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Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Oscar)

1942 COLD WAR WORLD WAR 2

History

By 1937, the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) realized the need for a more modern replacement, the Nakajima Ki-27. The Ki-27 (Allied codename "Nate") began a private venture design by Hideo Nakajima himself in 1935 at the invitation of the IJA, and delivered in 1935 a modern fighter with an all-metal stress skin. The type is a light, enclosed cockpit monoplane, but operates with a fixed landing gear and tail skid, has no pilot armor or self-sealing fuel tanks, and requires an external device to launch.

At its launch, the Ki-27 was Japan's first monoplane in service. Fighting until the war ended in 1945, Netz quickly withdrew from direct contact with more modern Western fighters, as they were completely overtaken.

IJA went directly back to Nakajima Aircraft Company, where Mr. Nakajima accepted the new requirements and delivered a promising prototype. Like the previous Ki-27 "Nate", the new design remains lightweight for more flexible installation. As a result, important aspects such as pilot armor and self-sealing fuel tanks were removed from the equation.

The weapon is only a pair of 2 x 7.7mm Type 97 machine guns, fired from the upper shroud and synchronised through the rotating propeller blades. 250 rounds of ammunition were awarded to the machine gun. Flight testing of the new fighter aircraft began in 1939, but its overall design soon proved rather disappointing, forcing all further development to stall temporarily. It wasn't until 1941 that the design was modified and modified to compensate for the inherent shortcomings. Increased wing area, increased combat flaps help improve maneuverability, and the improved airframe demonstrates excellent steering capabilities and promises satisfaction with the best Allied fighters that can be deployed.

The fighter was officially designated the Ki-43 Hayabusa (meaning "Peregrine Falcon") and was in service with the IJA. Serial production of the new mount began in June 1941, and the model entered service as the Ki-43-Ia shortly thereafter.

The last major brand became the Ki-43 III series. The prototype was equipped with a 1,230 hp Nakajima Ha-115-II series engine and increased its range by adding 2 x 45 gallon drop tanks.

The Ki-43-IIIa is the main production brand, followed by the Ki-43-IIIb, which is armed with a 20mm cannon on the original machine gun line.

Another notable Ki-43 variant is the Ki-62 "Project", which is nothing more than a heavily modified Ki-43 designed for interception missions. This version has a more powerful engine and can be armed with a 30mm or 40mm gun as required.

The Ki-43 proved its worth throughout WWII. After active Pacific theater service was limited to areas around the Japanese islands, the aircraft was used as an interceptor for home defense, especially in the capital Tokyo.

Some Ki-43 airframes were also reserved for deadly but suicide kamikaze attacks on Allied ships in the Pacific.

A total of approximately 5,919 Ki-43 Hayabusa fighters were produced from 1942 to 1945, making it the most produced IJA fighter, trailing only the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" in terms of total production. The model was officially retired from Japanese service at the end of the war in 1945, but remained in stock in China (after the war) until 1952. Other war operators were Manchukuo and Thailand, and other postwar operators were France, Indonesia and North Korea. The French used Ki-43 models against Viet Minh rebels in the Indochina War - although they were captured examples, painted in the colors of the French Air Force, and used primarily for ground attacks.

Likewise, the North Korean Hayabusa was captured as a postwar remnant, as was the Indonesian mount - the latter opposed to the Dutch army's end to colonial rule.