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#Post#: 6279--------------------------------------------------
Plane of the Week: Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar
DIR By: vonofterdingen
Date: October 15, 2019, 10:20 am
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Usually when we think WW@ Japanese fighter we think Zero.
However, there were many formidable Japanese fighters in the
conflict, of course, not the least of which is the Zero’s
contemporary, the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Allied reporting
name: Oscar). You will encounter these aircraft in most early
Pacific war campaigns.
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From Wikipedia:
Like the Mitsubishi-produced A6M Zero, the radial-engined Ki-43
was light and easy to fly and became legendary for its combat
performance in East Asia in the early years of the war. It could
outmaneuver any opponent, but did not have armor or self-sealing
tanks, 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. In spite of its drawbacks, the Ki-43
shot down more Allied aircraft than any other Japanese fighter
and almost all the JAAF's aces achieved most of their kills in
it.
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.
The Ki-43 was the most widely used Army fighter, and equipped 30
sentai FR,(flight regiment) and 12 chutais IS,(independent
squadrons). The first unit equipped with the Ki 43-I was the
59th FR at Hankow Airfield, during June–August 1941 and began
operational sorties over Hengyang 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, New Guinea, 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, Netherlands East Indies, 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,
Curtiss P-40, Brewster Buffalo, Hawker Hurricane and
Curtiss-Wright CW-21 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 tanks, 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, Lockheed P-38
Lightning, North American P-51 Mustang, Vought F4U Corsair,
Grumman F6F Hellcat and late-model Supermarine Spitfire/Seafire,
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.
From October to December 1944, 17 Ki-43s were shot down in air
combat; their pilots claimed seven C-47s, five B-24 Liberators,
two Spitfires, two Beaufighters, two Mosquitoes, two F4U
Corsairs, two B-29 Superfortresses, one F6F Hellcat, one P-38,
and one B-25.[24] Like most Japanese combat types, many
Hayabusas were at the end expended in kamikaze strikes.
The Ki-43 also served in an air defense role over Formosa,
Okinawa and the Japanese home islands. Some examples were
supplied to the pro-Japanese regimes of Thailand, Manchukuo and
Wang Jingwei Government as well. The Thai units sometimes fought
against the USAAF 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 claimed victories with Hayabusa in some
part of their career. At the end of the war, most Hayabusa units
received Ki-84 Hayate "Frank" 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 in Indochina against Viet Minh rebels.
Ki-43s abandoned in the Netherlands East Indies were taken over
by the newly declared Indonesian government and put into service
during the fight against Dutch forces.
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In game:
Judging from the Wikipedia piece, the Oscar is well-modeled in
IL-2. As such, it is a mixed blessing to fly. It is a fast and
very nimble fighter that can turn very quickly. Those traits
make for fun dog fighting. That being said, getting behind a
P-40 rarely brings immediate satisfaction due to the Oscar’s
light armament and the P-40’s rugged durability. And it does not
take many rounds of the P-40’s 50-caliber guns to set the Oscar
on fire. Canon rounds from P-39s and P-38s are almost always
lethal. In later campaigns, foes such as the Lightning,
Mustang, Thunderbolt, Corsair, and Hellcat are daunting due to
their speed, armament, and durability.
#Post#: 6281--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar
DIR By: cafs
Date: October 15, 2019, 11:41 am
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An excellent light-fighter, nimble and fast for a late 1930's
fighter, but with a too much light construction, like the Zero.
Two weeks a go, at the Smithsonian Channel, a Zero owner show
how light was the construction of these planes. Putting a hand
at the fuselage, with a very little effort from him, he bent the
skin a full inch ( 2,5 mm), as if it was made from canvas. :o
:o :o :o
#Post#: 6286--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar
DIR By: JG51_Ruski
Date: October 15, 2019, 12:59 pm
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Good read von..Thanks
#Post#: 6287--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar
DIR By: Beowolff
Date: October 15, 2019, 1:30 pm
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Nicely done as usual... and yet another good POTW reading.
Thanks, Von!
I just don't play the Japanese planes often enough...call me
'set' in my ways. I've got to do better...lol.
S! ;D
Beo
#Post#: 6291--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar
DIR By: Cashmere_Dave
Date: October 15, 2019, 1:52 pm
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Good article. My least favorite plane. A very expensive way to
get two MGs into the air until a P40, or Wildcat looks at it the
wrong way, causing it to disintegrate. Their most frequent
complaint was that US bombers may as well have been made of
solid steel. At least the engine doesn't cut out in a bunt, or
climb.
#Post#: 6299--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar
DIR By: vonofterdingen
Date: October 15, 2019, 3:21 pm
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I agree with you all; it is very fun to fly because it is so
responsive but wow does it ever catch fire. And when it does,
don't stop to do your nails before you bail out. Like Beo, I
don't fly on the Japanese side much, but when I do it is almost
always this plane or the Zero. I have also not lasted long in
any Japanese campaigns that I started. I would get a few kills
but then just that one shot from a P-40 or Wildcat and I am a
roman candle.
#Post#: 6302--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar
DIR By: Cashmere_Dave
Date: October 15, 2019, 4:24 pm
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The Zero is OK. At least it has some fire power. I like the
Ki-61 best, and the Ki 84.
#Post#: 6305--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar
DIR By: RKal109
Date: October 15, 2019, 7:33 pm
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The 20mm cannon armed Oscar (available as a mod) has something
approaching decent firepower, but I'm not sure if any of those
even entered service. Ki-43 pilots in Burma trying to shoot down
B-24s had to do a lot with a little.
#Post#: 6316--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar
DIR By: DHumphrey
Date: October 16, 2019, 4:41 am
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Excellent plane of the week Von !!! It's an excellent flyer in
my opinion. I used this aircraft in my Beaufighters Over Burma
campaign. They are very agile opponents for the player. :)
#Post#: 6330--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar
DIR By: vonofterdingen
Date: October 16, 2019, 11:53 am
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Love that campaign by the way. We need more campaigns for that
theater.
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