Difference between revisions of "Ki-43-II"

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{{Specs-Card|code=ki_43_2}}
 
 
{{About
 
{{About
 
|about=Japanese fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
 
|about=Japanese fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
 
|usage=other variants
 
|usage=other variants
 
|link=Ki-43 (Family)
 
|link=Ki-43 (Family)
 +
}}
 +
{{Specs-Card
 +
|code=ki_43_2
 +
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
 
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
 
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
−
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
−
{{Break}}
 
 
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Japanese fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.
 
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Japanese fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Flight performance ===
 
=== Flight performance ===
 +
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}
 
<!-- ''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.'' -->
  
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! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
 
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
 
|-
 
|-
−
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 450 || 350 || 250 || ~10 || ~7
+
| 661 <!-- {{Specs|destruction|body}} --> || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 416 || 373 || 250 || ~10 || ~8
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 +
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}
 
<!-- ''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.'' -->
−
[[File:Armor_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|thumb|left|Shape and the information about the armor plate behind the cockpit]]
+
[[File:Armor_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|thumb|left|Shape and the information about the armour plate behind the cockpit]]
  
−
Unlike most of the Japanese airplanes around this BR, the {{PAGENAME}} features an armor plate. It's 12 mm steel at 12° angle, protecting an entire body, legs and part of the head from rear firing angles. It's far from perfect protection, but significantly increases survival chances of the pilot. This is further improved by a large, 14-cylinder radial engine at the front, soaking up most of the incoming damage.
+
Unlike most of the Japanese airplanes around this BR, the {{PAGENAME}} features an armour plate. It's 12 mm steel at 12° angle, protecting an entire body, legs and part of the head from rear firing angles. It's far from perfect protection, but significantly increases survival chances of the pilot. This is further improved by a large, 14-cylinder radial engine at the front, soaking up most of the incoming damage.
  
−
That said though, one of the biggest issues with survivability of the fighter are its not self-sealing fuel tanks, which once ignited will happily burn the entire fighter to the ground, not different from most of the Japanese fighters in the game.
+
That said though, one of the biggest issues with the survivability of the fighter are its lack of self-sealing fuel tanks, which once ignited will happily burn the entire fighter to the ground, like most of the Japanese fighters in the game.
 
{{Clear|left}}
 
{{Clear|left}}
 +
=== Modifications and economy ===
 +
{{Specs-Economy}}
 +
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 +
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
 
=== Offensive armament ===
 
=== Offensive armament ===
 +
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}
 
<!-- ''Describe the offensive armament of the aircraft, if any. Describe how effective the cannons and machine guns are in a battle, and also what belts or drums are better to use. If there is no offensive weaponry, delete this subsection.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the offensive armament of the aircraft, if any. Describe how effective the cannons and machine guns are in a battle, and also what belts or drums are better to use. If there is no offensive weaponry, delete this subsection.'' -->
 
{{main|Ho-103 (12.7 mm)}}
 
{{main|Ho-103 (12.7 mm)}}
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=== Suspended armament ===
 
=== Suspended armament ===
 +
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}
 
<!-- ''Describe the aircraft's suspended armament: additional cannons under the wings, bombs, rockets and torpedoes. This section is especially important for bombers and attackers. If there is no suspended weaponry remove this subsection.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the aircraft's suspended armament: additional cannons under the wings, bombs, rockets and torpedoes. This section is especially important for bombers and attackers. If there is no suspended weaponry remove this subsection.'' -->
 
{{main|Army Type 94 GPHE (50 kg)|Army Type 94 GPHE (100 kg)|Army Type 92 GPHE (250 kg)}}
 
{{main|Army Type 94 GPHE (50 kg)|Army Type 94 GPHE (100 kg)|Army Type 92 GPHE (250 kg)}}
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* 2 x 250 kg Army Type 92 GPHE bombs (500 kg total)
 
* 2 x 250 kg Army Type 92 GPHE bombs (500 kg total)
  
