This latest release from Lifelike Decals features four different Nakajima Ki-44's.  This is Part 3 of  a series dealing with the Nakajima Ki-44 from the summer of 1944 to 1945. 

The 4 aircraft include 3 in various paint schemes and one in bare metal.  

• Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki Type II Hei, flown by Warant Officer Kazuki Kobayashi of the 23rd Sentai 1st Chutai, Inba AB/China in November of 1944.  This is a bare metal aircraft that has black anti-glare panels fore and aft of the cockpit and the wing leading edges are yellow with a light brownish spinner.  This plane is overall dark green with white Sentai tail markings.

• Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki Type II Kou, flown by 85th Sentai 2nd Chutai, Kwangtung AB/China in 1944.  This was a bare metal aircraft that had green paint sprayed on it to give it a spotted camo effect.  It has black anti-glare panels fore and aft of the cockpit and the wing leading edges are yellow with a light brownish spinner and red Sentai tail markings.  

• Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki Type II Hei, flown by Major Tohgo Saito Commander of 85th Sentai, Kwangtung AB/China in 1944.  This is a dark green aircraft that has black anti-glare panels fore and aft of the cockpit and the wing leading edges are yellow with a medium blue spinner.  The paitn on this aircraft is heavily peeled.  Sentai tail markings are blue.

• Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki Type II Hei, flown by Major Atsuyuki Sakado, Commander of 70th Sentai, Kashiwa  AB/ China in June 1945.  This aircraft is overall bare metal with black anti-glare panels fore and aft of the cockpit and the wing leading edges are yellow with a light brownish spinner.  There are 3 B-29 victory markings on the side of the fuselage.  Sentai tail markings are blue.

Click on images below to see larger images

The decals are contained one decal sheet with 1 insert decal sheet and are of an excellent quality.  The decals themselves are clearly printed and in perfect register and are printed by Cartograf.  

Of particular interest to me was the different camo schemes and peeling paint.  Plus the history of these aircraft and pilots is quite interesting.  One of the pilots was a teacher at a flying school and died in a Kamikaze attack in November 1944.

This decal sheet captures some very interesting paint schemes worn by the Nakajima Ki-44 including the dark green one with the white tail markings and the the dark green one with peeling paint and the blue tail markings well as the spotted camo.

You can purchase these decals either directly from Lifelike Decals at fax number is +81-3-5680-6733, and e-mail is lifelike@eos.ocn.ne.jp. or from HobbyLink Japan.    

Other shops that stock Life like Decals are *Hannants/UK, *Mister Kit/Italy, *Revi (publisher)/Czech Republic, *SkyGrid/Canada, *Roll Models/USA, *Great Models Webstore/USA, *FlightDecs/Canada, *Victory Models/USA
*M & Models/USA, *Zed Hobbies/Australia, *AB &S Enterprise/Australia, *Desert Miniature/USA