PAV72003 Kyushu Q1W1 Tokai (Lorna) 1/72

Kit has detailed resin parts, recessed panel lines, photo-etch details, vacu or injection-molded clear parts - canopy.
(injection-molded plastic kit). Limited edition. *****

Antisubmarine bomber.
plastic parts: 35, resin parts: 0, vacu canopy: 2, photo-etched: 23
2 version decals (Japan Naval AF)

After great initial Imperial Japanese Navy and its air power's successes the Allies in the Southwest Asia and Pacific possessed only the U.S. aircraft carriers, some small naval units and submarines. Especially the submarines caused serious losses to the Japanese invasion fleets and transport shipping carrying raw materials from the counquered areas. There was no suitable type of aircraft in the Japanese inventory to eleminate the threat of submarines. So a 17-Shi specification was issued in 1942 and the task of development was assigned to KK Watanabe Tekkosho (later Kyushu Hikoki KK).
In a short time three-seat all metal monoplane designated Q1W1 was designed. As maximum endurance was essential at the cost of low cruising speed, two low consumption Hitachi GK2C Amakaze engines were chosen to power the plane. There was also proposition for Type 3 Model 6 ASV radar and magnetic anomaly detector.
The armament consisted of up to 500kg of depth charges and 7.7mm machine gun plus a provision for 20mm cannon in the nose. The prototype made its maiden flight in September 1943. The tests proved to be satisfactory and the plane was given combat name Tokai (Eastern Sea).
Series delivery started in late 1944 and production aircraft went to combat units in Japan, China and Formosa. The Q1W2 variant had a wooden rear fuselage and the Q1W1-K was all-wood four-seat variant for radar operators' training. The Allies codenamed the Q1W Lorna.