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Generally the choice of bombs should depend on the skill of the player, with smaller bombs getting increasingly difficult to destroy enemy targets, while at the same time giving far better flight characteristics. In terms of destroying armored targets there's a notable gap in performance, with bombs having a destructive radius of 5, 3, 2 meters for 250, 100, 50 kg bombs respectively, making 250 kg bombs a very potent weapon, even if it gives a huge decrease in performance (+1.9 s to turn time, comparing to +0.5 s with the 100 kg bombs).
+
Generally the choice of bombs should depend on the skill of the player, with smaller bombs getting increasingly difficult to destroy enemy targets, while at the same time giving far better flight characteristics. In terms of destroying armoured targets there's a notable gap in performance, with bombs having a destructive radius of 5, 3, 2 m for 250, 100, 50 kg bombs respectively, making 250 kg bombs a very potent weapon, even if it gives a huge decrease in performance (+1.9 s to turn time, comparing to +0.5 s with the 100 kg bombs).
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
  
−
In all modes, the Ki-43 can perform both BnZ fighting and turnfighting with the correct opponent. It can easily accelerate to 500 km/h in a dive while still having responsive controls. However its speed retention is quite poor and will lose lots of speed as soon as you level out. For turnfighting, you can out-turn most monoplanes and almost all heavy fighters/attackers even without combat flaps deployed, but never turn with Spitfires and Zeros.
+
In all modes, the Ki-43 can perform both BnZ fighting and turnfighting with the correct opponent. It can easily accelerate to 500 km/h in a dive while still having responsive controls. However its speed retention is quite poor and will lose lots of speed as soon as you level out. For turnfighting, you can out-turn most monoplanes and almost all heavy fighters/attackers even without combat flaps deployed, but never turn with Spitfires and Zeros. Note that this aircraft will experience severe rudder lockup when faster than around 450 km/h, resulting in awkward aiming adjustments if the target manoeuvres, so you need to cut throttle appropriately to control your speed.
  
 
While having sufficient flight characteristics, the Ki-43 is extremely fragile and can get critically damaged by almost all guns. From the hard-hitting M2 Browning to the fast-firing MG 15, ''any'' gun can badly hurt the Ki-43 especially on the engine, fuel tanks, and pilot which can always lead to a later crash. Before attacking try to get an altitude advantage and perform deflection shots. To maximise the damage aim for their wings and engines, as the fuselage usually soaks up lots of bullets. Only fire when the target passes in front of your guns. This short window might seem inadequate to do anything... and it usually is, unfortunately. The slow velocity, light projectiles and low one-second burst mass usually guarantee no critical damage. However sometimes it only takes one bullet to set the target aflame, if you are lucky.
 
While having sufficient flight characteristics, the Ki-43 is extremely fragile and can get critically damaged by almost all guns. From the hard-hitting M2 Browning to the fast-firing MG 15, ''any'' gun can badly hurt the Ki-43 especially on the engine, fuel tanks, and pilot which can always lead to a later crash. Before attacking try to get an altitude advantage and perform deflection shots. To maximise the damage aim for their wings and engines, as the fuselage usually soaks up lots of bullets. Only fire when the target passes in front of your guns. This short window might seem inadequate to do anything... and it usually is, unfortunately. The slow velocity, light projectiles and low one-second burst mass usually guarantee no critical damage. However sometimes it only takes one bullet to set the target aflame, if you are lucky.
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* It will be very challenging when facing against the Chinese/American Ki-43, as both of you have the same characteristics. You cannot outrun each other and cannot out-turn each other, so the fight will be a combination of various manoeuvres and techniques, and of course, the pilot's skills. Note that the Ki-43 has similar appearance as the Ki-44 and can be misjudged as a Ki-44 or a Zero which are also in the Chinese/American tree. Comparing to the Ki-43, the Ki-44 has a slightly bigger engine and the canopy is shifted backwards. The Chinese Zero is painted dark brown with a silver spinner, while the American one is in greyish-blue. They all turn well and have accelerate well in a dive.
 
* It will be very challenging when facing against the Chinese/American Ki-43, as both of you have the same characteristics. You cannot outrun each other and cannot out-turn each other, so the fight will be a combination of various manoeuvres and techniques, and of course, the pilot's skills. Note that the Ki-43 has similar appearance as the Ki-44 and can be misjudged as a Ki-44 or a Zero which are also in the Chinese/American tree. Comparing to the Ki-43, the Ki-44 has a slightly bigger engine and the canopy is shifted backwards. The Chinese Zero is painted dark brown with a silver spinner, while the American one is in greyish-blue. They all turn well and have accelerate well in a dive.
 
