The Nakajima Ki-43 ''Hayabusa'' (, "
Peregrine falcon
The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (Bird of prey, raptor) in the family (biology), family Falco ...
", "Army Type 1 Fighter" ) is a single-engine land-based tactical
fighter used by the
Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS) or Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF; ja, 大日本帝國陸軍航空部隊, Dainippon Teikoku Rikugun Kōkūbutai, lit=Greater Japan Empire Army Air Corps) was the aviation force of the Im ...
in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
The Allied
reporting name
NATO reporting names are code names for military equipment from Russia, China, and historically, the Eastern Bloc (Soviet Union and other nations of the Warsaw Pact). They provide unambiguous and easily understood English words in a uniform manne ...
was "Oscar", but it was often called the "Army Zero" by American pilots because it bore a certain resemblance to the
Mitsubishi A6M Zero
The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 19 ...
, the Imperial Japanese Navy's counterpart to the Ki-43. Both aircraft had generally similar layout and lines, and also used essentially the same
Nakajima Sakae
The was a two-row, 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine used in a number of combat aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army before and during World War II.
Design and development
The engine was designed by Nakajima Air ...
radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ca ...
, with similar round cowlings and
bubble-type canopies (the ''Oscar''
's being distinctly smaller and having much less framing than the A6M). While relatively easy for a trained eye to tell apart with the "finer" lines of the Ki-43's fuselage – especially towards the tail – and more tapered wing planform; in the heat of battle, given the brief glimpses and distraction of combat, Allied aviators frequently made mistakes in enemy aircraft identification in the heat of a dogfight, reportedly having fought "Zeros" in areas where there were no Navy fighters.
Like the Zero, the radial-engined Ki-43 was light and easy to fly and became legendary for its combat performance in
East Asia
East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...
in the early years of the war. It could outmaneuver any opponent, but did not initially have armor or
self-sealing fuel tank
A self-sealing fuel tank is a type of fuel tank, typically used in aircraft fuel tanks or fuel bladders, that prevents them from leaking fuel and igniting after being damaged.
Typical self-sealing tanks have multiple layers of rubber and reinforc ...
s, and its armament was poor until its final version, which was produced as late as 1945.
Allied pilots often reported that the nimble Ki-43s were difficult targets but burned easily or broke apart with few hits.
Total production amounted to 5,919 aircraft.
Many of these were used during the last months of the war for kamikaze missions against the American fleet.
Design and development
The Ki-43 was designed by
Hideo Itokawa
was a pioneer of Japanese rocketry, popularly known as "Dr. Rocket," and described in the media as the father of Japan's space development.
The near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa was named in honor of Itokawa, and is notable as the target of th ...
, who would later become famous as a pioneer of Japanese rocketry. The Ki-43 prototype was produced in response to a December 1937 specification for a successor to the popular fixed-gear
Nakajima Ki-27
The was the main fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service up until 1940. Its Allied nickname was "Nate", although it was called "Abdul" in the "China Burma India" (CBI) theater by many post war sources; Allied Intelligen ...
''Nate''. The specification called for a top speed of , a climb rate of in five minutes and a range of . Maneuverability was to be at least as good as that of Ki-27.
When first flown in early January 1939, the Ki-43 prototype was a disappointment. Japanese test pilots complained that it was less maneuverable than the Ki-27 ''Nate'' and not much faster.
In order to solve these problems, Nakajima produced a series of progressively modified prototypes through 1939 and 1940. These changes involved a major weight saving program, a slimmer fuselage with the tail surfaces moved further aft and a new canopy. Crucially, the 11th prototype introduced the unique differential "butterfly" maneuvering
Fowler flap
A flap is a high-lift device used to reduce the stalling speed of an aircraft wing at a given weight. Flaps are usually mounted on the wing trailing edges of a fixed-wing aircraft. Flaps are used to reduce the take-off distance and the landing ...
s, which dramatically improved performance in tight turns. The 13th prototype combined all these changes, and tests of this aircraft resulted in an instruction for Nakajima to place the Ki-43 into production, the Ki-27 jigs being transferred to the
Mansyu factory at
Harbin
Harbin (; mnc, , v=Halbin; ) is a sub-provincial city and the provincial capital and the largest city of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, as well as the second largest city by urban population after Shenyang and largest ...
in Japanese occupied
Manchukuo
Manchukuo, officially the State of Manchuria prior to 1934 and the Empire of (Great) Manchuria after 1934, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Northeast China, Manchuria from 1932 until 1945. It was founded as a republic in 1932 afte ...
