Military Model Scene

I believe this one has been available for a while, but I hadn't seen it before.  Riich Models have some 1/72 kits as well as their 1/35 range.  Among them is this, the Japanese Type 4 Ka-Tsu amphibious tractor. Originally designed to be a cargo carrier, to be launched from a submarine and then be able to take supplies to troops on an island. The prototype was built in 1943 and only a small number were finally built. They then had the idea that by fitting two torpedoes on the upper deck, these might drive up over a reef and into a lagoon, where they might find US ships sheltering in the anchorage, and fire the torpedoes at close range. They never did go into action apparently. 

The kit is very nicely moulded and it came as a surprise when you see how large this is. It reminds me of the German Landwasserschlepper, but bigger still. The hull is a one piece moulding, with the deck and deck house, while two extra sprues carry all the roadwheels, suspension units and link-and-length tracks. The two torpedoes have the ir propeller blades as individual etch parts, which are small. I think these might be a little bit fiddly, and would have preferred to see them done as two 'rings' of blades, which then just need to be angled. However, individual blades is what we have, and the detail generally is very nicely done. Two colour schemes are suggested, one in plain green and the other with a 3-colour camouflage scheme.

I am looking forward to building this one, so will update with progress as I get along.

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Thanks to Riich Models for my example.

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Robin