Hasegawa 1/48 Kawasaki T-4 "Blue Impulse" japan NEW

Plastic aircraft model assembly kit 118 parts.
Kawasaki T-4 is a twin-jet jet training machine of the Air Self Defense Force.

The Air Self Defense Force was forced to choose a new training machine to change to aging T-33A and T-1. A budget for the new practice aircraft was recognized in 1972 and the plan of MTX (New Intermediate Jet Training Machine) started.

Three aircraft manufacturers such as Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Fuji Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. competed with MTX which was to be developed by domestically produced machines, but Kawasaki Heavy Industries became the main contract company in September 1988 . The aircraft whose name was changed from MTX to X - T 4 was started in October 1988 with basic designs added with design members of Mitsubishi, Fuji, Shinmeiwa and Japan aircraft. The basic structure of the aircraft was decided by a twin engine, a middle wing arrangement, a tandem (longitudinal arrangement) cockpit arrangement.

Major changes from the initial design, there was a change in the main leg device.
Originally we planned to place the main leg in the T - 2 format, but it has been changed to the F - 104 format. Although the engine was examined including foreign-made, it was decided ultimately as the domestically produced XF-3 engine made by Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Industries, and domestic aircraft was born for both the aircraft and the engine.
This engine is a small turbofan engine with thrust of 1.6 tons and incorporating state-of-the-art technology, and the motor performance of this aircraft by the engine is on par with F-15.
In addition to this, XT - 4 was developed with numerous new technologies incorporated.
Adoption of composite materials for structural parts of the body, adoption of on-board oxygen generator (OBOGS = On-Board Oxygen Generating System), adoption of digital data bus, adoption of ring laser ・ gyro type AHRS, first in the Air Self Defense Force It is the crushing method escape device of the cap.

Unit 1 of XT - 4 rolled out at the Gifu Plant of Kawasaki Heavy Industries on April 17, 1985, and made the first flight on July 29 the same year.
After that, after using the four XT - 4s enough to perform various flight tests, it was delivered to the Defense Agency.

The mass-produced aircraft of T-4 was deployed in the 1st flight team of Hamamatsu in 1986 and replaced with T-33A. After that, the replacement with the T - 33A for communication by each flight group also proceeded in turn, and the next phase of replacement with T - 1A / B has also begun at Ashiya base 13 sects.
As a result, the pilot of the Air Self Defense Force switches from T - 3 of the primary practice machine reciprocating engine to T - 4 of the jet training machine and then turns into a reasonable training course to go to F - 15 DJ, F - 2 B .