.
The Ki-43 (Oscar) was initially produced in November 1939, given the designation Ki-43-I. Deliveries from Nakajima's Ota factory commenced in February 1941. In addition to outstanding maneuverability, the Ki-43-I had an impressive rate of climb due to its light weight. Power was provided by the Nakajima Ha-25 engine turning a two-bladed, two-position variable-pitch metal propeller.
Top speed was at The Ki-43 was equipped with two
synchronized cowling
A cowling is the removable covering of a vehicle's engine, most often found on automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, and on outboard boat motors. On airplanes, cowlings are used to reduce drag and to cool the engine. On boats, cowlings are a cove ...
machine guns in various configurations, with either two
Type 89 machine gun
Type 89 refers to two unrelated Imperial Japanese Army aircraft machine guns. Its Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service, Imperial Japanese Navy counterparts are the Type 97 aircraft machine gun, Type 97 machine gun (fixed), and Type 92 machine gun, ...
s, one
Ho-103 machine gun
The Type 1 machine gun (Type (designation), signifying its year of adoption, 1941) was a Japanese aircraft-mounted heavy machine gun widely used during World War II. It was also known as the Ho-103. The weapon itself was largely based on the Ame ...
and one gun, or two Ho-103 guns; the aircraft was given various sub-designations to reflect these differences. The configuration that appears to have been most prevalent at the outset of the war was the first configuration with two
Type 89 machine gun
Type 89 refers to two unrelated Imperial Japanese Army aircraft machine guns. Its Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service, Imperial Japanese Navy counterparts are the Type 97 aircraft machine gun, Type 97 machine gun (fixed), and Type 92 machine gun, ...
s, while as the war progressed the heavier combinations gained popularity and the version with the heaviest armament was sometimes given the designation Ki-43-Ic.
The Ho-103 was often loaded with explosive ammunition to increase target effect; its penetrative effect against later
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
aircraft
armor
Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or fr ...
appears to have been marginal.
[Dunn, Richard L]
"Nakajima Ki-43-I Armament: A Reassessment."
''warbirdforum.com''. Retrieved: 18 October 2009.
![Nakajima Ki-43-II](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Nakajima_Ki-43-II.jpg)
Prototypes for the Ki-43-II flew in February 1942. The Ha-25 engine was upgraded with the 2-stage
supercharger
In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement.
The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...
, thus becoming the more powerful
Nakajima Ha-115 engine, which was installed in a longer-chord cowling. The new engine turned a three-bladed propeller. The wing structure, which had suffered failures in the Ki-43-I, was strengthened and equipped with racks for drop tanks or bombs. The Ki-43-II was also fitted with a armor plate for the pilot's head and back, and the aircraft's fuel tanks were coated in rubber to form a crude self-sealing tank. This was later replaced by a 3-layer rubber bladder, 8mm core construction; with 2mm oil-proof lamination. The bladder proved to be highly resistant against bullets, but was not as effective against larger calibers. The pilot also enjoyed a slightly taller canopy and a
reflector gunsight in place of the earlier telescopic gunsight.
Nakajima commenced production of the Ki-43-II at its Ota factory in November 1942. Production was also started at the
Tachikawa Hikoki KK and the 1st Army Air Arsenal (Tachikawa Dai-Ichi Rikugun Kokusho), also at
Tachikawa
file:Autumn colors in Showa memorial park.jpg, 250px, Showa Memorial Park
is a Cities of Japan, city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 184,383 in 93,428 households, and a populat ...
. Although Tachikawa Hikoki successfully managed to enter into large-scale production of the Ki-43, the 1st Army Air Arsenal was less successful – hampered by a shortage of skilled workers, it was ordered to stop production after 49 Ki-43s were built. Nakajima eventually ceased production in mid-1944 in favor of the
Ki-84 ''Hayate'', but the Tachikawa Hikoki continued to produce the Ki-43.
