Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff"), 2. Hikotai, Manchukuo Air Force

[Dizzyfugu]

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Some background:
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid-1930s. It was one of the first truly modern fighters of the era, including such features as all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, a retractable landing gear, and was powered by a liquid-cooled, inverted-V12 aero engine.

The Bf 109 first saw operational service during the Spanish Civil War and was still in service at the dawn of the jet age at the end of World War II, during which time it was the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. From the end of 1941 the Bf 109 was supplemented by the Focke-Wulf Fw 190.
Originally conceived as an interceptor, later models were developed to fulfill multiple tasks, serving as bomber escort, fighter-bomber, day-, night-, all-weather fighter, ground-attack aircraft, and as reconnaissance aircraft. It was supplied to and operated by several states during World War II, and served with several countries for many years after the war. The Bf 109 was the most produced fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 33,984 airframes produced from 1936 up to April 1945.

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


After the success of the Bf 109's demonstration at the meeting of Zürich in 1937, the idea came up to develop an export version of the Bf 109 but with a different engine than the DB 601. The engine chosen was the P&W "Twin Wasp" SC-G of 1200 hp. The Messerschmitt company received a contract from RLM/LC on 13 June 1938 to fit the P&W Twin Wasp on the Bf 109 V21 Werknummer 1770 (D-IFKQ). Even the maiden flight date is not known; it is established that Hermann Wurster flew it at Augsburg on 17 August 1939. In September 1940 it was part of the DVL (Deutsche Versuchtanstalt für Luftfahrt) at Brauschweig-Völkenrode with the Stammkennzeichen code KB+II. Its end is not known, and due to WWII hostilities this initial conversion was not followed further.

Anyway, as the BMW 801 radial engine became available, a Bf 109F, Werknummer 5608, callsign D-ITXP was converted with a BMW 801 A-0. This aircraft became a prototype for the Bf 109X, how the export version was now called. The fuselage had a wider cross-section, and a new canopy with a lowered spine was fitted. The wing tips were akin to that of the Bf 109E.

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The prototype was first flown by Flugkapitän Fritz Wendel on 2 September 1940, and the test flights continued despite troubles with the BMW 801A powerplant. Development carried on and from late 1941 on the Bf 109X was presented to German allies as well as some neutral states like Turkey and Sweden.

Japan showed great interest for license production on the Asian continent, and in July 1942 an agreement for production of the Bf 109X at Mansyū (Manshūkoku Hikōki K.K. - Manchurian Aeroplane Manufacturing Company Ltd., a subsidiary of Nakajima) under the re-used Ki-63 designation,a version of the Nakajima Ki-62 that would have been powered by the 1,050hp Mitsubishi Ha-102 radial engine but which was abandoned in late 1941.

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Plans and jigs were quickly transferred, but unfortunately the license production of the BMW 801 was not permitted - the aircraft had to be outfitted with a domestic radial engine. This was both a blessing and a curse - the heavy BMW 801 severely hampered the light aircraft's handling (one of the main criticism of the Japanese pilots who preferred agility to speed and even fire power), but the only available replacement option that could be easily mounted without major re-design of the forward fuselage was the Nakajima Sakae two-row, 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine.

The result was the Ki-63甲 (Kō, 'a'), which was modified to carry a Nakajima Ha35 Model 24 radial, with 1.150 hp (858 kW) output which could be boosted to 1.250 hp (930 kW) with water-methanol injection. Even though the power output was much less than the BMW 801's 1.700 hp, the resulting aircraft was rushed into production.

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The Ki-63 had a maximum speed of 565 km/h (351 mph) at 6,000 meters and reached that altitude in 7:01 minutes. It carried two 20mm cannons in the wings as well as a pair of synchronized 12.7mm machine guns above the engine, plus up to 318kg ordnance (a drop tank or a single bomb) under the fuselage.

About 90 Ki-63s were built - 50 were delivered directly to the Manchukuo Imperial Air Force (Chinese: 大満州帝国空軍; pinyin: Dà Mǎnzhōu Dìguó Kōngjūn), where it started replacing the Manchukuo Air Force's main aircraft, the obsolete Nakajima Ki-27b "Nate" light fighter. Money to pay for these fighters was donated"by various Japanese companies based in Manchukuo.

15 Ki-63s were delieverd to the Imperial Japanese Army Air Arm for evaluation and about 20 entered service with the Royal Thai Air Force.
The Ki-63 was never popular in service, though. Its performance was not outstanding, and keeping its Bf 109 ancestry and flaws like the narrow main wheel track, many aircraft were lost in taxiing accidents.

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr




General characteristics:
    Crew: One
    Length: 8.55 m (28 ft 0⅝ in)
    Wingspan: 8.60 m (28 ft 2½ in)
    Height: 3.30 m (10 ft 10 in)
    Wing area: 12.4 m² (133.47 ft²)
    Empty weight: 1,640 kg (3,616 lb)
    Loaded weight: 2,580 kg (5,688 lb)
    Max. takeoff weight: 2,880 kg (6,349 lb)

Powerplant:
    1× Nakajima Ha-35 Type 24 air-cooled,two-row fourteen cylinder radial engine,
    rated at 1.150 hp (858 kW), boosted to 1.250 hp (930 kW) with water-methanol injection

Performance:
    Maximum speed: of 565 km/h (351 mph) at 6,000 meters
    Cruise speed: 350 km/h (188 kn, 217 mph)
    Range: 1,200 km (648 nmi, 746 mi)

Armament:
    2× 20 mm Ho-5 cannons in the outer wings, 120 rpg each
    2× 12,7 mm (0.50 in) Ho-103 machine guns above the engine, 250 rpg each
    318kg ordnance (a drop tank of a single bomb) under the fuselage.



