This modeler considers the Ki-61 to be the best looking aircraft to be produced by the Japanese during WWII. I'm sure there will be those with differing opinions and that is fine. Radial engines may be easer to maintain, but the liquid cooled engine just provides greater opportunity for the aerodynamicist to produce a swoopy-looking plane!

The 68 (and 78) Sentai are indelibly linked to the Ki-61 as these two units are the first to get the Ki-61 and take it into combat. This book is the story of those two sentais and the success and failures of the plane in the southwestern Pacific.

When the units arrived to trade in their Ki-43s on this plane, they were initially apprehensive about it. Liquid-cooled planes were not the norm in the JAAF and the Ki-61's wasn't exactly the most reliable. Compound that with the fact that most of the unit's mechanics had no experience with the type and that wasn't a good omen.

Once in the air with the plane, the pilot's apprehension soon evaporated as the aircraft was a joy to fly. Fast, too! Still under-armed by modern standards, that was fixed with later versions by the addition of two 20mm Oraklion cannon which were often field-fitted to existing aircraft.

First deployment of both sentais was to Rabaul, where they soon learned that the engines did not like the tropical climate at all. Engine failures were a problem as they easily overheated and wore rapidly in the hot, humid and often dusty environment. Moving to New Guinea to try to stem the reverses and Allied juggernaut, the pilots of the 68th and 78th sentais fought valiantly, but were often outnumbers. Combine that with mechanical difficulties, lack of spare parts and a growing loss of experienced pilots, it was fated that these units would soon be without aircraft. The result was that valuable pilots and ground crews were soon to join the soldiers on the ground in dying for their country in the jungles of New Guinea.

This book is typical of the Kagero multi-language publications. The left side of each page is in Polish and the right side is in some form of English. The quality of the translations seems dependent on the author. Mr. Janowicz's books are among the lower quality range of translations. Though rife with syntax errors, it can be read once one gets used to the odd word usage. In his defense, this is not the worst book as some of the earlier ones are really badly translated.

There are the usual superb profiles and a nice fold-out in the middle. Pictures are not as plentiful as with other books, but that is because surviving period photographs just are not to be found. The goodie in this book is a very nice Techmod decal sheet in both 1/72 and 1/48 scale that cover all of the 8 profiles (which are concentrated on the covers and center spread). Additional unit fin markings are provided in various chutai colors.

Despite the translation, the book provides a lot of information on these two units and their operation of this very cool aircraft. If your interest is in the Japanese AAF in WWII or the Ki-61, you should consider this one for your shelves.

Purchased by me.

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