[, ]
Tachikawa also produced the Ki-43-III, which utilized the more powerful Nakajima Army Type 1 Ha-115-II engine. Maximum speed increased to .
Tachikawa produced 2124 Ki-43-II and -III aircraft between April 1944 and the end of the war.
Total production of all versions amounted to 5,919 aircraft.
Operational history
![Chiran high school girls wave kamikaze pilot](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Chiran_high_school_girls_wave_kamikaze_pilot.jpg)
The Ki-43 was the most widely used Army fighter, and equipped 30 ''
sentai
In Japanese, is a military unit and may be literally translated as "squadron", " task force", " division (of ships)", "group" or "wing". The terms "regiment" and "flotilla", while sometimes used as translations of ''sentai'', are also used to ...
'' FR (flight regiment) and 12 ''
chutai'' IS (independent squadron). The first unit equipped with the Ki 43-I was the 59th FR at
Hankow
Hankou, alternately romanized as Hankow (), was one of the three towns (the other two were Wuchang and Hanyang) merged to become modern-day Wuhan city, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers whe ...
Airfield, during June–August 1941 and began operational sorties over
Hengyang
Hengyang (; ) is the second largest city of Hunan Province, China. It straddles the Xiang River about south of the provincial capital of Changsha. As of the 2020 Chinese census, Its total population was 6,645,243 inhabitants, whom 1,290,715 ...
on 29 October 1941.
The second unit to re-equip with the new Aircraft was the 64th FR, from August to November 1941.
The first version, Ki-43-I, entered service in 1941, the Ki-43-II in December 1942, the Ki-43-II-''Kai'' in June 1943, and the Ki-43-IIIa in summer 1944. The aircraft fought in China, Burma, the
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
,
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
, the Philippines, South Pacific islands and the Japanese home islands.
Like the Zero, the Ki-43 initially enjoyed air superiority in the skies of
Malaya
Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia:
Political entities
* British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...
,
Netherlands East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
, Burma and New Guinea. This was partly due to the better performance of the Oscar and partly due to the relatively small numbers of combat-ready Allied fighters, mostly the
Curtiss P-36 Hawk
The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, is an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation ...
,
Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and ...
,
Brewster Buffalo
The Brewster F2A Buffalo is an American fighter aircraft which saw service early in World War II. Designed and built by the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation, it was one of the first U.S. monoplanes with an arrestor hook and other modifications ...
,
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
and
Curtiss-Wright CW-21
The Curtiss-Wright Model 21 (also known as the Curtiss-Wright Model 21 Demonstrator, the Curtiss-Wright CW-21 Interceptor, the Curtiss-Wright CW-21 Demon) was an American fighter-interceptor developed by the St. Louis Airplane Division of Curtis ...
in Asia and the Pacific during the first months of the war. As the war progressed, however, the fighter suffered from the same weaknesses as the slower, fixed-gear Ki-27 "Nate" predecessor to the ''Oscar'', and the more advanced naval A6M Zero; light armor and less-than-effective
self-sealing fuel tank
A self-sealing fuel tank is a type of fuel tank, typically used in aircraft fuel tanks or fuel bladders, that prevents them from leaking fuel and igniting after being damaged.
Typical self-sealing tanks have multiple layers of rubber and reinforc ...
s, which caused high casualties in combat. Its armament of two machine guns also proved inadequate against the more heavily armored Allied aircraft. As newer Allied aircraft were introduced, such as the
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
,
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...
,
North American P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team ...
,
Vought F4U Corsair
The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft which saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contracts ...
,
Grumman F6F Hellcat
The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Designed to replace the earlier Grumman F4F Wildcat, F4F Wildcat and to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United St ...
,
Yakovlev Yak-9
The Yakovlev Yak-9 (russian: Яковлев Як-9) is a single-engine, single-seat multipurpose fighter aircraft used by the Soviet Union and its allies during World War II and the early Cold War. It was a development of the robust and successf ...
