WOW569 Nakajima Nate

Description

WOW569 Nakajima Ki-27 – Nate

The Nakajima Ki-27  [Nicknamed by the Allies as the Nate] was the main fighter used by the Japanese Air Force until 1940.
The Ki-27 made its first flight in October 1936.  Chosen for its outstanding turning ability granted by its remarkably low wing loading, despite it being slower and having a worse climb rate than its competitors. Though possibly the most manoeuvrable fighter ever built, the Nate was not particularly fast, but its turning ability made it an outstanding aircraft for its time.
The Ki-27 guns were interestingly mounted in the cockpit floor and fired from beneath the engine.
The Ki-27 entry into service was in Northern China in 1938 and gave the Japanese air superiority for a while, until the Soviet Polikarpov I-16 fighters came to the theatre. The Ki-27 take part in the early Burma, Malaya, Dutch East Indies and the Philippine campaigns and had considerable success against the Allies until more modern fighters became available. After which the KI-27 was demoted to secondary roles such as Japanese air defence [until 1943] and training. Ki-27 aircraft of 5 Air Regiment were the main air defence against the Doolittle raid, but were unable to inflict significant damage on the raiders.

In the final months of the war, desperate lack of aircraft forced the Japanese to utilize all available machines and 79 Ki-27 were used, some were equipped with up to 500 kg (1,100 lb) of explosives for kamikaze attacks.  Ki-27’s were redeployed as fighters, suffering terrible losses as on 16 February 1945 when the 39th Educational Flight Regiment scrambled 16 x Ki-79 trainers from Yokoshiba Airfield to oppose a massive air raid from a U.S. carrier group, losing six aircraft with more damaged and five pilots killed, in return damaging at least one F6F Hellcat and possibly downing a second.

The Ki-27 was a major aircraft for the Japanese military pre and during WWII, with 3,399 aircraft built.

The 1/30 scale Mahogany Ki.27 aircraft Thomas Gunn are releasing was flown by Capt. Hyoe Yonaga, an Ace with 16 victories. His aircraft is interesting because of the field camouflage applied, and unusual for a 24 Sentai machine in having five stripes on the rudder rather than the usual four.

The accessories and K&C figures are shown for scale comparison purposes only and are not included.
This is a limited edition of three only 1/30 scale warbirds

The k&C figures and TG accessories are shown for scale comparison purposes only and are not included.