244 Sentai - Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Tony) #4

244 Sentai - Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Tony) #4: Captions from the movie "Saigo no Kikyo" (Last Return Home) released in June 1945 by Daie.

The Kawasaki Ki-61 Model Hei in the captions was flown by Captain Shono Fumisuke who was commander of the "Soyokaze-tai" (Breeze-squadron) of the 244 Sentai. The book "Hien Fighter Group" by Dai Nippon Kaiga includes two more photos of Hien "88" without camouflage. According to that book the plane received the camouflage in the captions below in March 1945.

Ground crew members maintain Hien "88" at Chofu airfield. The date is sometime between March, when the plane received the camouflage, and May when the unit relocated to Hamamatsu. The number "88" was in red outlined in white.

The green blotches were painted above the white band of the fuselage hinomaru which seems to have a very narrow early white ring. Note the open hatch of the cooler control.

Before the aircraft receive the camouflage it sported a single thick red band between the fuselage hinomaru and the tail. After the camouflage was applied it seems that the red band was overpainted with one yellow stripe in the middle as can be seen above.
The Dragon kit Golden Wing Series 5028 in 1:72 (below), offers decals for the "88" without the camouflage.

Lifelike has released decals in 1:72 and 1:48.

(To be continued)