Considered by many to be the best Japanese Army fighter of the war, the Ki-84 saw action in the last two years of fighting. As was often the case during those times, the aircraft were either unreliable due to poor workmanship, or were grounded for lack of spare parts. However, when the Ki-84 was airborne and in the hands of even a somewhat talented pilot, it was often able to match the best that the Allies could put up against it.

This Sky sheet gives markings for 21 different aircraft from a variety of units. Most are in a medium brown over light grey though some are in dark green uppers and some in unpainted metal. As you can see from the sample pages from the instruction booklet, the Ki-84 builder will not be lacking for an interesting or unusual scheme for his next kit.

Speaking of kits, there are at least three in 1/48 or 1/50 that can use this sheet. The oldest is the Otaki/Arii kit that has some shape problems, but the price is right. The Tamiya version is actually 1/50 so some markings may be a bit large. The best of the rest is the more recent Hasegawa kit that builds into a superb model and is just right for this sheet.

As you can see from the image of the sheet to the right, the colors are superb and quite brilliant. They are also very opaque and well printed. I've used Sky decals before and found them to be excellent.

The instruction booklet gives basically profiles with one overhead shot for insignia placement. A color guide on the back gives FS 595, Humbrol, Molak, Tamiya, Gunze, and Testors paint references. There is also a list of sources from whence the markings were gleaned. A couple of the pages are duplicated at the beginning of the review.

All in all, Sky sheets are probably the best 'bang for the buck' when it comes to aftermarket decals. If you can't find them locally, then they can be obtained from the link below.

Review copy courtesy of Pacific Coast Models. Thanks for your support.

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