase will be carefully wrapped to ensure that it arrives in the same condition as described in the eBay listing. If you are not happy with your purchase for whatever reason, we will work something out -- your satisfaction is GUARANTEED. Regardless of where you are in the world, buy with confidence from a well-established eBay merchant with a sterling reputation and an exceptionally high customer satisfaction rate.

Price: 34.99 USD

Location: Kailua, Hawaii

End Time: 2024-10-09T07:00:00.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD