Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa

The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa, known as 'Oscar', was a WW2 fighter aircraft. It was in service with Imperial Japanese Army between 1937 and 1945. It carried out the first combat missions in December 1937, during the Sino-Japanese War. It was also seen in action in Burma in 1942 and 1943 and during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. It also took part of the Philippines air battles in 1944, and in the defense of Korea against Soviet fighters at the end of World War II (Korea was a colony of Japan). It did not participate in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, because it was a land-based aircraft.

Models/Versions

The Nakajima Ki-43 was one of the most massively produced aeroplane, with more than 5,000 aircraft being built by early 1945. It was in service in three main versions: Model 1 (Ki-43-I), fitted with a 955-HP Type 1 engine; Model 2 (Ki-43-II), featuring a 1,020-HP Type 2 engine; and Model 3 (Ki-43-III), also powered by the 1,020 Type 2 piston engine, but it had a shorter wingspan (35 ft instead 37 ft). In the first test flight, in late 1936, the prototype showed poor maneuverability. As a result, its wing area was increased as well as the wing flaps. This would give the aircraft agility and a higher flight ceiling.

Technical Characteristics

The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane. It had straight cantilever wings, mounted low on the fuselage, which was all-metal. A cantilever wing is a wing which does not use external struts or support, with its support (spars) being built in, and the wings carrying all the torsion and bending loads. The aircraft had fuel tank protection and the small cockpit was armored. The landing gear was retractable.

Specifications for the Model 2 (Ki-43-II)

Type: Fighter/interceptor

Length: 8.92 m (29 ft, 3 in)

Wingspan: 10.84 m (37 ft, 9 in)

Wing Area: 21.40 square meters (230 sq. ft)

Height: 3.27 m (10 ft, 9 in)

Power Plant: one Nakajima Ha-115, 14-cylinder, air-cooled, radial piston engine, which delivered 1,020 horse power.

Maximum Speed: 530 km/h (329 mph)

Maximum Range: 1,760 km (1,090 miles)

Armament: two 12.7mm forward-firing machine guns, and up to two 250-kg bombs.

Below the Ki-43 Hayabusa flying in the skies over China in 1938.

The Nakajima Ki-43-III in 1942 in the Philippines.

Below, the 'Oscar' in 1942. Although it was not well protected and well armed, it could outmaneuvered most of the Allied fighters, except for the F6F Hellcat.