* When it comes to intercepting ground pounders or bombers, the Ki-43 generally performs poorly since the targets are all quite robust against your weak guns. Some examples are the IL-2 which is commonly seen in Sim. It can get mistakenly seen as other aircraft from a distance due to its common appearance. But up close you will see two bomb-like structures underneath its wings and triangular stabilisers with rounded tips. The early IL-2s have no defensive guns so it is safe to sit behind and carefully aim. They are heavily armoured in the cockpit and engine so avoid aiming at these areas. Instead target the tail to hope for disabling their tail control. The late IL-2s, however, have a rear-facing Berezin UB which is something you definitely want to avoid. Perform deflection shots or just disengage.
 
* When it comes to intercepting ground pounders or bombers, the Ki-43 generally performs poorly since the targets are all quite robust against your weak guns. Some examples are the IL-2 which is commonly seen in Sim. It can get mistakenly seen as other aircraft from a distance due to its common appearance. But up close you will see two bomb-like structures underneath its wings and triangular stabilisers with rounded tips. The early IL-2s have no defensive guns so it is safe to sit behind and carefully aim. They are heavily armoured in the cockpit and engine so avoid aiming at these areas. Instead target the tail to hope for disabling their tail control. The late IL-2s, however, have a rear-facing Berezin UB which is something you definitely want to avoid. Perform deflection shots or just disengage.
 +
 +
'''Enemies worth noting:'''
 +
 +
* [[Typhoon Mk Ia]]: this is a very capable opponent, it is quite fast, climbs good, manoeuvres alright and has 12 x 7.7 mm MGs that can fatally damage the Ki-43. If you are attacking, get an altitude advantage first and BnZ it. If you are being attacked by it, evade its first pass and immediately start a turnfight. You need to deploy combat / takeoff flaps, or even landing flaps if needed to push your turn rate to the limit. Several circles are needed, don't panic to see the Typhoon keeping up with your turns at first. With appropriate flaps, the Ki-43 will slowly out turn it, allowing you to get onto its tail. The Typhoon overall resembles a Hurricane, except its symbolic giant intake below the engine.
  
 
=== Manual Engine Control ===
 
=== Manual Engine Control ===
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|-
 
|-
 
| Controllable || Controllable<br>Not auto controlled || Controllable<br>Not auto controlled || Controllable<br>Not auto controlled || Separate || Controllable<br>2 gears || Not controllable
 
| Controllable || Controllable<br>Not auto controlled || Controllable<br>Not auto controlled || Controllable<br>Not auto controlled || Separate || Controllable<br>2 gears || Not controllable
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
−
 
−
=== Modules ===
 
−
{| class="wikitable"
 
−
! Tier
 
−
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
 
−
! Survivability
 
−
! colspan="2" | Weaponry
 
−
|-
 
−
| I
 
−
| Fuselage repair
 
−
| Radiator
 
−
|
 
−
| Offensive 12 mm
 
−
| 7 in (mod20)
 
−
|-
 
−
| II
 
−
|
 
−
| Compressor
 
−
| Airframe
 
−
| New 12 mm MGs
 
−
| 10 in (mod24)
 
−
|-
 
−
| III
 
−
| Wings repair
 
−
| Engine
 
−
|
 
−
|
 
−
| 12 in (mod30)
 
−
|-
 
−
| IV
 
−
|
 
−
| Engine injection
 
−
| Cover
 
−
|
 
−
|
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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* Wins turn battles and can easily outrun opponents it typically faces
 
* Wins turn battles and can easily outrun opponents it typically faces
 
* Can equip bombs up to 500 kg to help aid weight and energy retention
 
* Can equip bombs up to 500 kg to help aid weight and energy retention
 +
* Useful flaps in a turnfight
 +
* Good all-round cockpit visibility in simulator
 +
* Forgiving landing characteristics
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
 
* Very light, retains no energy
 
* Very light, retains no energy
−
 
 
* Weak armour
 
* Weak armour
 +
* Very limited ammo pool
 +
* Very vulnerable to fires, as structure is weak and flammable
 +
* Rudder locks up at around 450 km/h, meaning that you will miss quite some passes due to the aim not being able to adjust horizontally
  
−
* Very limited ammo pool
+
== History ==
 +
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 +
In early 1937 the Army recognized the need for a new single seat fighter. Instead of going through the normal process of requesting manufacturers to submit designs, the Army contracted with Nakajima directly to produce a replacement for their Ki-27 (Army Type 97) fighter. The requirements laid out to Nakajima for this new fighter was for it to have a top speed of 311 mph, to be able to reach 16,405 ft within five minutes, to have a minimum range of 500 miles, it was to be armed with two 7.7 mm machine guns, and to not lose any of the manoeuvrability of the Ki-27. The first prototype of what was to become the Ki-43 was completed in December 1938 with 2 more following soon after in 1939, however upon testing it was found that these airplanes did not live up the Army's expectations. The complaints from test pilots included that the plane was not manoeuvrable enough, hard to control, and had visibility issues.
  
−
* Will almost certainly die if set on fire, as structure is weak and flammable
+
Following the evaluation of the initial 3 prototypes, Nakajima would develop 10 testing aircraft with various modifications in order to address the armies concerns. The changes tested included giving the fighter the HA-105 engine, replacing the 7.7 mm machine guns with 12.7 mm machine guns, upgrading the outer skin to a treated duralumin, narrower fuselage, redesigned tail surfaces, modifications to the wing design, and the introduction of butterfly flaps. The last improvement in particular helped the plane to overcome its lack of manoeuvrability that the Army had issue with. After these designed prototypes were tested the Army settled on what they saw was the optimum configuration and requested that it be equipped with the Nakajima Ha-25 engine. The plane entered production as the Ki-43-Ia (Army Type 1 Fighter Model 1A) with the first example completing production in April 1941. This model was soon replaced with the Ki-43-Ib (Army Type 1 Fighter Model 1B) which replaced one of the 7.7 mm machine guns with a 12.7 mm machine gun which was also soon replaced by the Ki-43-Ic (Army Type 1 Fighter Model 1C) which was equipped with two 12.7 mm machine gun.
  
−
== History ==
+
After some time in the field, the Ki-43 was to receive a major upgrade based on feedback from pilots, which included replacing the Ha-25 engine with the more powerful Ha-115 engine, a two stage supercharger, pilot armour, self-sealing fuel tanks and many more minor improvements. The first prototype of what was to become the Ki-43-II (Army Type 1 Fighter Model 2) was completed in February 1942. The Ki-43 would become the most numerous of all the Japanese Army's fighters. While operating in Malaysia and Burma the plane received the codename "Jim" and in the Pacific Theatre it received the allied codename "Oscar". The codename "Oscar" was eventually selected as the official code name for the airplane by the Allies.
−
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''
 
  
−
=== In-game description ===
+
{{break}}
 +
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
 +
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
 
The single-seater Japanese Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Peregrine Falcon) fighter was designed to replace the Ki-27 in the Japanese Imperial Army's Air Force.
 
The single-seater Japanese Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Peregrine Falcon) fighter was designed to replace the Ki-27 in the Japanese Imperial Army's Air Force.
  
−
The Ki-27 design was so successful that, without resorting to the competition that usually occurred among aircraft manufacturers, the Air Force authorized Nakajima to create an improved model. The main requirement for the new fighter was a high top speed of at least 500 km/h but with the same maneuverability as the Ki-27.
+
The Ki-27 design was so successful that, without resorting to the competition that usually occurred among aircraft manufacturers, the Air Force authorized Nakajima to create an improved model. The main requirement for the new fighter was a high top speed of at least 500 km/h but with the same manoeuvrability as the Ki-27.
  
−
The first three prototypes were prepared and tested in 1939, but their maneuverability was inadequate. Therefore 10 pre-production aircraft with different configurations were considered. Two of them used the new "butterfly" combat flaps, which largely decided the issue. With the flaps, the plane became much more maneuverable.
+
The first three prototypes were prepared and tested in 1939, but their manoeuvrability was inadequate. Therefore 10 pre-production aircraft with different configurations were considered. Two of them used the new "butterfly" combat flaps, which largely decided the issue. With the flaps, the plane became much more manoeuvrable.
  
−
In autumn of 1942, the Ki-42-IIA entered production. The main differences between the Ki-42-IIA and previous models were its more powerful Ha-115 motor, its 1130 hp output, and its three-bladed propeller (the previous model had a two-bladed propeller). The wings were reinforced to hold 250-kg bombs, and the lighter machine guns were replaced with large-caliber ones. In addition, the wing fuel tanks were self-sealing, and pilot protection was enhanced with 13 mm of armor (previous models, to lighten the aircraft, did not include protection for the pilot or fuel tanks).
+
In autumn of 1942, the Ki-42-IIA entered production. The main differences between the Ki-42-IIA and previous models were its more powerful Ha-115 motor, its 1130 hp output, and its three-bladed propeller (the previous model had a two-bladed propeller). The wings were reinforced to hold 250-kg bombs, and the lighter machine guns were replaced with large-calibre ones. In addition, the wing fuel tanks were self-sealing, and pilot protection was enhanced with 13 mm of armour (previous models, to lighten the aircraft, did not include protection for the pilot or fuel tanks).
  
