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Blue Rider's 1/72 Manchuria/Manchukuo Part 2 Decals

By Chris Banyai-Riepl

When it comes to off-the-wall subjects and small air forces, no one does them justice like Blue Rider.  This sheet provides markings for several small planes used by Manchuria and Manchukuo during the 1930s and 1940s.  The first plane depicted is a de Havilland DH60 Moth, registered M-18, of the Manchu Kohku Kabushiki Kaisha (Manchurican Air Transport Co.).  The finish is overall dark blue with the tail painted in blue, white and red, with a white star.  The registration "M 18" is on the fuselage sides in white.  Like all the other choices on this sheet, there is no suggested kit listed, but for DH60s your choices are limited, with the Frog kit being the only one I know of.  The second option on the sheet is for a Bf 108D also of the Manchu Kohku Kabushiki Kaisha.  Registered M-58, it is finished in overall light gray, with five-color roundels on the wings.  For kit choices, the Heller kit is the one to look for.

The next two options are for Tachikawa Ki-9 "Spruces", both of the Manchukuo National Military Force Air Corps.  Being trainers they are finished in orange overall, with black cowlings.  The first example has a script on the fuselage sides denoting the aircraft donor. The second example doesn't have this, but does have a character on the tail.  Roundels are on the wings only.  For kits there really is only one to get, and that's the Choroszy Modelbud kit.  Another Tachikawa plane is the next option, being a Tachikawa Ki-55.  The finish of this plane is natural metal overall, with a black cowling and a red rudder.  It too has donor information written on the fuselage sides and roundels on the wings.  The kit you'll want to get here is the Fujimi Ki-36/55 kit.

The next plane provided on this sheet is a Nakajima Ki-27b, finished in overall gray-green.  Donor information is on the sides and roundels are provided for the wings.  The Mania/Hasegawa kit is your best choice for this model.  The final option on this sheet is also a Nakajima plane, this time a Ki-43-II-ko.  It is also finished in overall gray-green and also features donor information on the fuselage sides.  Roundels are for the wings only.  The Hasegawa kit is probably the best choice for this plane.

The decals are well-printed and are in excellent register, even the 5-color roundels.  They aren't the thinnest decals out there, but there should be no problem in using them.  Even if you only build one of these subjects you'll definitely have a conversation piece on your shelf.