Well done Jon. I really like this kit due to the simplicity yet decent detail it has. Whenever I build the cockpits of these aircraft I have a whole new respect for those that flew them as pulling G’s on a pice of metal must’ve have been torture on one’s bottom and back! Thanks and ride on!
@SCSuperheavy114 Thank you! When you consider that, regardless of country or type of aircraft, there were more losses due to mechanical failure, pilot error, training accidents, and weather than due to combat, it's sobering. The young men and women who flew these machines were a special breed. Cheers!
It was a really good kit in its time, and is still not bad...and fun to build. The best Raidens now are the ones by Hasegawa...in both 1/48 and 1/32 scale. (And there is a superb 1/32 Raiden by Zoukei-Mura.)
Hey Jon, my old go to kit manufacturer still looks pretty good. , I recognized the brown ink on instructions. It didn't take long for them to improve that nicely scaled surface quality however ironically almost every kit I did build consistently had canopy problems that occasionally really detracted from the finished model. . I have gone to a lot of dry fitting these days, plus using the old tube Testors glue for long seam lines on wings and fuselage I'm coming closer to finding a paint process for my B58 project, its going to take a lot of paint mules before I get to the finished model.. Looking forward to next Saturday review, Cheers Bob
Yep, your experience echos mine with the Otaki/Arii kits. I'm sure the B-58 will look awesome when you're finished with it. They're such a cool-looking plane. Cheers!
Never had the Otaki or Arii 1/48 J2M3. I have had several original Otaki boxings (Bf 109G5/G-6 x2, Fw 190A-8) and (Microace) Arii repops (Ki-61-1, N1K1-Ja) over the years though as well as the venerable Tamiya 1/48 J2M3 released in the exact same year as the Otaki kit, so it was interesting for me to watch this build review of the Arii repop. IME the Arii kitted repops when directly compared with the original Otaki boxed releases are generally inferior. Same moulds, but the mould wear varies with the popularity of the type and so number of kits produced over their lifespan. The decals are changed in some kits so as to completely differ and be simplified and of inferior quality different the versions provided in the original Otaki kit, not as depicted on the extant box art replicated on the Arii boxes which coincide with the originally included decals. They also conflict with original liveries on the unrevised instructions. Clear parts in the Arii kits are noticeably thinner, but not as flawlessly transparent or as good a fit OOTB which you illustrate well in your vid. Arii's Ki-61-I kit A323-800 a specific case in point ref all the aforementioned factors. Originally 1/48 Otaki kits all featured a beautiful colour print like included Tamiya vintage kits still do, but this has been omitted in the case of those kits where decals and colour scemes have been changed. Again the Ki-61 kit is a victim of this. OTOH, comparitively the Arii N1K1-Ja sprues still present in tip top condition, the original colour print is included, and its decals match the box art, colour print, and instrucitons although I don't have a comparative in its instance of the the included decals which are poor and scant to compare with the quality of the originals. Back to the J2M3. Cockpit and figurine/s in particular is inferior to the Tamiya version, vintage simplicity as the Tamiya cockpit is but provided with a sitting and standing much better quality Japanese figurines x2. The Tamiya kit's transparency is superior and a current kit boxings still a perfect fit as are all the parts. (I recently built it). I loved Otaki, and still think the Arri kit builds into a good looking recognisable kit of the J2M3 for standoff display which can be improved with extra work (e.g. polishing the canopy & finessing its fit), and it is hypothetically cheaper than the Tamiya kit but not as well distributed internationally and so a purchase other than chancing second hand on eBay or swap meets usually involves a postage cost from Japan if one wants it/new. Worth building, but if I had to choose, I'd pay the minuscule exta for the these days still ultra inexpensive Tamiya kit which still comes up a treat in its warpaint. So good, Tamiya haven't yet decided to retool it. The Hasegawa version tooled in 1996 is a step up again over both, typical of that mid 1995s through 2005 period. But it's hard to get outside Japan, and costs twice as much whether self-imported or bought from local distribution. Their 2011 tooled 1/32 version is just gorgeous. Very detailed. A bargain in 1/32. Zoukei-Mura the utimate for those who want to venture there in price or build complexity. I have the 1/32 Hasegawa kit. Back to Arii. For 1973, this was excellent. Tamiyas release for the same year, in comparative terms superlative.
Hello Jon, congratulations on the video, it is always very nice to see old kits with new eyes. As for their characteristics, I think it is better than the Tamiya kit on the outside, on the inside I think the Tamiya kit is a little better, as for comparing the pilot, I wouldn't know, since it was not shown, at least in Tamiya they are still good details. Finally, it is a kit that despite those bad details, you can get a great result, I have not built the Hasegawa kit, only the Tamiya, I still have to do it... greetings Jon and until the next video
I have built both this kit and the almost-as-old Tamiya Raiden kit. I also have 2 Hasegawa kits as well. On my Otaki kit the decals were basically destroyed by age, so I used one of the Tamiya kit options. I noticed and fixed the offset on the Scoop but my canopy was very nice and without issues.