 
All in all, 5919 Ki-43 fighters were produced, most of which were of the Ki-43-IIA design.
 
All in all, 5919 Ki-43 fighters were produced, most of which were of the Ki-43-IIA design.
 +
{{Navigation-End}}
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
 
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 +
 +
;Skins
 +
 +
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ki_43_2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
 +
 +
;Videos
 
{{Youtube-gallery|w_3vuywdr5E|'''The Shooting Range #27''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:22 discusses the Ki-43.}}
 
{{Youtube-gallery|w_3vuywdr5E|'''The Shooting Range #27''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:22 discusses the Ki-43.}}
  
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== External links ==
 
== External links ==
−
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 +
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 +
* ''other literature.'' -->
  
−
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
+
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/111036-nakajima-ki-43-ii/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]
−
* ''encyclopedia page on the aircraft;''
 
−
* ''other literature.''
 
  
 
{{AirManufacturer Nakajima}}
 
{{AirManufacturer Nakajima}}
 
{{Japan fighters}}
 
{{Japan fighters}}

Revision as of 12:14, 11 June 2023

This page is about the Japanese fighter Ki-43-II. For other variants, see Ki-43 (Family).
Ki-43-II
ki_43_2.png
GarageImage Ki-43-II.jpg
ArtImage Ki-43-II.jpg
Ki-43-II
Japan flag.png Japan
I Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
2.3 2.7 2.7
Class:
Research:3 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:6 300 Specs-Card-Lion.png

Description

The Ki-43-II Hayabusa is a rank I Japanese fighter with a battle rating of 2.3 (AB) and 2.7 (RB/SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed
at 6 000 m558 km/h
Turn time15 s
Max altitude9 800 m
EngineNakajima Ha-115
TypeRadial
Cooling systemAir
Take-off weight3 t
Characteristics Max Speed
(km/h at 6,000 m) 		Max altitude
(metres) 		Turn time
(seconds) 		Rate of climb
(metres/second) 		Take-off run
(metres)
AB RB AB RB AB RB
Stock 539 524 9800 15.7 16.3 11.9 11.9 190
Upgraded 580 558 14.7 15.0 19.6 15.3

Details

Features
Combat flaps Take-off flaps Landing flaps Air brakes Arrestor gear
✓ ✓ ✓ X X
Limits
Wings (km/h) Gear (km/h) Flaps (km/h) Max Static G
Combat Take-off Landing + -
661 300 416 373 250 ~10 ~8
Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons Rudder Elevators Radiator
< 370 < 350 < 450 > 296

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person
Speed of destruction
Structural0 km/h
Gear300 km/h
Shape and the information about the armour plate behind the cockpit

Unlike most of the Japanese airplanes around this BR, the Ki-43-II features an armour plate. It's 12 mm steel at 12° angle, protecting an entire body, legs and part of the head from rear firing angles. It's far from perfect protection, but significantly increases survival chances of the pilot. This is further improved by a large, 14-cylinder radial engine at the front, soaking up most of the incoming damage.

That said though, one of the biggest issues with the survivability of the fighter are its lack of self-sealing fuel tanks, which once ignited will happily burn the entire fighter to the ground, like most of the Japanese fighters in the game.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB260 → 326 Sl icon.png
RB537 → 674 Sl icon.png
SB744 → 934 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications5 960 Rp icon.png
4 520 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost410 Ge icon.png
Crew training1 800 Sl icon.png
Experts6 300 Sl icon.png
Aces80 Ge icon.png
Research Aces135 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
20 / 40 / 90 % Sl icon.png
106 / 106 / 106 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
Mods aerodinamic fuse.png
Fuselage repair
Research:
300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
230 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods radiator.png
Radiator
Research:
300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
230 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods compressor.png
Compressor
Research:
330 Rp icon.png
Cost:
250 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mods aerodinamic wing.png
Wings repair
Research:
500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
380 Sl icon.png
85 Ge icon.png
Mods new engine.png
Engine
Research:
500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
380 Sl icon.png
85 Ge icon.png
Mods metanol.png
Engine injection
Research:
970 Rp icon.png
Cost:
730 Sl icon.png
170 Ge icon.png
Mods armor frame.png
Airframe
Research:
330 Rp icon.png
Cost:
250 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mods armor cover.png
Cover
Research:
970 Rp icon.png
Cost:
730 Sl icon.png
170 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
safat12_belt_pack
Research:
300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
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7 in (mod20)
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ho103_new_gun
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10 in (mod24)
Research:
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12 in (mod30)
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Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 12 x 12.7 mm Ho-103 machine gun
Ammunition500 rounds
Fire rate900 shots/min
Main article: Ho-103 (12.7 mm)

