Ki.61 Update

[bustr]

I've asked a number of times over the years. I suspect it goes along with no minutia of engine control features to get in the way of simply playing the game. You can always turn down the alpha slider. Once you place the reticle over something it will brighten back up. Just like real life.

[Butcher]

That cockpit is from Pacific Fighters, but HTC crew will do just a good a job if not better.

Ki.61-II with Ha-140 engine supposedly did 394mph, but only 99 constructed before engine factory destroyed.  That engine was really unreliable I guess.  The Japanese mated the remaining Ki.61-II airframes to a Mitsubishi air cooled radial engine creating the Ki.100.  Pretty slow (360mph) but lighter and better climb rate than the Ki.61 though.

I often wondered if HTC would ever add the Ki.61-II, because that engine was extremely unreliable. One of the biggest problems with the Japanese was poor maintenance and a lack of spare parts. I think the 65th Sentai was one of the groups that had like 12 Ki-61's that were grounded because of engine problems. I know the 65th at Rubaul had the same problem, most of the planes were scrapped; hell I think even the pilots were used as infantry too.

Until the Tiger II was added, I figured the Ki-61-II still has a chance since the Tiger was as unreliable. Whether they add the 400mph version is a question, I thought most topped out at 360mph? Even the Ki-100 was only 360mph due to poor aviation fuel. I do know it flew over 420mph+ on American gas after the war.

[oboe]

Well my understanding is the fuselage was lengthened a second time between the Ki.61-I-KAIc and the Ki.61-II, and the Ki.100 was a mating of the Ki.61-II airframe with a Mitsubishi Ha-112 air-cooled radial engine.     So if people want the Ki.100, they'll have to create the longer fuselage, so maybe we'd get a Ki.61-II in the mix. 

Personally I find the Ki.100 far less visually appealing than the '61:



To me, it has a early-War look about it.  Except, it doesn't look as elegant or graceful as the early-War Ki.43:



But all that is just aesthetics.  If the Ki.100 comes to Aces High, I'll skin it, and fly it. 

[Karnak]

I would personally be much more interested in the Ki-61-II than the Ki-100, though historical relevance makes it unlikely the Ki-61-II will be added.  As Butcher says, the Tiger II was also extremely unreliable and it is in.  That said, the Tiger II also has an awe factor about it that the Ki-61-II decidedly lacks.

Probably the only Japanese unit that has it is the Yamato.  Long Lance is good too.

[oboe]

Agreed, Karnak.  The Yamato is THE Japanese unit with "awe" factor.    That ship would be a VERY cool addition to AH3...

I read that out of 275 Ki.61-II airframes, only 99 were completed as Ki.61-IIs, with the 1500hp Ha-140 inline engine.  The rest of the airframes were used to create the Ki.100.

Ki.61-IIb numbers are pretty impressive though - 394mph at 16,405 ft and armed with 4x Ho-5 20mm cannon.    Better rear visibility with cut-down rear deck.  The Tony is looking even more like an Italian bird by now:



EDIT:  I just did some testing offline with our Ki.61-1-KAIc, and with 50% fuel, it hit about 370mph at 16,400'.   Rate of climb was interesting, too - initial rate of climb without WEP @50% fuel was about 3500fpm to 2,000'.  After that it tailed off; overall it too 6 minutes to reach 16,400 ft.  That's a little over 2700 fpm.   

Published RoC is 2983 fpm, but I don't know how they calculate that.  I took 50% fuel, did not use WEP, started from sea level, and used auto climb.  Then I recorded time to reach altitude for every 1000 ft, beginning with 2,000ft and ending at 16,400ft.

[Butcher]

I would personally be much more interested in the Ki-61-II than the Ki-100, though historical relevance makes it unlikely the Ki-61-II will be added.  As Butcher says, the Tiger II was also extremely unreliable and it is in.  That said, the Tiger II also has an awe factor about it that the Ki-61-II decidedly lacks.

Probably the only Japanese unit that has it is the Yamato.  Long Lance is good too.

Japanese tanks are not something to be "Wow'ed" over either, I did a pictorial history on the Japanese Army Armour a few years back, to my surprise not one tank was capable of taking on an M4 Sherman on equal grounds.
Well except one prototype:


The Type 5 Japanese tank was suppose to have a 75mm main gun and 37mm aux gun, it was the "Panther" of the Japanese armour in 1945, they believed it would be superior to M4A1 Sherman. Only one prototype was completed, it was actually "taken" from the Japanese island because the 37mm was installed, if it wasn't installed it would of been left to the Japanese Defense force.

(Sorry for going off topic) - but its just an example of just how "bad" some things were for the Japanese Army, they were trying to design a Sherman killer in 1945.

