Rising Decals Regimental Duo in 1/72 scale Part 2

The second set of Rising's Regimental decals in 1/72 scale RD72114 features Hiko Dai 59 Sentai and the 14 subjects cover the full range of aircraft flown by the unit as follows:-

• Ki-43-II 6010 at But, New Guinea in late 1943, the aircraft of Capt Shigeo Nango in solid green camouflage. He was not the Sentai leader but the Executive Officer and Hikotai leader from July 1943 until his death in action in January 1944. His Oscar has sometimes been depicted with red fuselage stripes. When the unit withdrew to the Philippines in October 1943 it was replenished with 34 aircraft, sufficient to assign aircraft to pilots. As the former 2nd Chutai leader from January 1942 to July 1943 Nango's assigned aircraft continued to be serviced by the 2nd Chutai maintenance crew and therefore retained the red tail insignia. The blue fuselage bands were applied to reflect his role as the executive  officer of the Sentai HQ. This information was obtained from 1Lt Hitoshi Kawamura, an engineering officer who had served in the Sentai HQ as armaments officer, by the respected researcher Yoji Watanabe in an interview published in FAOW 65 (July 1997) and helpfully translated by another respected researcher Osamu Tagaya in 2009.

• Ki-43-II of 3rd Chutai, at But in late 1943/early 1944, attributed as the aircraft flown by the Chutai leader Capt Kenjiro Kobayasahi  from the twin yellow fuselage bands, in solid green camouflage. This aircraft is one of the subjects of the recent Arma Hobby kit which depicted the rearmost fuselage band as yellow. Close examination of the photograph suggests that the band was probably white, being the senchi hiyoshiki, as depicted on this sheet.

• Ki-43-II of 3rd Chutai, at But in October 1943, the aircraft of Sgt Maj Tomio Hirohata, in a sparse mottle of green over natural metal. As in the 1/48 sheet recently reviewed the bird motif is provided in red or black. FWIW in the known photograph of the aircraft it appears darker in tone than the Hinomaru. The motif resembles the Japanese phoenix - Hōō - (ほうおう), the mythical bird which had associations with the Imperial family, represented fidelity and was also  believed to rule over all other birds. However, if the colour of the motif was indeed red it might have represented the Suzaku (朱雀 - すざく), the Japanese name for the mythical Chinese 'Vermilion Bird' which was considered the guardian of the south. Representations of the two mythical birds are similar in appearance and sometimes get confused.  FAOW 65 identified Hirohata's Oscar as being 2nd Chutai and puzzled over the appearance of the tail stripe which in the photo is lighter than the Hinomaru and bird motif.

• Ki-43-II of 1st Chutai at But in November 1943, attributed as the aircraft of the Chutai leader Lt Masaaki Yoshida from the twin white fuselage bands, in solid green camouflage. 

• Ki-43-II 5388 of 2nd Chutai abandoned at Hollandia in April 1944, in solid deep green camouflage over brownish grey green under surfaces,

• Ki-43-III Ko of 2nd Chutai at Kimpo, Korea in 1945, in solid # 7 (olive brown) or # 27 blue green over natural metal.

• Ki-27 Ko 91 of 2nd Chutai at Hankow in September 1939, flown by Sgt Maj Isamu Kashiide, a 9 victory ace and Bukosho winner, on overal grey green or light blueish grey. The lightning flash included on the sheet is blue but has been depicted as red or black.  In Osprey 103 we followed earlier references stating that the flash was a blue-black colour. The sliding canopy was removed on this aircraft.

• Ki-27 Otsu of 2nd Chutai at Ashiya, Japan in the Spring and Summer of 1944, in grey green or light blueish grey, attributed as an aircraft used for training.

• Ki-61-I Tei of 3rd Chutai at Saishu (Jeju) Island in October 1945, in 'snake weave' camouflage of green over natural metal. 

• Ki-100 Ko 16153 of 3rd Chutai at Ashiya in October 1945, attributed as the aircraft of the Chutai leader 1Lt Naoyuki Ogata, in a scheme of # 7 or the darker # 43 over natural metal. The 'P-51' victory mark is reported to represent Ogata's claim of 14 August 1945.

• Ki-100 'Razorback' 16078 of 3rd Chutai at Ashiya in October 1945, in a scheme of # 7 or the darker # 43 over natural metal.

• Ki-100 'Razorback' 16177 of 2nd Chutai at Ashiya in October 1945,  in a scheme of # 7 or the darker # 43 over natural metal.

• Ki-100 'Bubbletop' 16321 of 3rd Chutai at Ashiya in Octiober 1945, in a scheme of # 7 or the darker # 43 over natural metal.

• Ki-100 'Bubbletop' 16313 of 3rd Chutai at Ashiya in October 1945, in a scheme of # 7 or the darker # 43 over natural metal.

Regarding Ki-100 propeller colours please refer to the blog article here and for Ki-100 camouflage colours the blog article here. All the subjects of this set, including the Ki-100s, have the distinctive tailplane stripes, an integral part of the unit's insignia but so often having been omitted in depictions. Only recently I shared a photograph to convince a modeller that the stripes were present on the Ki-100. All Ki-100 subjects in this set also have the white rectangular 'cartouche' 迷彩塗料 (meisai toryô - camouflage paint) beneath the tailplanes, reportedly a warning stencil to show that the aircraft had been camouflaged with inflammable nitro-cellulose paint. IJAAF requirements were for acetyl cellulose or benzyl cellulose paint and although nitro-cellulose paint was easier to produce it was vulnerable to catching fire and had been long discontinued for aircraft use.  However when it became urgently necessary to increase aircraft production late in the war, nitro-cellulose paints had to be used. This practice may have been relevant to the way the Ki-100 was produced and the re-introduction of factory painting in the autumn of 1944. The stencil is seen on some other aircraft such as the Ki-44, with Nakajima being another company perhaps caught between running down the production and delivery of unpainted aircraft and the directive to reinstate factory painting. 

A very fine set of decals with Rising's usual attention to detail, crisply printed and with good colour saturation. Particularly impressive is the fine register of the various thinly bordered bands and stripes. With special thanks to Rising Decals for the review set.

Image credit: All © 2025 Rising Decals.