Review of Lifelike Decals 1/48th Scale
Japanese Mitsubishi A5M Part 3 Decal Sheet
Set no. 48-055
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 3 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 thirteen 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 13 schemes.
It contains 3 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 thirteen 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 13 schemes.
1. A A5M2b early, with white tail no. 3 over 155. Houkoku-126 (Dalnl Sunitomo Go) of 12th Kokutai, KongDa AB/China, 1938. It is overall dark-green with a dark-brown wave pattern over a grey-green undercarraige, with a black cowling, red tail and a narrow white fuselage band. There are black Japanese letters before the fuse band with the no. 126.
2. A A5M2b late, Houkoku 188 (Daksab Chuugakusel Go), flown by NAP 3/C Yuklo Also, 15th Koktal, Jlujlang AB/China, September to December 1938, with white tail code of 10-113. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail, with a narrow white fuselage band outlined in black with black Japanese letters and 188 over the band.
3. A A5M Houkoku-260 (Fujisawa Go), flown by Lt. Tamotsu Yokoyama of Soryu Fighter Group, Japanese mainland, November 21st, 1939, with white tail no. W-101. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has a narrow red fuselage band preceeded by a wide red diagonal fuselage band. There are black Japanese letters -260 over the bands.
4. A A5M4, Houkoku-261 (Yoshido Go) flown by NAP 1/C Matsuo Hagiri of Soryu Fighter Group, Japanese mainland, November 1939, with white tail code of w-102 . It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a narrow red fuselage band , preceeded by black Japanese letters -261 over the fuselage band. This black lettering and number are larger on top of the wings.
5. A A5M4, Houkoku-266 (Iwal Go) flown by NAP 1/C Hideo Oishi of Soryu Gighter Group, Japanese mainland, November 1939, with white tail code of white W-103. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a narrow red fuselage band with black Japanese letters -266 over the band. This black code is repeated larger over the top of the wings.
6. A A5M4, of Soryu Fighter Group, East China Sea, November 1938, with white tail code of W-114. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and a red narrow fuselage band preceeded by a black diagonal wide band.
7. A A5M4, Houkoku 348 (Daini Jokyoln Go) of Soryu Fighter Group, Kasanohara AB, early 1941, with white tail no. VII-III. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with 2 narrow red fuselage bands preceeded by a wide dark-blue fuselage band. There is 4 black Japanese letters and 348 on the fuselage over the bands.
8. A A5M4 of Houkoku 386 (Daichi Fukui Orimono Go) of Soryu Fighter Group, Kasanohara AB, early 1941, with white tail code VII-II9. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has two narrow red fuselage bands preceeded by a diagonal wide white band outlined in red. The black no. of Japanese letters -386 is over the bands.
9. A A5M4 of Houkoku 278 (Osaka Gas Go) of the 14th Kokutai, Sanzao Dao or Haikou AB/China summer 1939, with white tail code of two white horizontal stripes over Japanese letters - 278. It is overall light-gray with a red tail and a black cowling and a narrow white fuselage band outlined in red preceeded by black Japanese letters -278. band.
10. A A5M4 Houkoku-278 (Osaka Gas Go) of the 14th Kokutai, Haikou AB/China, summer 1939, with white tail code of 2 white horizontal bands over 9-158. It also is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has a black and white fuselage band with black Japanese lettering -278 over the bands.
11. A A5M4 Houkoku-295, (Dainippon Moufu Go) of Soryu Fighter Group, Sanya AB/Hainan tao, September 15, 1940. It also is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has the white tail code of QI-107, a narrow red fuselage band with black no. Japanese letters -295 over the fuselage band.
12. A A5M4 of Miho Kokutai, Miho AB, October 1943 to 1945. It also is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has the white tail code of M-103.
13. A A5M4 of Kasumigaura Kokutai, Kasumigaura AB, autumn 1943. It is overall dark-green with a black cowling and grey-green undercarraige. It carries the white tail code of Japanese letter -105.
2. A A5M2b late, Houkoku 188 (Daksab Chuugakusel Go), flown by NAP 3/C Yuklo Also, 15th Koktal, Jlujlang AB/China, September to December 1938, with white tail code of 10-113. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail, with a narrow white fuselage band outlined in black with black Japanese letters and 188 over the band.
3. A A5M Houkoku-260 (Fujisawa Go), flown by Lt. Tamotsu Yokoyama of Soryu Fighter Group, Japanese mainland, November 21st, 1939, with white tail no. W-101. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has a narrow red fuselage band preceeded by a wide red diagonal fuselage band. There are black Japanese letters -260 over the bands.
4. A A5M4, Houkoku-261 (Yoshido Go) flown by NAP 1/C Matsuo Hagiri of Soryu Fighter Group, Japanese mainland, November 1939, with white tail code of w-102 . It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a narrow red fuselage band , preceeded by black Japanese letters -261 over the fuselage band. This black lettering and number are larger on top of the wings.
5. A A5M4, Houkoku-266 (Iwal Go) flown by NAP 1/C Hideo Oishi of Soryu Gighter Group, Japanese mainland, November 1939, with white tail code of white W-103. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with a narrow red fuselage band with black Japanese letters -266 over the band. This black code is repeated larger over the top of the wings.
6. A A5M4, of Soryu Fighter Group, East China Sea, November 1938, with white tail code of W-114. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and a red narrow fuselage band preceeded by a black diagonal wide band.
7. A A5M4, Houkoku 348 (Daini Jokyoln Go) of Soryu Fighter Group, Kasanohara AB, early 1941, with white tail no. VII-III. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail with 2 narrow red fuselage bands preceeded by a wide dark-blue fuselage band. There is 4 black Japanese letters and 348 on the fuselage over the bands.
8. A A5M4 of Houkoku 386 (Daichi Fukui Orimono Go) of Soryu Fighter Group, Kasanohara AB, early 1941, with white tail code VII-II9. It too is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has two narrow red fuselage bands preceeded by a diagonal wide white band outlined in red. The black no. of Japanese letters -386 is over the bands.
9. A A5M4 of Houkoku 278 (Osaka Gas Go) of the 14th Kokutai, Sanzao Dao or Haikou AB/China summer 1939, with white tail code of two white horizontal stripes over Japanese letters - 278. It is overall light-gray with a red tail and a black cowling and a narrow white fuselage band outlined in red preceeded by black Japanese letters -278. band.
10. A A5M4 Houkoku-278 (Osaka Gas Go) of the 14th Kokutai, Haikou AB/China, summer 1939, with white tail code of 2 white horizontal bands over 9-158. It also is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has a black and white fuselage band with black Japanese lettering -278 over the bands.
11. A A5M4 Houkoku-295, (Dainippon Moufu Go) of Soryu Fighter Group, Sanya AB/Hainan tao, September 15, 1940. It also is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has the white tail code of QI-107, a narrow red fuselage band with black no. Japanese letters -295 over the fuselage band.
12. A A5M4 of Miho Kokutai, Miho AB, October 1943 to 1945. It also is overall light-gray with a black cowling and red tail. It has the white tail code of M-103.
13. A A5M4 of Kasumigaura Kokutai, Kasumigaura AB, autumn 1943. It is overall dark-green with a black cowling and grey-green undercarraige. It carries the white tail code of Japanese letter -105.
The second full color one has 4 color profiles of the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 8th 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 18 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 and some stencil marks on it.
The second sheet has the black fuselage numbers on it.
The third sheet has the Japanese AF Hinomaru on it.The template to do the openings in the wide dark blue fuselage band on the 8th scheme completes the set's contents.
The third sheet has the Japanese AF Hinomaru 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:
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: