Nakajima Ki-27 Otsu
in profile

Introduction

The Nakajima Ki-27 Otsu (Ki-27b) differed from the earlier Ki-27 Ko (Ki-27a) in having the rear canopy as a complete glass enclosure and the radio mast in front of the cockpit.

Initial finish was an overall light grey-green with Hinomarus on the wing surfaces. A white band was added to the rear fuselage of combat aircraft in Manchuria and this later became accepted as a form of theatre marking, and could also be seen on other aircraft in the early war years. By 1942 it was largely gone however. Sentai and Chutai markings remained as coloured emblems on the fin/rudder, while shotai was designated by fuselage bands.

Later aircraft began to have their uppersufaces camouflaged. This could be either a solid colour or multi-coloured segments. Undersurfaces remained as grey-green.

When assigned to Home Defence from 1942 on, white 'bandages' were added to the wings and fuselages as fields for the Hinomaru. Initially Red and then yellow leading edge stripes were also standard at this time.

Nakajima Ki-27 Ko
4th Sentai, 2ndChutai
Japan
1942-43

Nakajima Ki-27 Ko
5th Sentai, 3rd Chutai
Japan
1940-41

Nakajima Ki-27 Ko
24th Sentai, 2nd Chutai
Phillipines
1941

This Nate was flown by the commander of 2.Chutai and is interesting in that it differs from the usual practice of 24 Sentai in having two stripes on the fin and four on the rudder to denote '24'

Nakajima Ki-27 Ko
64th Sentai, 2nd Chutai
1941

In early 1941 the 64th changed their marking to an arrowhead on the fin/rudder

Nakajima Ki-27 Ko
77th Sentai 3rd Chutai
Malaya
December 1941

Nakajima Ki-27 Ko
111th Kyoiku Hikorentai

References:

• Emblems of the Rising Sun: Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Unit Markings
  Peter Scott; Hikoki Publications 1999

• Japanese Army Air Force Camouflage and Markings WWII
  Donald Thorpe; Kookaburra Publications

• Nakajima Ki-27 Nate
  Leszek A Wieliczko/Zygmunt Szeremeta; Kagero Publications