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Dragon: Type 4 "Ke-Nu"
varanusk
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ARMORAMA
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Posted: Sunday, September 25, 2016 - 12:37 PM UTC


There is a new WWII Japanese tank from Dragon, the Type 4 "Ke-Nu".

Read the Full News Story

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
Me109G10
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Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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Posted: Sunday, September 25, 2016 - 03:52 PM UTC
WOW This is superb!!! I hope that they will also produce some IJA and IJN Trucks and more figures some day! - Maybe Guadalcanal japanese Infantry?
Me109G10
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Posted: Sunday, September 25, 2016 - 03:53 PM UTC
And maybe they will produce the Chi Ha as well since they already have the turret now! Gotta love the japanese stuff of WW2
Cantstopbuyingkits
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Posted: Sunday, September 25, 2016 - 04:49 PM UTC
Nice, I hope they'll do even more Jqpqnese vehicles after this.
white4doc
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Posted: Sunday, September 25, 2016 - 06:08 PM UTC
I heard some chatter on another site that there might be a problem with the accuracy on the hull, it's apparently based on the Type 4 in Kubinka which doesn't have the modification to the MG position to accommodate the larger turret ring.
vettejack
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Posted: Sunday, September 25, 2016 - 08:14 PM UTC
Kinda makes you wonder a little bit if Fine Molds will 'duplicate' this version. Would make for great copy, and it would start a bit of a price 'war'. Won't hold my breath however...Find Molds is pretty anemic with their 1/35 IJA releases...

On the other hand...will probably add this to the stash. Either way, should prove to be a highly detailed vehicle and most welcomed to the IJA WW2 family...can never get enough of them...
M4A1Sherman
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Posted: Monday, September 26, 2016 - 06:35 PM UTC
[quote]

There is a new WWII Japanese tank from Dragon, the Type 4 "Ke-Nu".

Read the Full News Story

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks![/q

Hi, All!

My only beef about this kit is that DRAGON chose to include those "DS" Tracks. I would have preferred that they had included their all-new "Neo Tracks", which are Link-and-length Tracks, as they are doing with their new Hetzer-based kits- I anticipate that it will be difficult for some modellers to replicate the pronounced "Track-sag" that was so prevalent on WWII Japanese Armor. If any of you guys have built DRAGON's other WWII Japanese Armor, you'll know what I'm talking about. Of course, there are aftermarket Track sets out there, but not everyone wants to spend the money for Track sets that sometimes can, and do, exceed the cost of the kit that they are intended for!

Otherwise, I'm happy that DRAGON chose to produce this variant of the HA-GO-series Tanks! Aside of their "DS" Tracks, DRAGON's HA-GO-series, and KA-MI-series kits are EXQUISITE!!!

I'd really like to see more Japanese Army and Imperial Marines Infantry, with new "Gen 2" weapons and equipment!
Cantstopbuyingkits
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European Union
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Posted: Monday, September 26, 2016 - 10:37 PM UTC
Did you really have to quote the entire thread OP for your comment, Dennis?
M4A1Sherman
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Posted: Monday, September 26, 2016 - 11:47 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Did you really have to quote the entire thread OP for your comment, Dennis?


Sorry to upset you, Tim- Didn't know that the entire thread would come up; usually it just comes up with one of the quotes. maybe I'm doing something wrong somewhere. I'm not a "computer whiz" like most of the guys on this site...
TonyE78
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Hordaland, Norway
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Posted: Tuesday, September 27, 2016 - 01:28 AM UTC
Seems to be some turret interior details aswell.
Zvierboi
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Posted: Tuesday, September 27, 2016 - 09:43 PM UTC
I think I'll just build the MR Modellbau offing I have in my stash.
russamotto
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Posted: Wednesday, September 28, 2016 - 08:25 PM UTC
The upper hull has been modified to fit the turret, with the hull MG position extended and the driver's port modified. Engine hatch hinges have been moved and some rivets made flush from what it appears. Some of this is based on the very limited photo evidence, and the rest (hull top) is pure speculation as no one knows what it looked like.

Fine Molds has been somewhat active still, with several kits re-released under the girls und panzer series. They have a new figure set and Kurogane coming out. What I really want to see is a kit with full interior and crew. At least there is some attention from manufacturers in this area. Maybe Voyager could be encouraged to do some indy link tracks for IJA subjects.
PantherF
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Posted: Thursday, September 29, 2016 - 12:05 AM UTC
This is great news! I had never heard of this version.

Matter of fact I was just reading about this the other day about how only a hundred or so were made and they saw little to no action.






