WOW428 Ki-51 Sonia

Description

The Mitsubishi Ki-51 “Sonia” was a light bomber in service with the Japanese army during WW2, it first flew in mid-1939. Although not as well known as the A-6 Zero it served the army faithfully throughout its career.

The first two prototypes were completed in June and August 1939. Eleven service test aircraft followed by the end of the year – at this stage 6mm steel armour was added under the engine and cockpit.

It had originally been planned to produce two versions of the Ki-51 – the Army Type 99 Assault Plane and the Ki-51a Army Type 99 Tactical Reconnaissance Plane, carrying cameras in the rear cockpit. Instead of this the Army decided to give every Ki-51 the ability to carry cameras, and the aircraft could easily be swapped between roles in the field.

A total of 1,459 production aircraft were built by Mitsubishi and around 926 by the Tachikawa Dai-Ichi Rikugen Kokusho (the Army’s own arsenal). During the production run the 7.7mm wing guns were replaced by two 12.7mm machine guns, but otherwise the design remained unchanged, production of the Sonia ended in July 1945. Total production was around 2,385 units of all types.

The Ki-51 was first used in a close support role in China and then in every theatre where the Japanese army fought during the Second World War. Although the Ki-51 lacked speed it was manoeuvrable, and unusually for a Japanese aircraft of the Second War, well protected. It was also easy to maintain and could operate from small airfields close to the front line.  Only in the last few months of the war were the last surviving aircraft used for kamikaze missions, carrying one 551lb bomb under the fuselage.

On the day Hiroshima was destroyed by an atomic bomb, a single Ki-51 was responsible for the last Japanese sinking of a US submarine during WW2, the USS Bullhead with all hands lost at sea.

Our 1/30 scale Sonia comes in an eye catching swirl pattern camouflage pattern, is priced at $799 plus shipping and is limited to three in number worldwide. The figures and accessories are shown for scale comparison purposes only and are not included.