Rising Decals RD48040: Ki-43 over New Guinea and the Solomons Part 3

The Ki-43 could easily be considered the IJAAF's 'Zero' as the two aircraft has much in common. Both were light weight, both were the service's first monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear, and both were quite maneuverable. The A6M had greater range and heavier armament, while the Ki-43 was faster and had better mid to low altitude handling. Both had insufficient armor protection.

This sheet is all Ki-43-II aircraft with some early and some later. The way to tell is the exhaust. The later versions have the exhaust pointing back along the airframe. All of the units are those operating in New Guinea and the Solomons, a time when the IJAAF still had a cadre of experienced and well trained pilots.

The first offering is one that is unpainted metal with very light mottling on the upper surfaces. This early plane was with the headquarters squadron of the 24th Sentai at Alexishafen in 1944.

Next is a standard 24 Sentai early version in dark green upper surfaces with a white spinner tip. Note that all of these options have unpainted metal undersides.

Third is a late version with a heavily patchwork uppersurface in green with brown from the 63rd Sentai. This plane was based at Los Negros in early 1944 and has a red spinner.

Another late version with the 59th Sentai is next. This plane also has a dark green upper surface and was at But airbase in late 1943. It has a yellow spinner.

Finally a 33rd Sentai late version as was at Hollandia in mid 1944. It has a mostly dark green upper surface with flecks of an even darker green. All of these planes have the yellow wing leading edge ID markings.

The sheet instructions recommend the Hasegawa kit, but personally, I think the Fine Molds kit would work just as well. The benefit of the Fine Molds option is that you don't have to do a lot of work to have the flaps in the retracted position. The Oscar was almost never seen on the ground with these extended unless they were undergoing maintenance. The decals themselves are superbly printed and there are enough insignia for three of the five options. it.

January 2026

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