,
Yakovlev Yak-3
The Yakovlev Yak-3 (Russian: Яковлев Як-3) was a single-engine, single-seat World War II Soviet fighter. Robust and easy to maintain, it was much liked by both pilots and ground crew.Glancey 2006, p. 180. One of the smallest and lighte ...
U and late-model
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...
/
Seafire
''SeaFire'', first published in 1994, was the fourteenth novel by John Gardner featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond (including Gardner's novelization of ''Licence to Kill''). Carrying the Glidrose Publications copyright, it was f ...
, the Japanese were forced into a defensive war and most aircraft were flown by inexperienced pilots. However, even near the end, the Oscar's excellent maneuverability could still gain advantage over rash Allied pilots.
![Wagner Book (16336681455)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Wagner_Book_%2816336681455%29.jpg)
From October to December 1944, 17 Ki-43s were shot down in air combat; their pilots claimed seven C-47s, five
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
s, two Spitfires, two
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort ...
s, two
de Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a British twin-engined, shoulder-winged, multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the Second World War. Unusual in that its frame was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder", or ...
es, two F4U Corsairs, two
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...
es, one F6F Hellcat, one P-38, and one
North American B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in e ...
. Like most Japanese combat types, many ''Hayabusas'' were at the end expended in ''
kamikaze
, officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...
'' strikes.
The Ki-43 also served in an air defense role over
Formosa
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island country located in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, formerly known in the Western political circles, press and literature as Formosa, makes up 99% of the land area of the territorie ...
,
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
and the
Japanese home islands
The Japanese archipelago (Japanese: 日本列島, ''Nihon rettō'') is a group of 6,852 islands that form the country of Japan, as well as the Russian island of Sakhalin. It extends over from the Sea of Okhotsk in the northeast to the East Chi ...
. Some examples were supplied to the pro-Japanese regimes of
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
,
Manchukuo
Manchukuo, officially the State of Manchuria prior to 1934 and the Empire of (Great) Manchuria after 1934, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Northeast China, Manchuria from 1932 until 1945. It was founded as a republic in 1932 afte ...
and
Wang Jingwei Government
The Wang Jingwei regime or the Wang Ching-wei regime is the common name of the Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China ( zh , t = 中華民國國民政府 , p = Zhōnghuá Mínguó Guómín Zhèngfǔ ), the government of the pup ...
as well. The Thai units sometimes fought against the
USAAF
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
in southern China.
''Hayabusas'' were well liked in the JAAF because of the pleasant flight characteristics and excellent maneuverability, and almost all JAAF
fighter aces
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
claimed victories with Hayabusa in some part of their career. At the end of the war, most ''Hayabusa'' units received
Nakajima Ki-84
The is a single-seat fighter flown by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service in the last two years of World War II. The Allied reporting name was "Frank"; the Japanese Army designation was . The Ki-84 is generally considered the best Japanese fi ...
''Hayate'' "Frank" and
Kawasaki Ki-100
The Kawasaki Ki-100 (''キ100'') is a single-seat single-engine monoplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service during World War II. The Japanese Army designation was . It was not assigned an Allied code name.
275 Ki- ...
fighters, but some units flew the ''Hayabusa'' to the end of the war. The top-scoring ''Hayabusa'' pilot was Sergeant
Satoshi Anabuki with 39 confirmed victories, almost all scored with the Ki-43.
After the war, some captured examples served in limited numbers in the
French Air Force
The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; ...
in
Indochina
Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...
against
Viet Minh
The Việt Minh (; abbreviated from , chữ Nôm and Hán tự: ; french: Ligue pour l'indépendance du Viêt Nam, ) was a national independence coalition formed at Pác Bó by Hồ Chí Minh on 19 May 1941. Also known as the Việt Minh Fro ...
rebels.
Ki-43s abandoned in the Netherlands East Indies were taken over by the newly declared
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
n government and put into service during the
fight against Dutch forces.
Variants
![Ki-43-I at Rabaul 1945](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Ki-43-I_at_Rabaul_1945.jpg)
;Ki-43
:13
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...
s/pre-production aircraft.
