Description
In December 1939, when the Nakajima Type 97 fighter (Ki-27) was adopted,
the Army issued instructions to Nakajima 1 Company to prototype the next fighter (Ki-43).
The first prototype was completed in December of the following year, and
test flights showed that although
its maximum speed was approximately 30km/h higher than the Type 97 fighter, its
maneuverability was poor and it was insufficiently powerful as a next-generation fighter.
After that, various modifications were made, such as changing the wing area and replacing the engine
, and 13 aircraft (3 prototypes, 10 additional prototypes) were completed by September 1945, but the
military, which prioritizes hand-to-hand combat, I couldn't convince them.
However, at that time, the General Staff believed that a long-range fighter plane was needed to support the convoy in order to capture
Singapore during the southern invasion operation , and the Ki-43, which was about to be labeled as a failure, was used as a long-range fighter plane. A way out was found.
In April 1940, the modified aircraft was tested and
achieved the required cruising power, and it
was also excellent in vertical combat, so
it was decided to be adopted as a Type 1 fighter in May 1943, and
from June of the same year, the 8
Approximately 30 Type I aircraft were received by the 59th Flight Squadron over the month .
The Hayabusa I type was mainly deployed in the Burma area and
greatly contributed to the successful advance in the early stages of the war.
The Type II fighter jet had an engine replaced with a Ha-115,
the aircraft design was refined, and various performance improvements were made. When the
Type II was deployed in combat,
it had an advantage over the Buffalo, Hurricane, P-40, etc. However,
it was forced to struggle against the later Spitfire and P-38.
However, it was the easiest to handle among the Army fighter aircraft at the time and
had a high availability rate, so mass production continued until the end of the war.
[Actual aircraft data]
Crew: 1 person
Overall width: 10.84m
Overall length: 8.92m (horizontal attitude)
Overall height: 3.27m (horizontal attitude)
Main wing area: 21.4m2
Total weight: 2,590kg
Engine: Nakajima Ha115
Takeoff output: 1,120hp
maximum Speed: 515km/h/6,000m
Armament: 12.7mm cannon x2