The kit and its assembly:
This whiffy whif was a spontaneous idea, when I wondered what non-Japanese aircraft could plausibly wear Manchukuo markings? A German type was an option, and then I came across the stillborn Messerschmitt Bf 109X with its radial engine – an aircraft of which only a single prototype was ever built and flown.

There are even model kits available of this obscure aircraft. My basis is the Amodel kit, a typical short-run IP kit with good overall detail (interior and landing gear is nice), thick material but many smaller flaws and rather mediocre fit (the fuselage halves seem to belong to two different aircraft, fin & rudder, too!).

In order to turn it into something "more Japanese" I tried to graft a cowling plus engine of a Hasegawa Mitsubishi A6M 'Zero' onto the fuselage (the BMW 801 is VERY bulky on the slender Bf 109 airframe!), which worked well and yields a more aerodynamic look. The propeller was taken OOB from the Bf 109X, but a metal axis added so that it can spin freely.

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Otherwise not much was changed – I just added an antenna mast, a head protection in the cockpit, the wing cannons with bulges on the wings' undersides and scratched exhaust stubs and a carburetor intake.


Painting and markings:
The livery is a mix of styles: the paint scheme is a mix of a scheme for an early IJA Ki-27 fighter, with an all-grey fuselage and lower sides and camouflaged upper wing surfaces in green and brown. AFAIK many Manchukuo Air Force aircraft were simply painted all-grey, but I found that to be too simple, and there were a few Ki-46 that carried green blotches, probably the former Japanese paint scheme with overpainted roundels.

For the wing colors I went for Khaki (Humbrol 26) and Army Green (Humbrol 102), but the greenish-grey basic color for the rest was tricky. You find very contradictive information concerning this IJA tone, and even more confusing representations in source material - best modeler's bet might IMHO be Gunze's #128, but that's not available around here, so I went for a hand-made replacement.

Replacement recommendation is basically Sky "Type S" a.k.a. Humbrol 90, but this tones is IMHO much too bright - it's rather a dull, greenish grey, like a very light FAA Slate Grey. So I mixed an individual tone from Modelmaster 2077 (RLM 63; Hellgrau), 97 (Egg shell; which is more yellow-ish than 90 but very similar) and a bit of Humbrol 224 (Dark Slate Grey).

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


All interior surfaces were painted in Humbrol 78, with some dry-brushed 120 on top. The spinner was painted in simple black, while the propeller blades received a typical Japanese red primer finish with Humbrol 160.

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


After basic painting the kit received a light black ink wash in order to emphasize the kit's engraved panel lines, as well as some dry painting to highlight single panels. An overall dry painting with light grey added some weathering effects, and finally some exhaust and gun soot stains with grinded graphite were added.

Markings come from an Authentic Decals Ki-27 aftermarket decal sheet, just the 2nd Hikotai's emblem on the fin was improvised, based on illustrations.

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Mansyū Ki-63甲 (Messerschmitt Bf 109X-2; US Code name "Geoff") of the 2nd Hikotai, Manchukuo Imperial Air Force; Fengtien, summer 1943 (Whif/Amodel kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


A quickie, done in less than a week. 

[zenrat]

Bravo.  Well done.

[comrade harps]

I love the mods (I've wondered what to do with an Bf109X - and you've aced it here) and the camo with the weathering.

Excellent and very Japanese! 

[DogfighterZen]

Excellent work indeed! 

[Dizzyfugu]

I love the mods (I've wondered what to do with an Bf109X - and you've aced it here) and the camo with the weathering.

Excellent and very Japanese! 

Thank you (all). I had the 109X in the stash for some time, too, but also lacked ANY idea. It's also pretty ugly, the BMW 801 radial is rather large and "edgy" for the tiny Bf 109 airframe - but the Zero cowling matched almost perfectly in diameter and it is more streamlined, it matches up well with the rest. To the uncertain eye this one looks a bit like a Ki-43 or even a weirdo Fw 190? Just the landing gear gives everything away - but it's a good solution, and ended up more colorful than expected! 

[NARSES2]

That's come out really well  Love the colour scheme 

It is a rather strange looking aircraft. When I built mine it almost looked as though the engine cowling was a different scale. And yes it does look so very Japanese

[Dizzyfugu]

It is a rather strange looking aircraft. When I built mine it almost looked as though the engine cowling was a different scale. And yes it does look so very Japanese

Yes, the BMW engine is very bulky and "square", looks pretty oversized for the Bf 109 airframe. Actually, the Zero's cowling is not smaller, but it has a more streamlined shape, so the look is not so brutal... 

Anyway, many thanks for the feedback - and nice to see that this hybrid spawned another idea for a Bf 109X! 

[Captain Canada]

Another model I somehow missed

Exactly !

Very nice. Love the colours....looks great like that !