Jeff
Hudson29
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Posted: Thursday, September 29, 2016 - 05:21 AM UTC
This is great news. I do hope Dragon will go on to make the vehicles that Tamiya has made for so many years. It would be great to have modern versions.
Beastmaster
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Posted: Thursday, September 29, 2016 - 10:31 AM UTC
Great but I agree about the link and length instead of those sodding DS tracks. How is anyone going to do the sag with those damn things?
M4A1Sherman
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Posted: Thursday, September 29, 2016 - 06:20 PM UTC

Quoted Text

This is great news! I had never heard of this version.

Matter of fact I was just reading about this the other day about how only a hundred or so were made and they saw little to no action.






Jeff


The Japanese Army also developed a 6-wheeled (per side, that is) HA-GO, designated as the "Type 98A, KE-NI", which employed a lot more welding in it's construction. 200 of these were built. As an alternative to the 98A, the experimental Type 98B, KE-NI was also built as a sub-type and tested, but was not accepted for production. It featured 4 large Road Wheels, with Christie-type Running Gear, Rear-wheel Drive, and no Return Rollers. The Suspension was by Individual Bell Cranks, connected by Coil Springs...

The latter was kind of a neat-looking little vehicle, reminiscent of Germany's Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.D, and the US Army's T4-series Combat & Scout Cars of the early 1930s... Wish someone would make a couple of representatives of these, but that'd be a REEEAL STRETCH...
russamotto
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Posted: Thursday, September 29, 2016 - 06:51 PM UTC
David, I use a thin piece of wire glued to the inside of the track run along the return rollers. I place the track and bend to shape, then glue the track to the rollers to help hold the sag in place. If never touched again, the tracks will be fine. I moved My Ka-Mi on the shelf and the track broke.
PantherF
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Posted: Thursday, September 29, 2016 - 06:51 PM UTC

Quoted Text


The Japanese Army also developed a 6-wheeled (per side, that is) HA-GO, designated as the "Type 98A, KE-NI", which employed a lot more welding in it's construction. 200 of these were built. As an alternative to the 98A, the experimental Type 98B, KE-NI was also built as a sub-type and tested, but was not accepted for production. It featured 4 large Road Wheels, with Christie-type Running Gear, Rear-wheel Drive, and no Return Rollers. The Suspension was by Individual Bell Cranks, connected by Coil Springs...

The latter was kind of a neat-looking little vehicle, reminiscent of Germany's Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.D, and the US Army's T4-series Combat & Scout Cars of the early 1930s... Wish someone would make a couple of representatives of these, but that'd be a REEEAL STRETCH...



I just looked that up... so weird looking but then I saw the Mitsubishi "B" version and I immediately thought T-34 type road wheels without return rollers.

The things one learns with a new release.




Jeff
M4A1Sherman
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Posted: Sunday, October 02, 2016 - 09:52 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text


The Japanese Army also developed a 6-wheeled (per side, that is) HA-GO, designated as the "Type 98A, KE-NI", which employed a lot more welding in it's construction. 200 of these were built. As an alternative to the 98A, the experimental Type 98B, KE-NI was also built as a sub-type and tested, but was not accepted for production. It featured 4 large Road Wheels, with Christie-type Running Gear, Rear-wheel Drive, and no Return Rollers. The Suspension was by Individual Bell Cranks, connected by Coil Springs...

The latter was kind of a neat-looking little vehicle, reminiscent of Germany's Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.D, and the US Army's T4-series Combat & Scout Cars of the early 1930s... Wish someone would make a couple of representatives of these, but that'd be a REEEAL STRETCH...



I just looked that up... so weird looking but then I saw the Mitsubishi "B" version and I immediately thought T-34 type road wheels without return rollers.

The things one learns with a new release.




Jeff


Hi, Jeff!

I think the Type 98B "KE-NI" is kinda cute, myself...

Maybe I'll convert one of my spare "HA-GO"s someday...

Gotta figure out how I'm gonna build those larger Road Wheels, though- Four 1/35 T-34 Road Wheels would be too big, and too wide for that particular Tank- I THINK only three 1/35 T-34 Road Wheels MAY fit, but they would still be way too wide for this application...

You have to remember that the whole "HA-GO" and "KA-MI"-series of Tanks were pretty tiny in comparison to other combatants' armor...

Those Road Wheels really aren't much like anything else out there that I could use for a scratch-built or a converted "master" to be used in a resin-pour, or else I'll just have to build them up, altogether... Hm... 1/48 T-34 Road Wheels..? I dunno...
M4A1Sherman
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Posted: Sunday, October 02, 2016 - 10:05 PM UTC

Quoted Text

David, I use a thin piece of wire glued to the inside of the track run along the return rollers. I place the track and bend to shape, then glue the track to the rollers to help hold the sag in place. If never touched again, the tracks will be fine. I moved My Ka-Mi on the shelf and the track broke.


Nice try, Russ! Unfortunately, I think that A/M Tracks are the only way to replicate that obvious "track-sag" at this point...
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