Hasegawa D12 1/72 Kawasaki T-4 Japan Air Self-Defence Force Trainer

The Kawasaki T-4 is a twin-engine jet trainer aircraft used by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force was faced with the need to select a new training aircraft to replace its aging T-33A and T-1 aircraft. In fiscal year 1981, the budget for a new training aircraft was approved, and the MTX (New Intermediate Jet Trainer) project began.
The MTX, which was to be developed as a purely domestically produced aircraft, saw competition from three aircraft manufacturers: Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Fuji Heavy Industries.
In September 1984, Kawasaki Heavy Industries became the prime contractor. The aircraft, which was renamed from MTX to X-T4 , began its basic design in October 1984 with the addition of design members from Mitsubishi, Fuji, ShinMaywa, and Nihon Aircraft. The basic structure of the aircraft was decided to be twin-engine, mid-wing configuration, and tandem (longitudinal) cockpit configuration.
A major change from the initial design was the modification of the main landing gear.
Initially, a T-2 type landing gear configuration was planned, but this was changed to the F-104 type.
Although foreign-made engines were considered, the domestically produced XF-3 engine manufactured by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries was ultimately chosen, resulting in an aircraft with both a domestically produced airframe and engine. This engine is a small turbofan engine incorporating the latest technology with a thrust of 1.6 tons, and the aircraft's maneuverability with this engine is on par with that of the F-15
In addition, the XT-4 was developed incorporating numerous new technologies. These include the extensive use of composite materials in the airframe structure, the adoption of an On-Board Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS), the adoption of a digital data bus, the adoption of a ring-laser-gyro type AHRS, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's first capsule-crushing escape system.
The first XT-4 aircraft rolled out at Kawasaki Heavy Industries' Gifu Plant on April 17, 1985, and made its maiden flight on July 29 of the same year. After conducting various flight tests using four XT-4s, it was delivered to the Japan Defense Agency.
The mass-produced T-4s were deployed to the 1st Air Wing in Hamamatsu in 1988, replacing the T-33A. Subsequently, the replacement of liaison T-33A aircraft in each air wing progressed sequentially, and the next stage of replacement with the T-1A/B has now begun at the 13th Training Group at Ashiya Air Base.
This led to a more streamlined training course for Japan Air Self-Defense Force pilots, starting with the T-3, a primary trainer with a reciprocating engine, then moving on to the T-4 jet trainer, and later progressing to the F-15DJ and F-2B.
(This information is from the time the kit was released.)