1:32 Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Frank) part 1 - Imperial Japanese Army Air Force - Shinbu tai

Art Scale 1:32 Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Frank) part 1 - decals, Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, Shinbu-tai

A sheet of decals in 1:32 scale for a model of the Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate fighter, designated by the Allies with the code name Frank. It is not a kit: it is an accessory with which you give a finished model a particular allegiance and color scheme. This part of the series is listed for machines of the Shinbu-tai units of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force.

The real subject

The Ki-84 Hayate was a single-engine fighter of the Japanese army from the late phase of the Second World War: fast, well armed and in many respects the most capable Japanese production army fighter. It was deployed over China, over the Philippines and over the Japanese islands. The Shinbu-tai were special attack units formed within the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force at the end of the war; their machines carried different markings, which differ from those of ordinary combat units.

Application tips

Decals belong on smooth gloss varnish, not directly on matte paint; under a matte surface the silvery edges of the carrier will appear. Soak the element in lukewarm water only briefly, slide it onto a dampened place and press the water out from under it with a soft brush or a cotton swab. You will settle the decal over rivets and engraved lines with a softener. Once it has dried, unify the surface with matte varnish and only then do the weathering.

Who the sheet is for

• builders of Japanese aviation of the Second World War
• modelers in the large 1:32 scale, where the details of markings stand out
• anyone interested in less usual schemes outside the ordinary combat units
• those for whom the decals from the kit are not enough or have yellowed