The Ki-27 achieved its first successes during the so-called 'China Incident'. These were the glory days for the JAAF and many of the successful 97 Sen pilots went on to become the outstanding leaders and veteran aces of the Pacific War. Initially facing more modern Allied types of fighter, the 97 Sen was more than able to hold its own by exploiting its outstanding aerobatic qualities. But the writing was on the wall for unarmoured aircraft as the Allies consolidated and began their fight back. By 1943 it was considered obsolete but was still being encountered in combat by Allied pilots, especially in the air defence role. The Ki-27 also found an important secondary role as an armed fighter trainer, equipping an important number of training units and flying schools, but was essentially retired from combat. This book tells the complete story of this special aircraft and its part in Japanese military history.

Author Biography

Nicholas Millman is one of Britain's leading researchers of Japanese military aviation. In addition to publishing articles in specialist journals, his own range of reference materials and supporting the research of other authors, he runs a website dedicated to the subject which attracts visitors from 175 countries. He is a member of Pacific Air War History Associates, an exclusive international group of authors and researchers working in this specialist field. Having spent much of his working life in the Far East he has an abiding interest in the history of military aviation in this part of the world, and first-hand knowledge of the geography, languages and people. Ronnie Olsthoorn was born and raised in the Netherlands, where he studied aeronautical engineering. After graduating he chose to become a professional artist and soon moved to the UK. Currently a freelancer, Ronnie has created artwork for 15 computer games and even more aviation books. His work has also appeared in forensic air crash visualisations and numerous aviation and digital arts magazines.