Japan Kawasaki T-4 Trainer "Blue Impulse", 2010 HA3901 Hobby Master 1:72 Scale

Highly detailed Hobby Master Japan Kawasaki T-4 Trainer "Blue Impulse", 2010 HA3901 Hobby Master #1, 11th Squadron “Blue Impulse,” 4th Air Wing, Japanese Air Self- Defense Force. True 1/72 scale Professionally painted Great attention to detail All markings are Tampoed (pad applied) Option to display the model on a stand that is provided Model can be shown with the landing gear in the down or up positions Canopy can be displayed open or closed Extremely heavy metal with a minimum of plastic The Kawasaki T-4 is a subsonic intermediate jet trainer used by the JASDF. In November 1981 Kawasaki was awarded the contract to produce 220 T-4s with the actual final production number being 208. The aircraft was designed to replace the Lockheed T-33 and Fuji T-1. The first prototype flew on July 29, 1985 with the first production aircraft flying in June 1988 and delivery of the first T-4 to the 31st and 32nd Flying Training Squadrons, 1st Air Wing 3 months later. The Blue Impulse is the 11th Squadron, 4th Air Wing of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the national aerobatic demonstration team. They formed in 1960 and originally named Tenryu but changed to Blue Impulse. Their first aircraft were 6 F-86 Sabres and in 1982 after 545 demonstrations they moved to the Matsushima Air Base and began using the Mitsubishi T-2. The T-2 was used for 175 demonstrations until 1996 when they switched to the Kawasaki T-4. They maintain 9 aircraft of which 2 are spares.