The Nakajima Ki-27 was the main fighter of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force during the early part of WW2. It’s Allied reporting code was “Nate”.

The fighter was the winner of a selection competition based on an earlier unsuccessful monoplane fighter.

It was deliberately kept simple by utilising fixed landing gear and an air cooled radial engine.

It was accepted into service in 1937 and soon put to use over Northern China in March 1938 where it matched Soviet I-16 monoplanes and out-performed I-15 biplanes. Superior training enabled the Japanese to establish air-superiority.

Later in the conflict new tactics and models of I-16 redressed the balance and Japanese losses began to mount.

In WW2, the fighter fared poorly against more modern Allied types.

It was replaced by the Ki-43 Oscar but continued to serve as a trainer until the end of the war.

Hasegawa 1/72 kit completed by Steve Pulbrook in 2017.