We should ask Fermis to re-post his WIP on Zoukei-mura´s 1/48 Shinden here again, if possible.
Of course a kit in larger 1/32 scale cannot be dwindled down to 1/48 scale without being aware of the parts getting smaller and the design needing modification. But as seen on ZM´s 1/48 scale Shinden the managed to do a as detailed engine and cockpit as on the larger scale, only with fewer parts.
Check out ZM´s pictures of this Shinden kit to see that these smaller kits have an astonishing amount of details!
You'll have to pry my old Trimaster/Dragon Ta152 kits from my cold, dead fingers!! The kit sounds nice but I wasn't at all impressed with the 1/32 scale 152, but that was only based off online builds and reviews, so maybe I'm being too harsh... It is nice to see it scaled down to 1/48 though.