Review of Lifelike Decals 1/48th Scale
Japanese Mitsubishi A5M Part 1 Decal Sheet
Set no. 48-053
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: 1800 YEN ($16.40 U.S.) Copyright 2018.
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: 1800 YEN ($16.40 U.S.) Copyright 2018.
Lifelike Decals is based in Japan.
This decal set comes in a zip-locked clear cello bag.
It contains 2 decal sheets and 3 instruction sheets.
The set is recommended for Fine Molds or Wingsy Kits of the A5M.
One instruction sheet is printed on both sides in English.
It has the biographies of the twelve A5M's that are featured on the decals:
It contains 2 decal sheets and 3 instruction sheets.
The set is recommended for Fine Molds or Wingsy Kits of the A5M.
One instruction sheet is printed on both sides in English.
It has the biographies of the twelve A5M's that are featured on the decals:
The second and third instruction sheets are each printed on one side in full color with profiles of the the schemes for the twelve A5M's listed above.
These 2 instructions are single sheets folded in the center to create pages in 6" x 8 1/4" page format.
These instruction sheets are printed on one side, each in full color.
The first one has color profiles across page 1 and 2 of all twelve schemes. Pages 3 and 4 are blank. Profiles are shown for 12 schemes.
These instruction sheets are printed on one side, each in full color.
The first one has color profiles across page 1 and 2 of all twelve schemes. Pages 3 and 4 are blank. Profiles are shown for 12 schemes.
1. A A5M2b early, with white tail no. 3 over 154. Houkoku-125 of 12th Kokutai, KongDa AB/China, 1938. It is overall light-gray with a black cowling, red tail and a white fuselage band outlined in black. There are black Japanese letters over the fuse band with the no. 154.
2. A A5M4 flown by the Flight Commander of Soryu Fighter Group, probably Japanese mainland, December 1938 to early 1940, with white tail no. W-100. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail, with back half of the fuselage as white with 2 black bands. One is vertical and one is diagonal. It has a red diagonal band across the wings.
3. A A5M4 of Soryu Fighter Group, location unknown, fall of 1940 to spring 1941, with white tail no. W-107. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail, There is a yellow horizontal stripe across the rudder under the white tail no. and it has a narrow red fuselage band.
4. A A5M4 used by Lt. Motonari Suho of the 14th Kokutai, Nanning AB/China, December 1939 to early 1940, with white tail no. 9-151 under two white horizontal stripes. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a narrow red fuselage band. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a red, white & red fuselage band.
5. A A5M4 of the Kaga Fighter Group, South China Sea, late 1938, with yellow tail no. K-112. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a red stripe down the length of the fuselage and a dark-blue diagonal fuselage band.
6. A A5M4 flown by Flight Commander (probably Lt. Commander Shigehachiro Tokoro) of Akagi Fighter Group, Yokosuka AB, November 1939, with no tail no. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and white, red, white bands around the whole rear half of the fuselage.
7. A A5M4 of Tsuiki Kokutai, Tsuiki AB, autumn 1942, with white tail no. T-153. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a dark-blue diagonal fuselage band.
8. A A5M4 of Hosho Fighter Group, location unknown, April 1941 to March 1942, with white tail no. CII-102. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has a dark-blue diagonal fuselage band.
9. A A5M4 "Iso" of Zulho Fighter Group, Sasebo port, March 27, 1941, with yellow tail no. CI-106. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and a red stripe down the length of the fuselage and a yellow narrow fuselage band. The fuselage red national red circle has some white Japanese letters on it.
10. A A5M4 flown by NAP I/C Hideo Olshi of Yokosuka Kokutai, Yokosuka AB, December 1939, with white tail no. backwards letter E-186. It also is overall light-gray with a black cowling and the back half of the fuselage has wide fuselage bands of white, red, white, red, diagonal white fuselage band and red tail. It has a diagonal white stripe outlined in black across the wings.
11. A A5M4 of Talnan Kokutai (2nd generation), Formosa, February 1944 to February 1945, with yellow tail no.2 then two Japanese letters - 103. It is overall dark-green with a black cowling and light-gray undercarraige.
