Recent Rising Decals & Accessories

Rising Decals have recently released a very welcome 1/72 decal sheet for Japanese Floatplanes. Set RD72071 contains markings for no less than four A6M2-N 'Rufe', four E13A1 'Jake' and five F1M2 'Pete'.

The set offers decals for the following subjects:-

• A6M2-N of Yokohama Ku, Rabaul. 1942 - in overall grey finish with black tailcode Y-104
• A6M2-N of 452nd Ku, Kurile Islands, 1943 - in green over grey with yellow tailcode VII-143 and yellow diagonal fuselage band bordered white; an alternative tail code VII-107 is included for an aircraft without the fuselage band
• A6M2-N of 934th Ku, Ambon, 1944 - in green over grey with yellow tailcode 34-116 and yellow fuselage lightning bolt
• E13A1 off Kamikawa Maru, Malaya, 1941 - in overall grey finish with white and red tailcode Z1-23 and white fuselage stripe; nice to see an early subject from a seaplane tender 
• E13A1 of 951st Ku, Sasebo. 1945 - in green over grey with yellow tailcode サ (Sa) 951-47 and painted out diagonal fin/rudder stripe and 'C' formation keeping marking; the Hinomaru decals for this subject feature partially painted out white borders which are well done
• E13A1 of 453rd Ku, Ryuku Islands, 1945 - in green over grey with white tailcode KEC-73, red diagonal fin/rudder stripe and 'C' formation keeping marking
• E13A1 of 902nd Ku, Truk, 1943 - an interesting spinner less aircraft in green over grey with red and white tailcode P1-2 and white rectangles behind the fuselage Hinomaru
• F1M2 of 19th Ku, Kwajalein, 1941 - in overall grey finish with red tailcode 19-26
• F1M2 off Kamikawa Maru, Malaya, 1941 - in overall grey finish with white tailcode Z1-6 and white fuselage stripe; this one will make a good thematic companion for the 'Jake' Z1-23
• F1M2 of 951st Ku, Sasebo, 1945 - in green over grey with yellow tailcode サ (Sa) 951-8 and partially painted out fuselage Hinomaru borders
  
• F1M2 off Kiyokawa Maru, Salamaua, 1942 - in green over grey with red and white tailcode R1-15
• F1M2 of 951st Ku, Sasebo, 1945 - in green over grey with yellow tailcode サ (Sa) 951-10; this aircraft has painted out fuselage Hinomaru borders; both Sasebo aircraft also feature plain grey main floats.

Good 'Rufe' and 'Pete' kits are intermittently available from Hasegawa (1994) and Fujimi (1997) respectively whilst the Hasegawa 'Jake', although a veteran from 1971, can still be made into a good looking model with a little work. The two 1941 'Pete' subjects both have the earlier 'clean' cowling without the intake between the machine gun troughs and Rising note that a future resin conversion set will be released for that. This set is highly recommended for all IJN floatplane buffs.

Rising have also released five new accessory sets, four being photo-etched and one in resin. As usual each set comes with colour instructions, assembly sketches and relevant decal sheets for the attractively presented subject.

RD Acc-012 (above) is a Taki 1 Model 2 radar antennae set for the Ki-67 'Peggy'. This photo-etched set consists of wing and fuselage mounted aerial antennae for a Ki-67 of the 98th Sentai at Kagamigahara airfield in 1945. Decals consist of the Hinomaru and red tail stripe. The set is intended to be used with the Hasegawa Ki-67 (1999) but could as easily be adapted for the elderly but less expensive LS/Arii kit, of which more anon.

RD Acc-013 (above) is a Type 3 Ku-6 radar antennae set for mounting above the nose cone and on the fuselage sides of a G4M2 model 24 'Betty'. Decals, which include Hinomaru, are provided for an interesting subject from the Transport Plane Unit of the 13th Air Fleet in the Malaya area, 1945, with the yellow tailcode F1-11.

RD Acc-014 (above) is another Type 3 Ku-6 radar antennae set, this time for mounting centrally in the nose cone and on the fuselage sides of a G4M2 model 24 'Betty'. Decals are provided for a 'Betty' from the 763rd Ku at Clark Field in the Philippines, 1945, with the yellow tailcode 763-12.

RD Acc-015 (above) is an early model Type 3 Ku-6 radar antennae set for mounting in the nose and on the fuselage sides of a G4M2 model 24 'Betty'. Decals are provided for a 'Betty' of the 951st Ku Omura Detachment in June 1945 with the yellow tailcode 951-I-363. All the Type 3 Ku-6 'Betty' radar sets are intended for the Hasegawa G4M2 (1997), which is the only game in town if one discounts the elderly and basic Lindberg G4M2 from 1968.

RD Acc-020 is a resin accessory set providing two 250kg bombs and their racks for a J1N1-S night intruder of the 321st Ku at Tinian in 1944 with the speculative yellow tailcode 21-72. The instructions note that it is recommended this set be used with the previous accessory set RD Acc-016 with H-6 radar antennae (shown below), currently out of stock but which will hopefully be re-released.  The set is intended to be used with the Fujimi J1N1 (1994).

These are interesting and well chosen accessory sets offering everything needed for good alternative subjects for 'Peggy', 'Betty' and 'Irving' kits. With special thanks to Mirek of Rising Decals for kindly providing review samples of the decal sheet and accessory sets.

Image credits: All © 2016 Rising Decals