;Ki-43-I "Ko" (Mark 1a)
:Variant armed with 2 ×
Type 89 machine gun
Type 89 refers to two unrelated Imperial Japanese Army aircraft machine guns. Its Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service, Imperial Japanese Navy counterparts are the Type 97 aircraft machine gun, Type 97 machine gun (fixed), and Type 92 machine gun, ...
s.
;Ki-43-I "Otsu" (Mark 1b)
:Variant armed with one
Ho-103 machine gun
The Type 1 machine gun (Type (designation), signifying its year of adoption, 1941) was a Japanese aircraft-mounted heavy machine gun widely used during World War II. It was also known as the Ho-103. The weapon itself was largely based on the Ame ...
and 1 × Type 89.
;Ki-43-I "Hei" (Mark 1c)
:Variant armed with 2 × Ho-103, plus ability to mount 2x30kg bombs under wings.
All earlier Ki-43-Ia "Ko" and Ki-43-Ib "Otsu" were gradually upgraded to this version as more Ho-103 became available.
;Ki-43-II
:5 Prototypes, introduced the Ha-115 engine with two stage supercharger, shorter and stronger wings,
self-sealing fuel tanks, of pilot armor, reflector sight, three-bladed fixed pitch propeller, and an improved canopy.
;Ki-43-II "Ko" (Mark 2a):
:First Ki-43-II production model. Improvements of the 5 prototypes added into the design. Ability to carry up to of bombs.
;;Ki-43-II "Ko" upgraded
:Oil ring cooler changed to honeycomb type mounted under the nose. Improved landing light.
;Ki-43-IIb "Otsu" (Mark 2b)
:Fuel cooling system added on some examples. Both exhaust pipes were angled backwards for slightly increased thrust. Universal drop tank racks mounted outboard of landing gear on later examples.
(earlier models sometimes had mounting points slightly inboard of the landing gear or on the centerline)
;Ki-43-II-KAI (Mark 2 improved)
:Later examples could carry bombs on the drop tank mountings.
This variant was tested with
ski
A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partial ...
s for operations from snow in Manchuria.
Fitted with ejector exhaust stacks
(adding approximately 30 hp) and additional fuel tank in fuselage.
;Ki-43-III
:Prototypes powered by Nakajima Ha-115-II engine of 920 kW (1,230 hp) Exhaust stack configuration slightly modified. Water-methanol injection added.
;Ki-43-III "Ko" (Mark 3a):Only produced by Tachikawa plant.
:Series production model, some fitted with
ski
A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partial ...
s for operations from snow.
;Ki-43-III "Otsu" (Mark 3b)
:Variant with the
Mitsubishi Ha-112-II radial engine and armed with twin
Ho-5 cannon
The Ho-5 (Army Type 2) was a Japanese aircraft autocannon used during World War II. Developed from the Ho-103 machine gun, it was a version of the American Model 1921 Browning aircraft machine gun. It replaced the Ho-1 and Ho-3 (Army Type 9 ...
. (Prototype – only 2 Built)
;
Ki-62 Project
:Advanced
interceptor
Interceptor may refer to:
Vehicles
* Interceptor aircraft (or simply "interceptor"), a type of point defense fighter aircraft designed specifically to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft
* Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, a police car
* ...
version of Nakajima Ki-43 with a more-powerful engine and armed with or cannons.
Production
Not included:
* Ki-43-I's pre-production started with three prototypes completed in December 1938, as well as in February and March 1940. A further ten service trials aircraft were built from Nov. 1939 to Sept. 1940.
* Ki-43-II's pre-production started with five prototypes completed during Feb. to May 1942. A further three service trials aircraft were built from June to Aug. 1942.
* Ki-43-III's pre-production started with ten prototypes completed during May 1944 to August 1945.
Not included:
* A further 49 Ki-43-II's were assembled from Oct. 1943 to Nov. 1944 at Tachikawa Dai-Ichi Rikugun Kokusho arsenal plant.
Operators
Wartime
;
*
Imperial Japanese Army Air Force
The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS) or Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF; ja, 大日本帝國陸軍航空部隊, Dainippon Teikoku Rikugun Kōkūbutai, lit=Greater Japan Empire Army Air Corps) was the aviation force of the Im ...