I built the Arii/Otaki Raiden, Ki-100 and the Ki-43. Of the 3, I thought the Oscar was the worst, but they are all nice kits, were a joy to build, and look very respectable sitting next to a Hasegawa Tony and George.
Now, I'm going to go out on a limb here. I am of the opinion that this kit was to be built with the option to have the propeller and cowling come off, to show the detailed engine. Out of the ones I've seen from Otaki/Arii, this one has the most detailed engine. It's a shame to be hidden. I currently have this back on the bench. I never noticed the the offset scoop and the nonexistent hole for the column. Nice catch. For the time, they were ahead of their time. Great work, Jon. Keep 'em coming!
@cellardwellerproductions5125 Thanks! I detail painted the engine, but it won't be seen, save for the pictures of it. I wish I would have caught the scoop error prior to glue. But wet glue is a better time to catch it than after the glue has set. Let me know how yours turns out. Cheers!
Have a couple from Otaki/ Arii, Hasegawa & Tamiya. Some built some stashed. W/ these kits (any actually), U except what's in the box & go from there or get after it warts & all. GR8 vid & Many thanx 👍👍
I have this kit, never built it though. But by examining it closely, compared to the approximately same date Tamiya J2M3, this one is a close 2nd place. Worth building!
I was hoping you were going to post about your Eduard I-16. I'm working on the landing gear and want to kill someone.....LOL It's obviously doable, but I wish these manufacturers would give us the option to build them wheels up. The little I-16 looks cool with the wheels up.
I like Otaki kits released in recent years by Microace. I concede they're as good as Monogram kits of the time, but I can't understand why they're sold at prices as high as the latest Eduard kits in Mexico.
@daviddealba1988 I'm not sure why they're so expensive there. They are very inexpensive in the US. The low price is a major incentive to buy them here. Cheers!
Hi Jon, I really appreciate you reviewing these older kits. Many of which I built as a kid.
@@georgepeacock2837 Thanks, George!
Otaki-Arrii kits indeed still hold up to a certain extend with their mould quality. Quite an achievement for 50 year old kits 🤗
@@DutchDaveModels Right on!
Well done Jon. I really like this kit due to the simplicity yet decent detail it has. Whenever I build the cockpits of these aircraft I have a whole new respect for those that flew them as pulling G’s on a pice of metal must’ve have been torture on one’s bottom and back! Thanks and ride on!
@SCSuperheavy114 Thank you! When you consider that, regardless of country or type of aircraft, there were more losses due to mechanical failure, pilot error, training accidents, and weather than due to combat, it's sobering. The young men and women who flew these machines were a special breed. Cheers!
It was a really good kit in its time, and is still not bad...and fun to build. The best Raidens now are the ones by Hasegawa...in both 1/48 and 1/32 scale. (And there is a superb 1/32 Raiden by Zoukei-Mura.)
@@georgecoventry8441 Right on!
Hey Jon, my old go to kit manufacturer still looks pretty good. , I recognized the brown ink on instructions. It didn't take long for them to improve that nicely scaled surface quality however ironically almost every kit I did build consistently had canopy problems that occasionally really detracted from the finished model. . I have gone to a lot of dry fitting these days, plus using the old tube Testors glue for long seam lines
on wings and fuselage I'm coming closer to finding a paint process for my B58 project, its going to take a lot of paint mules before I get to the finished model.. Looking forward to next Saturday review, Cheers Bob
Yep, your experience echos mine with the Otaki/Arii kits. I'm sure the B-58 will look awesome when you're finished with it. They're such a cool-looking plane. Cheers!
Never had the Otaki or Arii 1/48 J2M3. I have had several original Otaki boxings (Bf 109G5/G-6 x2, Fw 190A-8) and (Microace) Arii repops (Ki-61-1, N1K1-Ja) over the years though as well as the venerable Tamiya 1/48 J2M3 released in the exact same year as the Otaki kit, so it was interesting for me to watch this build review of the Arii repop.
IME the Arii kitted repops when directly compared with the original Otaki boxed releases are generally inferior. Same moulds, but the mould wear varies with the popularity of the type and so number of kits produced over their lifespan. The decals are changed in some kits so as to completely differ and be simplified and of inferior quality different the versions provided in the original Otaki kit, not as depicted on the extant box art replicated on the Arii boxes which coincide with the originally included decals. They also conflict with original liveries on the unrevised instructions. Clear parts in the Arii kits are noticeably thinner, but not as flawlessly transparent or as good a fit OOTB which you illustrate well in your vid. Arii's Ki-61-I kit A323-800 a specific case in point ref all the aforementioned factors.
Originally 1/48 Otaki kits all featured a beautiful colour print like included Tamiya vintage kits still do, but this has been omitted in the case of those kits where decals and colour scemes have been changed. Again the Ki-61 kit is a victim of this. OTOH, comparitively the Arii N1K1-Ja sprues still present in tip top condition, the original colour print is included, and its decals match the box art, colour print, and instrucitons although I don't have a comparative in its instance of the the included decals which are poor and scant to compare with the quality of the originals.
