Review of Lifelike Decals
Type 97 Fighters Part 6
Set no. 48-058
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”.
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 8 schemes are featured within the folder.
The back cover shows 3 color above profiles, one bottom one, 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 sized as the folder.
It shows 8 color side-profiles of schemes used on the “Nate”.
It shows 8 color side-profiles of schemes used on the “Nate”.
Scheme 1: Is overall grey-green with a narrow red stripe around the cowling, 3 blue diagonal fuselage bands and a blue letter S shape on the rudder that has some Japanese characters on it.
It is a Ki-27 Otusu, flown by 4th Sentai Commander Lt. Col. Saguro Hayashi, Kikuchi Air Base, Kumamoto Prefecture, September 1940.
Scheme 2: Is overall grey green with a narrow red stripe around the cowling. A wide yellow fuselage band and a narrow white one. It has a yellow arrow across its rudder.
It is a Ki-27 Kou, aircraft no. 8, flown by Major Tateo Kato, Commander of the 64th Sentai, Kwangtung Air Base, China, April 1941.
Scheme 3 is overall dark green with a grey-green under-carriage. It has a Japanese roundel on the fuselage sides, followed by a blue and a white fuselage band. There is a red lighting bolt outlined in white on the rudder that extends down into the fuselage.
It is a Ki-27 Otsu, flown by the leader of 1sr Chutai, 50th Sentai, Moulmein, Burma, January 1942.
Scheme 4 is overall grey-green with a narrow red band around the cowling, Japanese roundel on fuselage sides, small red circle over a small blue rectangle high on the rudder.
It is a Ki-27 Otsu of the 14th Fighter Training Unit, Nanyuan Air Base, Beijing, November 1943.
Scheme 5 is in a wave pattern of dark and medium greens with a grey-green under-carriage. It has Japanese roundels on its sides and a small grey 67 over a grey bird in flight on the rudder sides.
It is a Ki-27 Ostu, probably of some unknown Special Attack Unit, location unknown, soon after the war.
Scheme 6 is overall grey-green with a red cowling. It has a narrow black fuselage band outlined in white. The rudder has a Yellow letter S shaped design on it with black squiggles on it and a red rudder flap.
It is a Ki-27 Otsu of the 4th Sentai, 2nd Chutai, Tachiarai Air Base, Fukuoka Prefecture, end of 1941.
Scheme 7 is in a wave pattern of dark and medium greens, over a grey-green undercarriage. It has a narrow red fuselage band outlined in white, multiple narrow white horizontal stripes across the rudder with red strips between them.
It is a Ki-27 Otsu, flown by Capt. Hyoe Yonaga of the 24th Chutai, Nagilian Air Base, Philippines, December 1941.
Scheme 8 is overall grey green with a red cowling that extends as an arrow down the fuselage. It has a wide diagonal red fuselage band, followed by a narrow vertical white one. It has a large blue 6 on the rudder sides.
It is a Ki-27 Kou, flown by 1st Lt. Iwori Sakai, leader of the 64th Sentai, 2nd Chutai, Nomonhan, China, fall of 1939.
It is a Ki-27 Otusu, flown by 4th Sentai Commander Lt. Col. Saguro Hayashi, Kikuchi Air Base, Kumamoto Prefecture, September 1940.
Scheme 2: Is overall grey green with a narrow red stripe around the cowling. A wide yellow fuselage band and a narrow white one. It has a yellow arrow across its rudder.
It is a Ki-27 Kou, aircraft no. 8, flown by Major Tateo Kato, Commander of the 64th Sentai, Kwangtung Air Base, China, April 1941.
Scheme 3 is overall dark green with a grey-green under-carriage. It has a Japanese roundel on the fuselage sides, followed by a blue and a white fuselage band. There is a red lighting bolt outlined in white on the rudder that extends down into the fuselage.
It is a Ki-27 Otsu, flown by the leader of 1sr Chutai, 50th Sentai, Moulmein, Burma, January 1942.
Scheme 4 is overall grey-green with a narrow red band around the cowling, Japanese roundel on fuselage sides, small red circle over a small blue rectangle high on the rudder.
It is a Ki-27 Otsu of the 14th Fighter Training Unit, Nanyuan Air Base, Beijing, November 1943.
Scheme 5 is in a wave pattern of dark and medium greens with a grey-green under-carriage. It has Japanese roundels on its sides and a small grey 67 over a grey bird in flight on the rudder sides.
It is a Ki-27 Ostu, probably of some unknown Special Attack Unit, location unknown, soon after the war.
Scheme 6 is overall grey-green with a red cowling. It has a narrow black fuselage band outlined in white. The rudder has a Yellow letter S shaped design on it with black squiggles on it and a red rudder flap.
It is a Ki-27 Otsu of the 4th Sentai, 2nd Chutai, Tachiarai Air Base, Fukuoka Prefecture, end of 1941.
Scheme 7 is in a wave pattern of dark and medium greens, over a grey-green undercarriage. It has a narrow red fuselage band outlined in white, multiple narrow white horizontal stripes across the rudder with red strips between them.
It is a Ki-27 Otsu, flown by Capt. Hyoe Yonaga of the 24th Chutai, Nagilian Air Base, Philippines, December 1941.
Scheme 8 is overall grey green with a red cowling that extends as an arrow down the fuselage. It has a wide diagonal red fuselage band, followed by a narrow vertical white one. It has a large blue 6 on the rudder sides.
It is a Ki-27 Kou, flown by 1st Lt. Iwori Sakai, leader of the 64th Sentai, 2nd Chutai, Nomonhan, China, fall of 1939.
There are 2 sheets printed on both sides and folded in the middle to fit the folder. They contain long histories of each of the 8 schemes.
There are 3 decal sheets in this set. 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:
I want to thank Lifelike Decals for this review sample.
All Lifelike products can be viewed on their web-site at:
Highly recommended.