1:48 Ki-27 NATE

The Nate with fixed landing gear

The Nakajima Ki-27 was the first production monoplane of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force with an enclosed cockpit. The landing gear stayed fixed, tucked into aerodynamic fairings, and the machine staked everything on low weight and an enormous wing. In the clashes over Khalkhin Gol it displayed an agility its opponents could not imitate, and it was still serving in the front line at the beginning of the Pacific war. The long glazed hood above the fuselage has an unusual number of narrow frames.

The red disc layer by layer

Japanese insignia are sprayed from the bottom up. First comes the white area, which on some machines forms a border, then a circular mask is laid on it once it has dried, and only at the end is the red applied. Anyone who reverses the order lets the dark base show through the bright color and the shade turns gray. It pays to put a thin white layer under the red even where there is no border, because on dark camouflage the disc otherwise loses its depth.

Centering without measuring

Seat the circle dry, step back and check the position against the edge of the wing. The eye reveals a deviation more reliably than a ruler, because the marking is judged from a distance. Only then press the film down.

What you get

In the bag are parts for the outer and the inner side of the hood and insignia of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. A decal sheet does not belong here; the set counts on the marking being produced with paint. The outlines correspond to the plastic from Hasegawa. It suits anyone who wants to place the insignia according to his own photographic reference. The bag is flat and light.