cyber-hobby.com 1/35 IJN Type 2 Ka-Mi with pontoons - box art

Now I have to admit to being pleased to have the chance to take a close look at, and with the intention of building, the recent release in the cyber-hobby.com range of the Japanese Type 2 Ka-Mi tank that comes complete with the floatation pontoons.  I won't go into too much detail as subscribers can check out the superb article by Steve Zaloga (in the Digital Issues section of course) published last year in Vol41, Issue 11, which covers lots of the history of the vehicle, along with many archive photos of them on Saipan in 1944.  It also includes the details of the added floatation cells, or 'pontoons'.  A little like Steve, this is one that has held some fascination for me over many years, so good to see such an excellent model of it.
 
The kit naturally includes the basic kit of the combat tank of the Type 2 Ka-Mi, the one which impressed Steve when it was first released last year without the floatation cells.  So the difference is of course the inclusion of the huge (in relation to the tank itself) front and rear floatation cells and the high air intake and built up sections for the commanders small turret.  It includes copper wire to create the control cables for the rudders on the back of the rear floatation cell.  With these in place it will of course make this look a much larger tank than it really is but makes for simply one of those fascinating models for me of what has been used in action over the years.  Very nice to see another Japanese WW2 subject, and one which is very different to the well known Type 97 Chi-Ha for example.  Only a plain IJN grey colour scheme, as they were operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy of course, but if you check out Steve's original article, he gave notes on how he used some tropical foliage to add a bit more colour.  In building this, it just leaves the question of building it all together, or into a diorama as the tank moves off having jetisonned the floatation cells on the beach.
 
The cyber-hobby.com range is imported to the UK by Amerang, who are the distributors for the brand.
 
For full information on cyber-hobby.com products, please see their website