;
*
Manchukuo Air Force
The Manchukuo Imperial Air Force (') ( was the air force of the Empire of Manchuria, a puppet state of Imperial Japan. The air force's predecessor was the Manchukuo Air Transport Company (later renamed the Manchukuo National Airways), a parami ...
;
*
Royal Thai Air Force
"Royal Thai Air Force March"
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 9 April 1937 (Royal Thai Air Force Day)
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles ...
Operates 24 Ki-43 IIB aircraft.
Postwar
;
*
Nationalist Chinese Air Force
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
** 6th Group
*** Two squadrons operated captured aircraft.
;
*
Chinese Communist Air Force
The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army, the regular armed forces of the Peo ...
operated five aircraft captured from nationalists from 1946 until 1952.
;
*
French Air Force
The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; ...
Escadron de Chasse 1/7 operated captured aircraft in 1945–1946 Indo-China.
;
*
Indonesian Air Force
The Indonesian Air Force ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU), literally "''Indonesian National Military-Air Force''") sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF, is the aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The ...
repaired derelict aircraft to fight Dutch colonial rule. In 1947, the Ki-43 currently at the Museum Dirgantara Udara Yogyakarta near
Adisucipto International Airport
Adisutjipto (or Adisucipto) Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Adisutjipto) is an airport serving the Yogyakarta Special Region, Yogyakarta area on the island of Java (island), Java, Indonesia. It was formerly the principal international airport servin ...
was to bomb Dutch strategic positions however mechanical problems grounded it.
;
*
North Korean Air Force
The Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force (KPAAF; ; Hanja: 朝鮮人民軍 航空 및 反航空軍 ) is the unified military aviation force of North Korea. It is the second largest branch of the Korean People's Army comprising an estimated ...
operated repaired derelict aircraft after the war.
Surviving aircraft
![Nakajima Ki-43 Airplane](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Nakajima_Ki-43_Airplane.JPG)
* 750 – Ki-43-I on display at
Flying Heritage Collection
The Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the display and preservation of rare military aircraft, tanks and other military equipment. The plan is for the museum to reopen in 2023.
On rotation in t ...
in
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat and largest city of Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region. Everett is the seventh-largest city in the ...
. Former ''ZK-OSC'' restored to flying condition by the
Alpine Fighter Collection in the 1990s, not currently flying.
* 5465 – Ki-43-II displayed unrestored at the
Australian War Museum
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving per ...
in
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the List of citi ...
. The nose and tail are in the main museum building, while the wings and center section are in storage.
* 6430 – Ki-43-IIb on display at the
Pima Air & Space Museum
The Pima Air & Space Museum, located in Tucson, Arizona, is one of the world's largest non-government funded aerospace museums. The museum features a display of nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres (320,000 m²) on a campus occ ...
in
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
. This aircraft was previously on display at the
EAA AirVenture Museum
The EAA Aviation Museum, formerly the EAA AirVenture Museum (or Air Adventure Museum), is a museum dedicated to the preservation and display of historic and experimental aircraft as well as antiques, classics, and warbirds. The museum is lo ...
and the Museum of Flight and is on loan from the
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States.
Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the Nat ...
.
* Reproduction – Ki-43-IIIa on display at the
Museum of Flight
The Museum of Flight is a private non-profit air and space museum in the Seattle metropolitan area. It is located at the southern end of King County International Airport (Boeing Field) in the city of Tukwila, immediately south of Seattle.< ...
in
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
. This aircraft contains parts from four different wrecks. The restoration was begun by the Texas Airplane Factory and completed by GossHawk Unlimited.
* Reproduction – Ki-43-IIIa at the Ericson Aircraft Collection in
Madras, Oregon
Madras ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Oregon, United States. Originally called "The Basin" after the circular valley the city is in, it is unclear whether Madras was named in 1903 for the cotton fabric called " Madras" ...
. This aircraft was previously at the
Tillamook Air Museum
Tillamook Air Museum is an aviation museum south of Tillamook, Oregon in the United States. The museum is located at a former U.S. Navy Air Station and housed in a former blimp hangar, known as "Hangar B", which is the largest clear-span wooden ...
in
Tillamook, Oregon
The city of Tillamook is the county seat of Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on the southeast end of Tillamook Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The population was 5,231 at the 2020 census.
