Review of FCM 1/32nd scale
Japanese Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate Fighter Decal
Set no. 32-025
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: TBA (Probably about $17.00) FCM does not deal direct - only through dealers.
Sprue Bros lists their sheets, but not his one yet, as it has only just been released.
Copyright 2019
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: TBA (Probably about $17.00) FCM does not deal direct - only through dealers.
Sprue Bros lists their sheets, but not his one yet, as it has only just been released.
Copyright 2019
HISTORY:
The Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Gale) is a single-seat fighter flown by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service in the last two years of World War II.
The Allied reporting name was "Frank"; the Japanese Army designation was Army Type 4 Fighter (yon-shiki-sentō-ki).
The Ki-84 is generally considered the best Japanese fighter to operate in large numbers during the conflict. The aircraft boasted high speeds and excellent maneuverability with an armament (up to two 30 mm and two 20 mm cannon) that gave it formidable firepower.
The Ki-84's performance matched that of any single-engine Allied fighter it faced, and its operational ceiling enabled it to intercept high-flying B-29 Superfortress bombers.
Pilots and crews in the field learned to take care with the plane's high-maintenance Nakajima Homare engine and a landing gear prone to buckling.
The difficulties of Japan's situation late in the war took a toll on the aircraft's field performance as manufacturing defects multiplied, quality fuel proved difficult to procure and experienced pilots grew scarce.
Nevertheless, a well-maintained Ki-84 was Japan's fastest fighter. A total of 3,514 aircraft were built.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
Manufacturer: Nakajima Aircraft Company
First flight: March 1943
Introduction to service: November 1944
Retired: August 1945 (Japan)
Primary user: Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
Number built: 3,514
Variants: Nakajima Ki-116
The Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Gale) is a single-seat fighter flown by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service in the last two years of World War II.
The Allied reporting name was "Frank"; the Japanese Army designation was Army Type 4 Fighter (yon-shiki-sentō-ki).
The Ki-84 is generally considered the best Japanese fighter to operate in large numbers during the conflict. The aircraft boasted high speeds and excellent maneuverability with an armament (up to two 30 mm and two 20 mm cannon) that gave it formidable firepower.
The Ki-84's performance matched that of any single-engine Allied fighter it faced, and its operational ceiling enabled it to intercept high-flying B-29 Superfortress bombers.
Pilots and crews in the field learned to take care with the plane's high-maintenance Nakajima Homare engine and a landing gear prone to buckling.
The difficulties of Japan's situation late in the war took a toll on the aircraft's field performance as manufacturing defects multiplied, quality fuel proved difficult to procure and experienced pilots grew scarce.
Nevertheless, a well-maintained Ki-84 was Japan's fastest fighter. A total of 3,514 aircraft were built.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
Manufacturer: Nakajima Aircraft Company
First flight: March 1943
Introduction to service: November 1944
Retired: August 1945 (Japan)
Primary user: Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
Number built: 3,514
Variants: Nakajima Ki-116
THE DECAL SET:
FCM is a model decal company based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
They manufacture all manner of decal subjects in the popular scales.
The set came to me in a sealed clear cello bag, that was Scotch-taped to a stiff piece of cardboard in a mail envelope.
The set consists of the decal sheet that says it was printed in the USA by Microscale Industries.
There is a color decal application instruction single sheet that is folded in the center to create 4 pages in 5 1/2" x 8" page format (the same size as the decal sheet).
The top of page one says MADE IN BRAZIL and has FCM's web address provided. Below this is 3 color profiles of the Hayate.
All are Nakajima dark green, above Nakajima light grey under carriages, with black cowlings (although the instructions have the cowling as dark green and the upper surfaces black miss-marked).
The 1st Hayate has a yellow spinner and a wide 39mm fuselage band, yellow rudder tip over a large red 40 outlined in white on the rudder sides.
It was a Ki-84 flown by Ko - Chui Mitsuo Tomiya, commander of 2nd Chuti, 104th Sentai Anshan, Manchuria, 1945.
The 2nd Hayate has red spinner and red pointed emblem outlined in white on the sides of the rudder and a wide 43mm fuselage band with the Japanese rising sun insignia on it.
It was a Ki-84 of the 71st Sentai, Home Island Defence, Western Defence Sector, 1945.
The 3rd Hayate has white spinner, narrow 9.5mm fuselage band, a white large chevron on the sides of the rudder with white no. 762 below it and small Japanese letters above it.
It wa a Ki-84 of the 1st Chutai, 112th Sentai, Nitta Airfield, Japan, 1945.