Back to the Ki-61, I had fond memories of flying it in Scenarios and FSO's, even scored 9 kills in an FSO event (Rangoon of all places) - mostly because I was flying against Brewster Buffalos and P-40B's. In a typical FSO setting with F4u-1's, P-38Gs and P-47-D11s the Speed and lack of maneuverability above 16,000 ft start to show. I only got lucky once when I ran into a gaggle of F4F's and was boom and zooming them without a problem, however the first corsair I ran into; I ended up flamed.

Overall its a solid aircraft and performer, it just has mediocre maneuverability, speed and climb rate - just nothing that jumps out at you vs an Ki-84. I honestly would like to see other Japanese planes added, Ki-44 for example or Ki-45.

[oboe]

+1 on the Ki.44 and Ki.45.  Actually would rather see either of those two before the Ki.100 or Ki.61-II.   They were much more important to the Japanese war effort and saw combat in a number of different theaters, making them useful as scenario aircraft. 

Probably not much use in the MA though - I'd rather be in a Hien than either of those two.  Although a Ki.45 with 1x 37mm and 2x 20mms in the nose might be great for ground attack.   I can't find much on the Tojo's armament - looks like 4x 12.7mms was the most common/effective gun package?  I understand they experimented with 2x 40mm cannon under the wings but the ballistics were so bad it was basically a point-blank weapon?   

[Butcher]

Probably not much use in the MA though - I'd rather be in a Hien than either of those two.  Although a Ki.45 with 1x 37mm and 2x 20mms in the nose might be great for ground attack.   I can't find much on the Tojo's armament - looks like 4x 12.7mms was the most common/effective gun package?  I understand they experimented with 2x 40mm cannon under the wings but the ballistics were so bad it was basically a point-blank weapon?

Ki-44-IIB was the first major production model, the Ki-44-IB and Ki-44-IC had a few dozen made but the IIB had I believe 1,110 made. They used the 4x 12.7mm package, with a Nakajima Ha.109 engine.

Ki-44-IIC was the next major production model, it did come with 2x 12.7mm and 2x 20mm Ho-3's in the wings (basically the same 20mm on the A6M3).

The 40mm version was a late war version that was modified in an attempt to combat the B-29 raids; the Ki-44-IIc-Kai. As you guessed, the 40mm's ballistics were extremely terrible, let alone the top speed of the B-29s which made fighters generally have one "pass" on the B-29s and that was it.

Due to the extremely poor performance of the 40mms, 37mm's were often used instead, although its ballistics were bad, it was still better.

Armament shifted to prototype models with a newer engine (Nakajima Ha.145) with one version having 4x 20mm HO-5's and 2x 12.7mm - problem was the Ha.145's engine plant was bombed, none of the Ki-44-III's went into production after May 1944.

I'm guessing if HTC is going to do the Ki-44, it would be two versions: Ki-44-IIB and Ki-44-IIc-Kai. (4x 12.7mms and second version 2x 12.7's and 2x 20mm).

[FBKampfer]

All I'll say is that if we get the J2M, it's all I'll ever fly.

[oboe]

All I'll say is that if we get the J2M, it's all I'll ever fly.

I think I'd fly the Raiden a lot.  Not exclusively, but often I think.

So many Japanese aircraft to look forward to!   

[bustr]

Raiden and Ki-44, what current rides in the game have similar flight characteristic's?

[Butcher]

Raiden and Ki-44, what current rides in the game have similar flight characteristic's?

Raiden is an odd ball, it can climb over 4,000 feet per minute with 4x 20mm cannons. It had a pretty good top speed, but its maneuverability was horrible (it was an interceptor). If anything I think its basically a C.205.

As for the Ki-44, closest I can think is the Fw-190A series.

[oboe]

I think the Raiden is similar to the N1K1-J.   Similar max speeds, rates of climb (Raiden wins here at 4600 fpm) and 4x20mm Type 99 cannons (apparently not as good as the Hien's or Hayate's Ho-5 20mm cannon).

The Ki.44 has top speed of 376 mph and a 3900+ fpm rate of climb, but was with just undergunned at just 4x 12.7mm machine guns.  It was however operational in 1942; the others were not available until 1944.  Even if not a MA-type contender, it could be a great scenario aircraft.  I want to say they were used in China, in Borneo to defend oil installations, and as Home Defense also.

[morfiend]

 If you check you will find the 12.7 mm listed as a autocannon!

   The Japanese actually had and used explosive rounds in their 12.7 mm guns,it did prove troublesome as they had issues with rounds exploding in the gun and many misfire.

  While nowhere near as effective as a 20mm I wouldnt call 4x12.7 under gunned!


     

[Karnak]

They are the same 12.7mm guns as the Ki-84 carries.  Four of them would be quite usable, though certainly not impressive.