History
The city is named for the T ...
.
* Reproduction – Ki-43 originally under restoration/rebuild at Texas Airplane Factory, Meacham Field,
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
from 4 wrecks.
Now located at GossHawk Unlimited in
Casa Grande, Arizona
, settlement_type = City
, image_skyline = Casa Grande-Casa Grande Union High School-1920-2.jpg
, imagesize = 250px
, image_caption = Historic Casa Grande Union High School which now serves as the ...
.
* Reproduction – Ki-43 originally under restoration/rebuild at Texas Airplane Factory, Meacham Field, Fort Worth, Texas.
Now located at GossHawk Unlimited in Casa Grande, Arizona.
* Reproduction – Ki-43 on display outside
Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots
The airbase at Chiran, Minamikyūshū, on the Satsuma Peninsula of Kagoshima, Japan, served as the departure point for hundreds of Special Attack or kamikaze sorties launched in the final months of World War II. A peace museum dedicated to the ...
,
Minamikyūshū,
Kagoshima
, abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu, Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern wor ...
, Japan.
* Unknown msn – Ki-43 awaiting restoration at
The Fighter Collection
The Fighter Collection is a private operator of airworthy vintage military aircraft or warbirds. It is based in the United Kingdom at Duxford Aerodrome in Cambridgeshire, an airfield that is owned by the Imperial War Museum and is also the site ...
in
Duxford
Duxford is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, about south of Cambridge. It is part of the Hundred Parishes area.
History
The village formed on the banks of the River Cam, a little below its emergence from the hills of north Essex. One of the ...
, United Kingdom.
* Unknown serial number – Ki-43 on display at
Dirgantara Mandala Museum
Dirgantara Mandala Museum, officially known as the Central Museum of Indonesian Air Force "Dirgantara Mandala" is a central museum of the Indonesian Air Force. The museum displays historical exhibits related to the history of the Indonesian Air Fo ...
in
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy, ...
.
* Unknown serial number – Ki-43 under restoration at the
Kawaguchiko Motor Museum / Fighter Museum in
Kawaguchiko, Yamanashi
is a town located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 26,542 in 10618 households, and a population density of 170 persons per km2. The total area of the town is .
Geography
Fujikawaguchiko is located in so ...
.
[Thompson, Pau]
J-HangarSpace – Aviation Museums
Retrieved 8 September 2016
Specifications (Ki-43-IIb)
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
* Bueschel, Richard M. ''Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa I-III in Japanese Army Air Force RTAF-CAF-IPSF Service''. Reading, Berkshire, UK: Osprey Publications, 1970. .
* .
*
*
*
*
* Green, William. ''Warplanes of the Second World War, Volume Three: Fighters''. London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers), 1973 (seventh impression), First edition 1961. .
*
* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. ''WW2 Aircraft Fact Files, Japanese Army Fighters, part 2''. London: Macdonald and Janes's, 1977. .
*
* Ichimura, Hiroshi. ''Ki-43 'Oscar' Aces of World War II''. Oxford, UK: Osprey, 2009. .
*
*
* Pajdosz, Waldemar, Mark T. Wlodarczyk and Adam Jarski. ''Nakajima Ki 43 Hayabusa "Oscar" (in Polish), Monografie Lotnicze 48''. Gdańsk: AJ-Press, 1998. .
* Skulski, Przemysław. ''Nakajima Ki 43 Hayabusa "Oscar", seria Pod Lupa no.11'' (Polish/English). Wrocław: Ace Publications, 1999. .
*
*
* United States Strategic Bombing Survey Aircraft Division
''Nakajima Aircraft Company, Ltd.''Corporation Report II, Washington, D.C. 1947.
* United States Strategic Bombing Survey Aircraft Division
''Tachikawa Aircraft Company, Ltd.''Corporation Report X, Washington, D.C. 1947.
*
External links
{{Authority control
Ki-043
Ki-43, Nakajima
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Low-wing aircraft
Ki-043, Nakajima
Aircraft first flown in 1939