FCM is a model decal company based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
They manufacture all manner of decal subjects in the popular scales.
The set came to me in a sealed clear cello bag, that was Scotch-taped to a stiff piece of cardboard in a mail envelope.
The set consists of the decal sheet that says it was printed in the USA by Microscale Industries.
There is a color decal application instruction single sheet that is folded in the center to create 4 pages in 5 1/2" x 8" page format (the same size as the decal sheet).
The top of page one says MADE IN BRAZIL and has FCM's web address provided. Below this is 3 color profiles of the Hayate.
All are Nakajima dark green, above Nakajima light grey under carriages, with black cowlings (although the instructions have the cowling as dark green and the upper surfaces black miss-marked).
The 1st Hayate has a yellow spinner and a wide 39mm fuselage band, yellow rudder tip over a large red 40 outlined in white on the rudder sides.
It was a Ki-84 flown by Ko - Chui Mitsuo Tomiya, commander of 2nd Chuti, 104th Sentai Anshan, Manchuria, 1945.
The 2nd Hayate has red spinner and red pointed emblem outlined in white on the sides of the rudder and a wide 43mm fuselage band with the Japanese rising sun insignia on it.
It was a Ki-84 of the 71st Sentai, Home Island Defence, Western Defence Sector, 1945.
The 3rd Hayate has white spinner, narrow 9.5mm fuselage band, a white large chevron on the sides of the rudder with white no. 762 below it and small Japanese letters above it.
It wa a Ki-84 of the 1st Chutai, 112th Sentai, Nitta Airfield, Japan, 1945.
Pages 2 and 3 have 5 color profiles showing the tops of the Hayates.
Chui Mitsuo Tamiya's aircraft shows it had yellow wing tips on top and bottom of the wings and yellow wing leading edges.
The Hayate with the 71st Sentai shows that it too had yellow wing leading edges and 52mm wide white bands on top and bottom of the wings with the Japanese rising son on them.
The Hayate from 1st Chutai, 112th Sentai just shows the yellow wing leading edges.
Chui Mitsuo Tamiya's aircraft shows it had yellow wing tips on top and bottom of the wings and yellow wing leading edges.
The Hayate with the 71st Sentai shows that it too had yellow wing leading edges and 52mm wide white bands on top and bottom of the wings with the Japanese rising son on them.
The Hayate from 1st Chutai, 112th Sentai just shows the yellow wing leading edges.
The 3rd and 4th top views are of the Hayates shown in side profiles on page 4.
They only show the yellow wing leading edges.
They only show the yellow wing leading edges.
The 1st color profile on page 4 is in same scheme as the first 3. It has a red spinner and large red symbol that looks like letter Z with 2 white horizontal bars across it.
It was a Ki-84 of Lt. Col. Yoshioka, 21st Hikoudan, Philippines 1944.
The 2nd color profile on the page has a yellow and red spinner, a narrow white 9mm fuselage band and a large yellow schevon insignia on the sides of the rudder, over a yellow 071.
It was a Ki-84 of the 2nd Chutai, 52nd Sentai, Shimodate, Japan 1945.
It was a Ki-84 of Lt. Col. Yoshioka, 21st Hikoudan, Philippines 1944.
The 2nd color profile on the page has a yellow and red spinner, a narrow white 9mm fuselage band and a large yellow schevon insignia on the sides of the rudder, over a yellow 071.
It was a Ki-84 of the 2nd Chutai, 52nd Sentai, Shimodate, Japan 1945.
Photographic references given are:
Famous Aircraft of the World War no. 20, 1971.
Famous Aircraft of the World War no. 19, 1989
Aero Detail no. 24, Nakajima Ki-84 "Frank"
Kagero Monografie no. 18, Ki-84 "Hayate"
Below this is color listing, with FS numbers.
However, it says in large type that all FS codes are conjectural.
Suggested kit to put these decals on it the Hasegawa Ki-84 Ko.
This marking guide is printed on slick coated paper.
Markings are vivid and in great register. Highly recommended.
Famous Aircraft of the World War no. 20, 1971.
Famous Aircraft of the World War no. 19, 1989
Aero Detail no. 24, Nakajima Ki-84 "Frank"
Kagero Monografie no. 18, Ki-84 "Hayate"
Below this is color listing, with FS numbers.
However, it says in large type that all FS codes are conjectural.
Suggested kit to put these decals on it the Hasegawa Ki-84 Ko.
This marking guide is printed on slick coated paper.
Markings are vivid and in great register. Highly recommended.
I want to thank Felipe Canuto Miranda, head of FCM Decals for this review sample.
Their products can be seen at: