Review of Lifelike Decals
Type 97 Fighters Part 4
Set no. 48-056
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: 1880 Yen ($16.55)
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: 1880 Yen ($16.55)
HISTORY:
The Nakajima Ki-27 Kyūnana-shiki sentōki, Type 97 Fighter) was the main fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force up until 1940. Its Allied nickname was "Nate", although it was called "Abdul" in the "China Burma India" (CBI) theater by many post war sources.
Allied Intelligence had reserved that name for the nonexistent Mitsubishi Navy Type 97 fighter, expected to be the successor to the carrier-borne Type 96 (Mitsubishi A5M) with retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter aircraft
Manufacturer: Nakajima Aircraft Company
Designer: Yasushi Koyama
First flight: 15 October 1936
Introduction to service: 1937
Retired: 1945 (Japan)
Primary users: Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, Manchukuo Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force, Reformed Government of the Republic of China
Number built: 3,368
The Nakajima Ki-27 Kyūnana-shiki sentōki, Type 97 Fighter) was the main fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force up until 1940. Its Allied nickname was "Nate", although it was called "Abdul" in the "China Burma India" (CBI) theater by many post war sources.
Allied Intelligence had reserved that name for the nonexistent Mitsubishi Navy Type 97 fighter, expected to be the successor to the carrier-borne Type 96 (Mitsubishi A5M) with retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter aircraft
Manufacturer: Nakajima Aircraft Company
Designer: Yasushi Koyama
First flight: 15 October 1936
Introduction to service: 1937
Retired: 1945 (Japan)
Primary users: Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, Manchukuo Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force, Reformed Government of the Republic of China
Number built: 3,368
THE SET:
Lifelike Decals is based in Japan.
This decal set comes in a zip-lock type clear cello envelope.
It contains a folder printed in color on one side in 5 ¾” x 8 ¼ format.
The front cover shows 4 color side view profiles of the “Nate”. These are shown again on the sheets inserted inside the folder. It recommends the Hasegawa 1/48th scale model kit to use this decal set on. Lifelike Decals wants to hear from you and your input. E-mail:
Lifelike Decals is based in Japan.
This decal set comes in a zip-lock type clear cello envelope.
It contains a folder printed in color on one side in 5 ¾” x 8 ¼ format.
The front cover shows 4 color side view profiles of the “Nate”. These are shown again on the sheets inserted inside the folder. It recommends the Hasegawa 1/48th scale model kit to use this decal set on. Lifelike Decals wants to hear from you and your input. E-mail:
A total of 9 schemes are featured within the folder.
The back cover shows 4 color above profiles of the “Nate”, the landing gear and cowling, over a list of references and the copyright of the set as 2020, Lifelike Decals, Japan.
Inside the folder is a single-sheet printed in color on one side and folded in the center to the same size as the folder.
It shows 9 color side-profiles of schemes used on the “Nate”.
It shows 9 color side-profiles of schemes used on the “Nate”.
No. 1 is overall grey-green with a wide white fuselage band with the Japanese roundel on it, followed by 3 more narrow white fuselage bands. It has a logo of a black bird in flight under the cockpit. There is a vertical white lightning flash on the rudder with a small black flower on it.
This Ki-37 Otsu was flown by 246th Sentai Commander Major Takeo Miyamoto, Kakogawa Air Base, Hyogo Prefecture December 1942.
No. 2 is also overall grey-green, with a red cowling that the red continues down the side of the fuselage as a streak. It has a wide white fuselage band with the Japanese roundel on it, followed by 3 narrow black fuselage bands. The rudder has a red diagonal lightning flash on it with the same small black flower as No. 1. The wing tips on their bottom are white.
This Ki-27 Otsu was flown by Corporal Susumu Kajinami of the 246th Sentai, 2nd Chautai, Kakogawa Air Base, Hyogo Prefecture, January 1943.
No. 3 is overall dark green with a grey-green under-carriage. It has Japanese roundels outlined in white on its fuselage sides. There is a large yellow circle on the sides of the rudder with illustration of a black Pegasus flying horse and a Japanese letter on it.
This Ki-27 Otsu was probably of some training unit in Manchuria, time and location unknown.
No. 4 is also overall dark-green with a grey-green under-carriage. It has a large red lightning bolt outlined in white extending from the nose to under the cockpit. A Japanese rounder without border, followed by a narrow white fuselage band. The rudder has 2 small white Japanese letters on its tip and a large white Japanese letter below.
This Ki-27 Otsu was flown by 2nd Lt. Lichi Yamaguchi, leader of the 68th Shinbu-Tai, Tnryu Air Base, Shizuoka Prefecture March 30, 1945.
No. 5 is overall grey-green with a red lightning bolt down its fuselage sides, a white fuselage band and a black Japanese letter on the sides of the rudder.
No. 5 is overall grey-green with a black lightning bolt down its fuselage sides, a white fuselage band and a black Japanese letter on the rudder.
This Ki.27 Kou was flown by Master Sgt. Katsutaro Takahashi of 59th Sentai, 1st Chatai (probably), Hankou Air Base, China, end of 1939.
No. 6 is overall grey-green with a diagonal yellow and white fuselage bands. It has white and red markings on the rudder.
This Ki-27 Otsu was with the 13th Sentai, 2nd Chutai, Kagogwa Air Base, Hyogo Prefecture, May 1940.
No. 7 is overall grey-green with a wide white fuselage band with the Japanese roundel on it. It has a white rudder with 3 diagonal stripes across it.
This Ki-27 was with the 18th Sentai, Chofu Air Base Tokyo, spring 1944.
No. 8 is overall grey-green with 2 yellow diagonal fuselage bands outline in black. It has a white diagonal bar followed by a white lightning flash on its rudder.
This Ki-27 Otsu was with the 85th Sentai, 1st Chutai, Manchuria, China, summer of 1942.
No. 9 is overall grey-green with a diagonal red fuselage band followed by a vertical red band and another diagonal one. It has a red rudder flap with a white flower on it.
This Ki-27 Kou was with 1st Sentai, 3nd Chutai, Kagamihara Air Base, Gifu Prefect, July 1938 to May 1939.
This Ki-37 Otsu was flown by 246th Sentai Commander Major Takeo Miyamoto, Kakogawa Air Base, Hyogo Prefecture December 1942.
No. 2 is also overall grey-green, with a red cowling that the red continues down the side of the fuselage as a streak. It has a wide white fuselage band with the Japanese roundel on it, followed by 3 narrow black fuselage bands. The rudder has a red diagonal lightning flash on it with the same small black flower as No. 1. The wing tips on their bottom are white.
This Ki-27 Otsu was flown by Corporal Susumu Kajinami of the 246th Sentai, 2nd Chautai, Kakogawa Air Base, Hyogo Prefecture, January 1943.
No. 3 is overall dark green with a grey-green under-carriage. It has Japanese roundels outlined in white on its fuselage sides. There is a large yellow circle on the sides of the rudder with illustration of a black Pegasus flying horse and a Japanese letter on it.
This Ki-27 Otsu was probably of some training unit in Manchuria, time and location unknown.
No. 4 is also overall dark-green with a grey-green under-carriage. It has a large red lightning bolt outlined in white extending from the nose to under the cockpit. A Japanese rounder without border, followed by a narrow white fuselage band. The rudder has 2 small white Japanese letters on its tip and a large white Japanese letter below.
This Ki-27 Otsu was flown by 2nd Lt. Lichi Yamaguchi, leader of the 68th Shinbu-Tai, Tnryu Air Base, Shizuoka Prefecture March 30, 1945.
No. 5 is overall grey-green with a red lightning bolt down its fuselage sides, a white fuselage band and a black Japanese letter on the sides of the rudder.
No. 5 is overall grey-green with a black lightning bolt down its fuselage sides, a white fuselage band and a black Japanese letter on the rudder.
This Ki.27 Kou was flown by Master Sgt. Katsutaro Takahashi of 59th Sentai, 1st Chatai (probably), Hankou Air Base, China, end of 1939.
No. 6 is overall grey-green with a diagonal yellow and white fuselage bands. It has white and red markings on the rudder.
This Ki-27 Otsu was with the 13th Sentai, 2nd Chutai, Kagogwa Air Base, Hyogo Prefecture, May 1940.
No. 7 is overall grey-green with a wide white fuselage band with the Japanese roundel on it. It has a white rudder with 3 diagonal stripes across it.
This Ki-27 was with the 18th Sentai, Chofu Air Base Tokyo, spring 1944.
No. 8 is overall grey-green with 2 yellow diagonal fuselage bands outline in black. It has a white diagonal bar followed by a white lightning flash on its rudder.
This Ki-27 Otsu was with the 85th Sentai, 1st Chutai, Manchuria, China, summer of 1942.
No. 9 is overall grey-green with a diagonal red fuselage band followed by a vertical red band and another diagonal one. It has a red rudder flap with a white flower on it.
This Ki-27 Kou was with 1st Sentai, 3nd Chutai, Kagamihara Air Base, Gifu Prefect, July 1938 to May 1939.
There are 2 more sheets inside the folder They are folded to the same size as the folder. They are printed on both sides with long descriptions of each of the schemes.
There are 3 decal sheets in this set plus a masking sheet. They were printed by Microscale Industries, USA.
I want to thank Lifelike Decals for this review sample.
All Lifelike products can be viewed on their web-site at:
All Lifelike products can be viewed on their web-site at:
Highly recommended.