The Ki-43-II is armed with:

  • 2 x 12.7 mm Ho-103 machine guns, nose-mounted (250 rpg = 500 total)

The Ki-43-II is armed with two nose-mounted Ho-103 army (12.7 mm) machine guns (900 rpm, 250 rpg). Typically for Japanese airplanes Air Targets and Stealth belts are the preferred options, depending on the skill of the player and the game mode. 12.7 mm machine guns have an acceptable effectiveness, which is helped by their excellent location on the nose, making it easier to aim and land shots without worrying about convergence.

Suspended armament

List of setups (3)
Setup 12 x 50 kg Army Type 94 GPHE bomb
Setup 22 x 100 kg Army Type 94 GPHE bomb
Setup 32 x 250 kg Army Type 92 GPHE bomb
Main articles: Army Type 94 GPHE (50 kg), Army Type 94 GPHE (100 kg), Army Type 92 GPHE (250 kg)

Unlike its predecessor, Ki-43-II can be outfitted with bombs, featuring the following ordnance:

  • Without load
  • 2 x 50 kg Army Type 94 GPHE bombs (100 kg total)
  • 2 x 100 kg Army Type 94 GPHE bombs (200 kg total)
  • 2 x 250 kg Army Type 92 GPHE bombs (500 kg total)

Generally the choice of bombs should depend on the skill of the player, with smaller bombs getting increasingly difficult to destroy enemy targets, while at the same time giving far better flight characteristics. In terms of destroying armoured targets there's a notable gap in performance, with bombs having a destructive radius of 5, 3, 2 m for 250, 100, 50 kg bombs respectively, making 250 kg bombs a very potent weapon, even if it gives a huge decrease in performance (+1.9 s to turn time, comparing to +0.5 s with the 100 kg bombs).

Usage in battles

In all modes, the Ki-43 can perform both BnZ fighting and turnfighting with the correct opponent. It can easily accelerate to 500 km/h in a dive while still having responsive controls. However its speed retention is quite poor and will lose lots of speed as soon as you level out. For turnfighting, you can out-turn most monoplanes and almost all heavy fighters/attackers even without combat flaps deployed, but never turn with Spitfires and Zeros. Note that this aircraft will experience severe rudder lockup when faster than around 450 km/h, resulting in awkward aiming adjustments if the target manoeuvres, so you need to cut throttle appropriately to control your speed.

While having sufficient flight characteristics, the Ki-43 is extremely fragile and can get critically damaged by almost all guns. From the hard-hitting M2 Browning to the fast-firing MG 15, any gun can badly hurt the Ki-43 especially on the engine, fuel tanks, and pilot which can always lead to a later crash. Before attacking try to get an altitude advantage and perform deflection shots. To maximise the damage aim for their wings and engines, as the fuselage usually soaks up lots of bullets. Only fire when the target passes in front of your guns. This short window might seem inadequate to do anything... and it usually is, unfortunately. The slow velocity, light projectiles and low one-second burst mass usually guarantee no critical damage. However sometimes it only takes one bullet to set the target aflame, if you are lucky.

