The Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate was a fast single-seat fighter, which was used by the Imperial Japanese Army at the end of World War II. It was by many accounts Japan's best fighter of that armed conflict. It was a dangerous opponent against even the latest Allied types. When pitted against the Curtis P-40 in China and the US Navy's F6F Hellcat over mainland Japan, it proved deadly. This lethal fighter was known as "Frank" by the Allied pilots.
The prototype of the Ki-84 took to the air for the first time in April 1943, at Ojima airfield. After a few test flights, the new aircraft was met with immediate approval by Japanese Army Air Force's pilots. However, it would have to wait slightly more than a year for it to be introduced into service, in June 1944, as more trials were necessary to make of it a killing machine. The first batch that rolled out of factory, as the K-84-I, were deployed on the Philippines in late June and July.
In early dogfights in the skies over the Philippines in October 1944, Hayate proved to be a superior combat aircraft but it would be outnumbered from the start. More of it was needed but it had arrived too late to turn the tide of the war, at a time when Japan was running out of skillful and experienced pilots, and when the Allied Air Forces had already gained complete air superiority in the Pacific. In the last months of the war, the Ki-84 ended up flying desperate defense missions against B-29 bombers that attacked the Japanese homeland.
The Nakajima Ki-84 climbed faster and was more maneuverable than the P-51 Mustang and the P-47 Thunderbolt. However, production of the aircraft was plagued by lack of valuable materials and enough skilled hands, as many Japanese mechanics and technicians had volunteered to fight at the front. The latest models had the rear portion of fuselage and wing tips made of wood in order to save metals. Nevertheless, performance remained high. What is also impressive is the fact that Japan was able to produce 3,382 aircraft.
Technical Characteristics
The Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate was single-seat, single-engine monoplane. The fuselage of the first production batches were made entirely of metal. The last ones, however, had their rear portion made of wood. The aircraft was fitted with low cantilever wing, with a dihedral angle and with hydraulically-operated Fowler-type flaps. The landing gear was retractable, as most monoplane fighter, with the wheels folding up inwardly into the root of wing under the fuselage. The Ki-84-Ia version was powered either by a Nakajima Ha-45-11 or a Nakajima Ha-45-21, 18-cylinder radial piston engine, which deliver 1,800-HP and 1,990-HP respectively.
Specifications
Type: single-seat fighter
Length: 9.92 m (32 ft, 6.6 in)
Wing Span: 11.24 m (36 ft, 10 in)
Wing Area: 21 m2 (226 sq. ft)
Height: 3.39 m (11 ft, 1 in)
Powerplant: one 1,990-HP, Nakajima Ha-45-21 radial engine.
Maximum Speed: 631 km/h (392 mph)
Range: 2,168 km (1,350 miles)
Ceiling: 10,500 m (34,500 ft)
Armament: two wing-mounted 20-mm Ho-5 cannons; two 12.7-mm Ho-103 synchronized nose-mounted machine guns. Underwing racks for two 250-kg bombs.
Below, the Hayate in flight in the skies over the Philippines in late October 1944.
The Nakajima Ki-84-Ia variant just out of the factory waiting to be delivered to its unit.
The Ki-84 taking off a runway on mainland Japan in a homeland defense mission in March 1945.
Below, the pre-production version in late 1943.
