Hasegawa 1/200 KC-767J and E-767 AWACS JASDF Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

The KC-135 entered production in the mid-1950s and the last production tanker came off the line in 1965. Where the KC-135 was a specially-designed tanker solution, the US Air Force wanted a tanker based upon a commercial airframe and the 767 was selected. The Air Force awarded a contract to Boeing in 2002 for the tanker but this soon ran afoul of politics and the contract was scuttled, opened for competition which brought the Airbus A330 as an alternative which won that competition. Once again politics scuttled that award and Boeing won the third (and final) attempt. In the meantime, Boeing had already pushed forward on the KC-767 concept and sold the first four tankers to the Italian Air Force and Japan followed with four tankers for the JASDF.

Before the development of the KC-767, Japan wanted to purchase their own E-3 Sentry AWACS platform in 1991, but production of the core 707 airframe had ended. Instead, Boeing installed the E-3's AWACS systems in a 767-200 airframe and Japan eventually procured four E-767 aircraft for the JASDF.

Here is Hasegawa's 1/200 Boeing 767-200 dual kit special to replicate the KC-767J tanker and E-767 AWACS. There are two complete kits in the box, the E-767 comes with the standard three parts trees molded in light gray plus the special tree in gray, one in clear, and one in tinted clear (optional model stand). The KC-767 also comes with the standard three parts trees plus two special trees, one in clear, and one in tinted clear. Duplicate trees are not shown. The kits offer the following features and options:

• Simple construction
• Cockpit bulkhead serves as mount for heavy screws used for ballast
• Landing gear is posed extended only
• High speed refueling boom (KC-767)
• Radar dome and mount (E-767)
• Wings for E-767 have HF antennas on tips (shown) while the tanker does not

Marking options are provided to replicate any of the aircraft in servicet:

• E-767A, 64-3501, 501, AEWG, JASDF
• E-767A, 64-3502, 502, AEWG, JASDF
• E-767A, 74-3503, 503, AEWG, JASDF
• E-767A, 84-3504, 504, AEWG, JASDF
• KC-767J, 87-3601, 601, ADTW, JASDF
• KC-767J, 87-3602, 602, 404 SQ/1 TAG, JASDF
• KC-767J, 97-3603, 603, 404 SQ/1 TAG, JASDF
• KC-767J, 07-3604, 604, 404 SQ/1 TAG, JASDF

The decal sheet has a nice set of maintenance stencils for the airframes as well as the distinctive markings for each of the subjects above.

Overall, this really is a nice kit which provides some well-thought-out options for the two different types of 767 special mission aircraft. Have some fun and give this release a turn on your bench!

My sincere thanks to Hasegawa USA for this review sample!