Nakajima Ki-27

Build Notes

My model represents an aircraft belonging to the 64th Sentai during the Nomonhan Incident in 1939.

The 64th Sentai cemented its early legendary status while flying the Nakajima Ki-27 during the late 1930s. Entering combat in April 1938 over China under the initial designation of the 2nd Hiko-Daitai, the unit became one of the first to operationalize the type, with future ace and commander Tateo Katō claiming the aircraft’s first aerial victories.

In 1939, officially redesignated as the 64th Sentai, the unit deployed to Manchuria for the Khalkhin Gol (Nomonhan) incident, where their Ki-27s engaged Soviet fighters in massive, swirling dogfights. The aircraft’s extreme agility perfectly matched the unit’s rigorous training in close-in maneuvering, allowing them to claim high kill ratios despite the Ki-27’s light armament and lack of armor. The 64th Sentai’s Ki-27 era came to a close in May 1941 when Major Katō transitioned the regiment to the newer Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa just prior to the outbreak of the Pacific War.