Back to the J2M3. Cockpit and figurine/s in particular is inferior to the Tamiya version, vintage simplicity as the Tamiya cockpit is but provided with a sitting and standing much better quality Japanese figurines x2. The Tamiya kit's transparency is superior and a current kit boxings still a perfect fit as are all the parts. (I recently built it). I loved Otaki, and still think the Arri kit builds into a good looking recognisable kit of the J2M3 for standoff display which can be improved with extra work (e.g. polishing the canopy & finessing its fit), and it is hypothetically cheaper than the Tamiya kit but not as well distributed internationally and so a purchase other than chancing second hand on eBay or swap meets usually involves a postage cost from Japan if one wants it/new. Worth building, but if I had to choose, I'd pay the minuscule exta for the these days still ultra inexpensive Tamiya kit which still comes up a treat in its warpaint. So good, Tamiya haven't yet decided to retool it. The Hasegawa version tooled in 1996 is a step up again over both, typical of that mid 1995s through 2005 period. But it's hard to get outside Japan, and costs twice as much whether self-imported or bought from local distribution. Their 2011 tooled 1/32 version is just gorgeous. Very detailed. A bargain in 1/32. Zoukei-Mura the utimate for those who want to venture there in price or build complexity. I have the 1/32 Hasegawa kit.
Back to Arii. For 1973, this was excellent. Tamiyas release for the same year, in comparative terms superlative.
Right on!
Hello Jon, congratulations on the video, it is always very nice to see old kits with new eyes.
As for their characteristics, I think it is better than the Tamiya kit on the outside, on the inside I think the Tamiya kit is a little better, as for comparing the pilot,
I wouldn't know, since it was not shown, at least in Tamiya they are still good details.
Finally, it is a kit that despite those bad details, you can get a great result, I have not built the Hasegawa kit, only the Tamiya, I still have to do it... greetings Jon and until the next video
@@franciscovenegas1810 Thanks, Francisco! I definitely enjoy trying to get a good result out of these older kits. Cheers!
I have built both this kit and the almost-as-old Tamiya Raiden kit. I also have 2 Hasegawa kits as well. On my Otaki kit the decals were basically destroyed by age, so I used one of the Tamiya kit options. I noticed and fixed the offset on the Scoop but my canopy was very nice and without issues.
@@brettpeacock9116 Nice! It's good to hear that the flaws in my clear parts aren't common in all the boxings. Cheers!
I built the Arii/Otaki Raiden, Ki-100 and the Ki-43. Of the 3, I thought the Oscar was the worst, but they are all nice kits, were a joy to build, and look very respectable sitting next to a Hasegawa Tony and George.
@@57hound Right on! The Ki-100 was my favorite of those kits. Cheers!
Now, I'm going to go out on a limb here. I am of the opinion that this kit was to be built with the option to have the propeller and cowling come off, to show the detailed engine. Out of the ones I've seen from Otaki/Arii, this one has the most detailed engine. It's a shame to be hidden.
I currently have this back on the bench. I never noticed the the offset scoop and the nonexistent hole for the column.
Nice catch.
For the time, they were ahead of their time.
Great work, Jon.
Keep 'em coming!
@cellardwellerproductions5125 Thanks! I detail painted the engine, but it won't be seen, save for the pictures of it. I wish I would have caught the scoop error prior to glue. But wet glue is a better time to catch it than after the glue has set. Let me know how yours turns out. Cheers!
Have a couple from Otaki/ Arii, Hasegawa & Tamiya. Some built some stashed. W/ these kits (any actually), U except what's in the box & go from there or get after it warts & all.
GR8 vid & Many thanx 👍👍
Thanks Michael!
Fala aí colega !! Você está bem ? Tudo de bom pra você...
Estou bem, obrigado.
I have this kit, never built it though. But by examining it closely, compared to the approximately same date Tamiya J2M3, this one is a close 2nd place. Worth building!
Right on!
I was hoping you were going to post about your Eduard I-16. I'm working on the landing gear and want to kill someone.....LOL It's obviously doable, but I wish these manufacturers would give us the option to build them wheels up. The little I-16 looks cool with the wheels up.
That's true! Plus, the I-16 has unusually complex gear and doors for a simple aircraft. I'll try to get to the Eduard I-16 review soon. Cheers!
Just subscribed. Great channel. Older kits are not undesirable.
@@wkelly3053 Thanks for the subscription!
Do not over glue when your glueing with glue.
@robmarsh6668 🤔 very true!
I like Otaki kits released in recent years by Microace. I concede they're as good as Monogram kits of the time, but I can't understand why they're sold at prices as high as the latest Eduard kits in Mexico.
@daviddealba1988 I'm not sure why they're so expensive there. They are very inexpensive in the US. The low price is a major incentive to buy them here. Cheers!