Dragon earlier produced a simply stunning 1/35 scale Smart Kit of the Japanese Type 2 “Ka-Mi” amphibious tank, and now it has been used as a platform to create a 1/72 plastic kit. The Type 2 was the first amphibious tank used by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). It was designed for Japanese landing forces performing amphibious invasions of Pacific islands that didn’t have regular port facilities. Production commenced in 1942 and a total of 184 Type 2 amphibious tanks were made, although the design was too late to participate in Japan’s island-hopping campaign. When used in water, large pontoons were attached to the glacis plate and rear deck to give it a top speed of 10km/h. These pontoons could be shed as soon as it reached land. The turret featured a 3.7cm Type 1 gun and coaxial Type 97 machine gun.

Dragon’s 1/72 scale kit uses 100% new toolings. Fully utilising Dragon’s technological expertise, the result is another masterpiece of accurate kit engineering. The upper hull and lower hull components are both made as single pieces thanks to the employment of slide moulds. The kit is closely based on measurements taken from a surviving tank on Peleliu (present-day Palau). This ensures that the kit of the Type 2 tank without its flotation pontoons is accurately dimensioned. The Ka-Mi also includes DS tracks for easy assembly of the complicated track links. This is a swimmingly good kit, a fitting counterpart to its larger 1/35 brother!

Exquisite Type 2 newly produced
One-piece upper hull made from 3-directional slide mold
Ventilation grill produced in maximum details
3-directional slide-moulded one-piece lower hull
Hatch on turret can be assembled open/closed
True-to-scale ultra-thin propellers
Injection moulded float attachments w/crisp details
Intricate idler wheels and return rollers accurately produced
Sprocket wheels w/breathtaking detail
Suspension system offers easy assembly
One-piece DS track reproduced

Unassembled and unpainted
Paint and glue not included