Since the last AoJ survey of Hasegawa 1/72 Aichi E13A1 'Jake' kits in November 2016 (seems like yesterday!) here, the long running 'only game in town' for that scale has seen further re-releases. Box art and details as follows:-
A combo kit released in 2018 featuring 'Jake' with markings options for Z1-23 or ZI-26 (prescient!) and an A6M2-N Suisen 'Rufe' with markings options for YII-105 orYII-107 from Kamikawa Maru.
A combo kit released in 2020 featuring 'Jake' with less well known markings options for 'Omi-4' (オミ-4) or 'Omi-5' and Kawanishi E7K1 Type 94 Model 1 'Alf' with markings options for 'Omi-3' and 'Omi-6' from the Ominato Ku. Ominato Ku established in 1933 and was based near the city of that name in Japan located in northern Honshu. The IJN's Ōminato Guard District (大湊警備府,Ōminato Keibifu) monitored the Tsugaru Strait between Honshu and Hokkaidō and patrolled the Hokkaidō, Karafuto and Kurile Islands coastlines. It operated various aircraft types deployed for crew training, reconnaissance, escort duties and air defence . In December 1944 it was disbanded and incorporated into 90 Ku.
In 2022 a re-release of 'Jake' and catapult with markings options for B3-11 and B3-12 from the battleship Kongo in 1943. The accompanying made up model shown as heading image draws attention to the canopy profile but otherwise looks 'no bad'. Perhaps one reason we might not see a kit from any other manufacturer in this scale. But surely Hasegawa know and should at least replace the canopy with a new tooled item? The battleship was built by Vickers in England for the IJN and launched as Kongo in May 1912. Kongo had a long and distinguished service with her floatplanes playing a significant part in Pacific War campaigns until she was sunk by submarine USS Sea Lion II (SS-315) in a torpedo attack off Formosa on 21 November 1944.
In 2023 a re-release of 'Jake' and catapult with markings options for a clandestine overall grey 'X-5' on Kimikawamaru operating near the Kurile Islands in 1942 or a green over grey X-7 on the same vessel operating in the Aleutians the same year. The decal sheet included a run of white codes from X-2 to X-7 to represent any of the seven aircraft aboard that vessel.
That's it folks! Please let me know if I've missed any. Stay tuned for more 'Jake' later.
Image credit: All box art and images via HobbySearch Japan.