12. A A5M4 (trainer) of Kasumigaura Kokutai, Matsushima Detatchment, Matsushima AB, January 1944, with black tail no. Japanese symbol -130. It is overall orange with a black cowling.
The second full color one has 4 color profiles of the 5th, 7th, 10th and 12th scheme (already listed above) on page 1 and page 2 shows a 4-view showing the sides, top and bottom of a A5M, over a list of 21 references about the aircraft. Again, pages 3 and 4 are blank.
2. A A5M4 flown by the Flight Commander of Soryu Fighter Group, probably Japanese mainland, December 1938 to early 1940, with white tail no. W-100. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail, with back half of the fuselage as white with 2 black bands. One is vertical and one is diagonal. It has a red diagonal band across the wings.
3. A A5M4 of Soryu Fighter Group, location unknown, fall of 1940 to spring 1941, with white tail no. W-107. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail, There is a yellow horizontal stripe across the rudder under the white tail no. and it has a narrow red fuselage band.
4. A A5M4 used by Lt. Motonari Suho of the 14th Kokutai, Nanning AB/China, December 1939 to early 1940, with white tail no. 9-151 under two white horizontal stripes. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a narrow red fuselage band. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a red, white & red fuselage band.
5. A A5M4 of the Kaga Fighter Group, South China Sea, late 1938, with yellow tail no. K-112. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a red stripe down the length of the fuselage and a dark-blue diagonal fuselage band.
6. A A5M4 flown by Flight Commander (probably Lt. Commander Shigehachiro Tokoro) of Akagi Fighter Group, Yokosuka AB, November 1939, with no tail no. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and white, red, white bands around the whole rear half of the fuselage.
7. A A5M4 of Tsuiki Kokutai, Tsuiki AB, autumn 1942, with white tail no. T-153. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a dark-blue diagonal fuselage band.
8. A A5M4 of Hosho Fighter Group, location unknown, April 1941 to March 1942, with white tail no. CII-102. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has a dark-blue diagonal fuselage band.
9. A A5M4 "Iso" of Zulho Fighter Group, Sasebo port, March 27, 1941, with yellow tail no. CI-106. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and a red stripe down the length of the fuselage and a yellow narrow fuselage band. The fuselage red national red circle has some white Japanese letters on it.
10. A A5M4 flown by NAP I/C Hideo Olshi of Yokosuka Kokutai, Yokosuka AB, December 1939, with white tail no. backwards letter E-186. It also is overall light-gray with a black cowling and the back half of the fuselage has wide fuselage bands of white, red, white, red, diagonal white fuselage band and red tail. It has a diagonal white stripe outlined in black across the wings.
11. A A5M4 of Talnan Kokutai (2nd generation), Formosa, February 1944 to February 1945, with yellow tail no.2 then two Japanese letters - 103. It is overall dark-green with a black cowling and light-gray undercarraige.
12. A A5M4 (trainer) of Kasumigaura Kokutai, Matsushima Detatchment, Matsushima AB, January 1944, with black tail no. Japanese symbol -130. It is overall orange with a black cowling.
The second full color one has 4 color profiles of the 5th, 7th, 10th and 12th scheme (already listed above) on page 1 and page 2 shows a 4-view showing the sides, top and bottom of a A5M, over a list of 21 references about the aircraft. Again, pages 3 and 4 are blank.
The first of the 2 decal sheets in the set has the tail numbers, fuselage bands and some stencil markings on it.
The second sheet has the Japanese Hinomaru and more fuselage bands on it.
Copyright of the set is 2017 and the sheet was printed by Microscale Industries, USA. The set MADE IN JAPAN.
I want to sincerely thank Mr. Keishiro Nagao at Lifelike Decals for this decal set. It was sent to me from Japan in a heavily padded envelope.
All Lifelike Decal sets can be seen on their site at:
I want to sincerely thank Mr. Keishiro Nagao at Lifelike Decals for this decal set. It was sent to me from Japan in a heavily padded envelope.
All Lifelike Decal sets can be seen on their site at: