Review of Lifelike Decals 1/48th Scale
Japanese Mitsubishi A5M Part 2 Decal Sheet
Set no. 48-054
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: 1800 YEN ($16.40 U.S.) Copyright 2018.
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: 1800 YEN ($16.40 U.S.) Copyright 2018.
This decal set comes in a zip-locked clear cello bag.
It contains 2 decal sheets, a painting template 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:
This decal set comes in a zip-locked clear cello bag.
It contains 2 decal sheets, a painting template 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.
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 13 schemes.
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 13 schemes.
1. A A5M2b late, with white tail no. 3-108. Houkoku-212 (Talkoku Selmel Go) flown by NAP 1/C Kyosaku Aoki of the 12th Kokutai, Anging AB/China, end of 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 before the fuse band with the no. 212.
2. A A5M2b late, Houkoku 218 (Heikoku Kanri Go). probably 14th Kokatal, Sazao Dao (small island south of Macau), December 1938 to early 1939. with white tail code of a horizontal line over Japanese letters and 218. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail, with a white fuselage band outlined in black with black Japanese letters and 218 over the band..
3. A A5M2b late, flown by NAP 1/C Kazuo Tsunoda of 12t Kokutal, Anging AB/China, Ausgust 1938. with white tail no. 3 over 162. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has a narrow white fuselage band outlined in black..
4. A A5M4, Houkoku-307 (koku Kelkl Go) of Soryu Fighter Group, probably Japanese mainland, probably November 21, 1938. with white tail code of w-121 . It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a narrow red fuselage band , preceeded by a diagonal wide white fuselage band oulined in dark blue.
5. A A5M4, Houkokku-317 (Miyagi Sulsan Go) of 14th Kokutal, Halkou AB/China, Autumn to early December 1939. with white tail code of two horizontal lines over Japanese letters and 317. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a narrow white fuselage band outlined in black, preceeded by black Japanese letters and 317..
6. A A5M4, Houkoku-317 (Miyagi Sulsan Go) of 14th Kokutal, Nanning or Hankou AB/China, January to August 1940, with white tail code of two horizontal lines over 9-137. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and a white narrow fuselage band outlined in black that is preceeded by black Japanese letters and 317.
7. A A5M4, Houkoku 367 (Daini-Tokyo-Kamisho Go), Chitotose Kokutal, Roi Island (part of the Marshall Islands) October to November 1941, with white tail no. S-160 below two horizontal dark blue stripes outlined in white. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with black Japanese letters and 387 on the fuselage sides.
8. A A5M4 of Houkoku 373 (Isetan Go), Chitose Kokutal, Roi Island (partof the Marshall Islands), October to November 1941, with white tail code S-153. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has a very wide dark-blue diagonal fuselage band with two opening in it that have white Japanese lettering in them. A template is provided in the decal set to make these 2 opening in the band that you are supposed to paint. There is no decal for this band provided.
9. A A5M2b late of 14th Kokutai, Nanning AB/China, December 1939 to January 1940, with white tail code of a horizontal stripe over 9-176. It is overall dark-green with dark-brown mottling and a black cowling and a light-gray undercarraige. and a white narrow fuselage band. .
10. A A5M4 Houkoku-170 (No. 32 Zennihon Go), Hyakurihara Kokutai, Hyakurihara AB , 1940-1941, with white tail code Japanese letter 114. It also is overall light-gray with a black cowling and black Japanese lettering 170 on sides of the fuselage.
11. A A5M of an unknown type of Suzuka Kokutai, Suzuka AB 1940-1941. It also is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has the white tail code of G-102.
12. A A5M4 Oita Kokutai, Oita AB, 1943. It also is overall light-gray with a black cowling and the tail code in black of Japanese lettering -162.
2. A A5M2b late, Houkoku 218 (Heikoku Kanri Go). probably 14th Kokatal, Sazao Dao (small island south of Macau), December 1938 to early 1939. with white tail code of a horizontal line over Japanese letters and 218. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail, with a white fuselage band outlined in black with black Japanese letters and 218 over the band..
3. A A5M2b late, flown by NAP 1/C Kazuo Tsunoda of 12t Kokutal, Anging AB/China, Ausgust 1938. with white tail no. 3 over 162. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has a narrow white fuselage band outlined in black..
4. A A5M4, Houkoku-307 (koku Kelkl Go) of Soryu Fighter Group, probably Japanese mainland, probably November 21, 1938. with white tail code of w-121 . It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a narrow red fuselage band , preceeded by a diagonal wide white fuselage band oulined in dark blue.
5. A A5M4, Houkokku-317 (Miyagi Sulsan Go) of 14th Kokutal, Halkou AB/China, Autumn to early December 1939. with white tail code of two horizontal lines over Japanese letters and 317. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a narrow white fuselage band outlined in black, preceeded by black Japanese letters and 317..
6. A A5M4, Houkoku-317 (Miyagi Sulsan Go) of 14th Kokutal, Nanning or Hankou AB/China, January to August 1940, with white tail code of two horizontal lines over 9-137. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and a white narrow fuselage band outlined in black that is preceeded by black Japanese letters and 317.
7. A A5M4, Houkoku 367 (Daini-Tokyo-Kamisho Go), Chitotose Kokutal, Roi Island (part of the Marshall Islands) October to November 1941, with white tail no. S-160 below two horizontal dark blue stripes outlined in white. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with black Japanese letters and 387 on the fuselage sides.
8. A A5M4 of Houkoku 373 (Isetan Go), Chitose Kokutal, Roi Island (partof the Marshall Islands), October to November 1941, with white tail code S-153. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has a very wide dark-blue diagonal fuselage band with two opening in it that have white Japanese lettering in them. A template is provided in the decal set to make these 2 opening in the band that you are supposed to paint. There is no decal for this band provided.
9. A A5M2b late of 14th Kokutai, Nanning AB/China, December 1939 to January 1940, with white tail code of a horizontal stripe over 9-176. It is overall dark-green with dark-brown mottling and a black cowling and a light-gray undercarraige. and a white narrow fuselage band. .
10. A A5M4 Houkoku-170 (No. 32 Zennihon Go), Hyakurihara Kokutai, Hyakurihara AB , 1940-1941, with white tail code Japanese letter 114. It also is overall light-gray with a black cowling and black Japanese lettering 170 on sides of the fuselage.
11. A A5M of an unknown type of Suzuka Kokutai, Suzuka AB 1940-1941. It also is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has the white tail code of G-102.
12. A A5M4 Oita Kokutai, Oita AB, 1943. It also is overall light-gray with a black cowling and the tail code in black of Japanese lettering -162.
The second full color one has 4 color profiles of the 4h, 5th, 7th and 9th 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 16 references about the aircraft. Again, pages 3 and 4 are blank.
The first of the 2 decal sheets in the set has the white tail numbers, fuselage bands, Japanese Air Force Hinomaru and some stencil marks on it.
The second sheet has the black fuselage numbers on it.
The template to do the openings in the wide dark blue fuselage band on the 8th scheme completes the set's contents.
Copright of the set is 1017 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:
Copright of the set is 1017 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: