Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa ("Oscar")

[Bino]

+1 for the Oscar, -1 for the Catalina. Even tho there are much more needed rides than this lil plane.
Btw, this one looks like the ki-84. Is there any relationship between the two models?

Yes, the Ki-84 came from the same manufacturer as the Ki-43.  If I remember right, some of the same engineers were involved in the design of the two planes.

When I visited Tillamook and saw their Hayabusa up close, I realized that the rear fuselage is incredibly narrow in the plan view, which really makes this plane far, far prettier in person than she is in photos.   

[GNucks]

Yes, the Ki-84 came from the same manufacturer as the Ki-43.  If I remember right, some of the same engineers were involved in the design of the two planes.

When I visited Tillamook and saw their Hayabusa up close, I realized that the rear fuselage is incredibly narrow in the plan view, which really makes this plane far, far prettier in person than she is in photos.   

Hell, I was just about to give this a +1 for being the prettiest Japanese plane, and I've only seen it in photos. 

[Pigslilspaz]

PBY-5A  

Edit: I'm sorry let me reiterate so people don't think me ignorant.
1) Ki-43 only has 2 12.7mm machine gun with 250 rpg. Bearly enough to kill someone unless a very good shot.
2) Even PBY has more guns and payload
3) Ki-43 would be even bigger hanger queen then PBY would ever be.

When BAR321 does his requests for the M-18 (dammit, now he's gonna poke his head in here), he doesn't just slam down whatever the thread is about and derail the topic. What you are doing isn't "cute" and is quite obnoxious.

That being said, I am all for the Ki-43 (And Short Stirling  )

[AceHavok]

Big +1 for the Ki-43! 

[Wagger]

I'll take one.

[Drano]

Miss the Oscar from my AW days. There it was quite a capable plane. I doubt it'd be a total hangar queen here--heck it IS a fighter is it not? I saw several zeros in LW just last night. The PBY otoh--I can't get my head wrapped around that thing seeing the light of day. Can't come up with a reason for having it other than we don't have it. 

[GNucks]

Miss the Oscar from my AW days. There it was quite a capable plane. I doubt it'd be a total hangar queen here--heck it IS a fighter is it not? I saw several zeros in LW just last night. The PBY otoh--I can't get my head wrapped around that thing seeing the light of day. Can't come up with a reason for having it other than we don't have it.  

I see Zekes, Niki's, and 84's flying around all the time. There definitely isn't a shortage of pilots who like flying Jap iron, add the Oscar to the mix!

[Seadog36]

+1 Ki-43s ~the 1c or later model w 2x 12.7mm. 7.7mm armed versions would be silly.

Sounds like Mr. PBY won't be causing more trouble

[Vulkan]

big ol' plus 1

[Krusty]

+1 Ki-43s ~the 1c or later model w 2x 12.7mm. 7.7mm armed versions would be silly.

Sounds like Mr. PBY won't be causing more trouble

Of the Ki-43-I models, there was no a, b, c. Those are apparently false assumptions and Americanized naming conventions for models that never existed.

They went into combat with 1 of each gun. At least for the Ki-43-I. The -II may have been different.

The 2x7mm were removed from the front lines, units used them as trainers and such. The 12.7mm were pulled and a spare 7mm was put in place. Not a combat loadout. The 2x 12.7mm loadout is only ever to have been seen on a single mission flown by specially modified planes (planes that had even the unit markings removed, so they were technically unafilliated -- who knows why, maybe the Japanese thought they were being secretive).

The 12.7mm were unreliable and more often than not a round would blow up on the way out of the barrel. Leaving the pilot with nothing to finish the kill. Hence the reliable oft-used and pilot-loved 7mm MG. The rate of fire was higher, the reliability better, and they could always be assured of getting a kill if anything went wrong with the "heavy" gun.

For a Ki-43-I variant, the only loadout option should be 1 of each caliber. For the -II and -III? That's another story.

[Slade]

+1 for the KI-43.

[HighTone]

I would love to see the Oscar. It would get good use in the Special Events. I would fly the heck out of it in the MA's, would be a total blast. Nothing keeps SA higher than not being able to take a single hit.

I personally think the Ki-43II would be the best one to model, best mix for the MA/Special Events.


Love the Betty, still flipping about the A6M3, the new Zeke's look great. Its been a good stretch for the Japanese fans. HTC will get us the Oscar one day, its only a matter of time.


Big +1 for the Oscar 

P.S. besides HTC is busy moving and working on the J2M3a/5 Ki-44 and Ki-45 

[Seadog36]

Your classification claim and your insistence that the mixed 7/12mm load out is the sole and most prevalent is directly contradicted by:
A Research Study by Richard L. Dunn (c) 2002, 2004: Nakajima Type 1 Model 1 Army Fighter (Ki 43-I) Armament -- A Reassessment (part 1) http://www.warbirdforum.com/rdunn43.htm
as well as the less reliable Wikipedia article on the Ki-43 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakajima_Ki-43

What non-Americanized English source are you using which completely negates this comprehensive research?

Abstract

 Popular works on World War Two history, such as Dr. Rene J. Francillon's tome Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War, generally state that the Japanese Nakajima Type 1 Model 1 fighter (Ki 43-I), Hayabusa, was produced successively in three versions ko, otsu, and hei (Ki 43-IA, -IB, and -IC) armed, respectively with 2x7.7 mm machine guns; 1x7.7.mm machine gun and 1x12.7mm machine cannon; and 2x12.7 mm machine cannon. It is generally reported that the version with two 12.7 mm machine cannon (Ki 43-IC) was the major production version.

This paper presents evidence that while the twin 7.7mm version and twin 12.7mm version were introduced prior to the mixed armament version, the latter was introduced very early in the production run (prior to the outbreak of the Pacific War), was undoubtedly the major version of this aircraft to see action, and examples of operational aircraft with the alternative armaments are both relatively rare and may well have been retrofits. However, due to the ready inter-changeability of the two weapons types and absent direct evidence, the exact number of production types and retrofits could not be determined.

[Wildcat1]

i would love to see this plane added in game, it seriously needs to be. as does the Ki-44 and Ki-45

tho i am still pushing for my updated Wildcat

[EagleDNY]

+1 for scenarios - you'd have a tough time getting me to give up my Ki-84 for a Ki-43 in the MA tho.