  • In Simulator, the Ki-43 is overall a decent plane. It has very forgiving characteristics such as good over-the-nose visibility, a clear bubble canopy without much framing and good backwards visibility. This increases your chance of spotting, tracking, and/or dodging since you can see targets from almost every direction with ease (except the underside, of course). It is recommended to set keybind for moving your head vertically to make full use of the great forward vision in a dogfight. However, its wings are located directly below the cockpit meaning that you cannot see what is below your sides which can lead to you losing track of the enemy. You should get used to searching towards your 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 o'clock, avoiding the wings.
  • Note that when taking off the Ki-43 will shift severely to the left due to the propeller torque, so it is recommended to set keybinds for left and right brakes to effectively control your direction on the runway. Using rudder alone will not work at low speed and you will either circle around or lose control and crash into nearby structures like tents/hangars.
  • Landing is very beginner-friendly too. It is able to decelerate quickly while also having low stall speed, allowing you to quickly slow down and descend onto the runway. Takeoff and landing flaps do not lift up the nose a lot so you can easily remain overall parallel to the ground. It also performs great when braking as its nose will not usually dip into the ground, so you can keep braking until it fully stops (given that you deflect elevators fully upwards) which is vital for preparing the next fight quickly.
  • It has very good handling at most speeds. It does not wobble a lot which is an advantage over the biplanes and early monoplane fighters, making it easier to smooth the aim. You should familiarise the shape of those that you should not turn with: the Spitfires have long, straight nose with an inline engine, rather large and elliptical wings. The Zeros have an overall cylindrical fuselage that merges into a pointy tail after the stabilisers, a radial engine and are usually painted white (early models). If you see them on your tail try outrunning them by diving at around -40 degrees. The Ki-43 still remains responsive handling at 500 km/h, but its speed retention is poor, meaning it will start to lose speed quickly and the enemy might catch up. If you are near a friendly airfield, great. If not, then hope for the best and run towards the friendly side. Don't forget to pitch up and down a little to mess up their aim, the early Spitfires and A6M only have a 60-round drum per cannon which will run out fairly fast. The leftover 7.7 mm machine guns will not be as destructive but still might destroy you.
  • It will be very challenging when facing against the Chinese/American Ki-43, as both of you have the same characteristics. You cannot outrun each other and cannot out-turn each other, so the fight will be a combination of various manoeuvres and techniques, and of course, the pilot's skills. Note that the Ki-43 has similar appearance as the Ki-44 and can be misjudged as a Ki-44 or a Zero which are also in the Chinese/American tree. Comparing to the Ki-43, the Ki-44 has a slightly bigger engine and the canopy is shifted backwards. The Chinese Zero is painted dark brown with a silver spinner, while the American one is in greyish-blue. They all turn well and have accelerate well in a dive.
  • When it comes to intercepting ground pounders or bombers, the Ki-43 generally performs poorly since the targets are all quite robust against your weak guns. Some examples are the IL-2 which is commonly seen in Sim. It can get mistakenly seen as other aircraft from a distance due to its common appearance. But up close you will see two bomb-like structures underneath its wings and triangular stabilisers with rounded tips. The early IL-2s have no defensive guns so it is safe to sit behind and carefully aim. They are heavily armoured in the cockpit and engine so avoid aiming at these areas. Instead target the tail to hope for disabling their tail control. The late IL-2s, however, have a rear-facing Berezin UB which is something you definitely want to avoid. Perform deflection shots or just disengage.

Enemies worth noting:

  • Typhoon Mk Ia: this is a very capable opponent, it is quite fast, climbs good, manoeuvres alright and has 12 x 7.7 mm MGs that can fatally damage the Ki-43. If you are attacking, get an altitude advantage first and BnZ it. If you are being attacked by it, evade its first pass and immediately start a turnfight. You need to deploy combat / takeoff flaps, or even landing flaps if needed to push your turn rate to the limit. Several circles are needed, don't panic to see the Typhoon keeping up with your turns at first. With appropriate flaps, the Ki-43 will slowly out turn it, allowing you to get onto its tail. The Typhoon overall resembles a Hurricane, except its symbolic giant intake below the engine.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer Pitch Radiator Supercharger Turbocharger
Oil Water Type
Controllable Controllable
Not auto controlled 		Controllable
Not auto controlled 		Controllable
Not auto controlled 		Separate Controllable
2 gears 		Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Extremely good roll rate
  • Excellent stock performance
  • Wins turn battles and can easily outrun opponents it typically faces
  • Can equip bombs up to 500 kg to help aid weight and energy retention
  • Useful flaps in a turnfight
  • Good all-round cockpit visibility in simulator
  • Forgiving landing characteristics

Cons:

  • Very light, retains no energy
  • Weak armour
  • Very limited ammo pool
  • Very vulnerable to fires, as structure is weak and flammable
  • Rudder locks up at around 450 km/h, meaning that you will miss quite some passes due to the aim not being able to adjust horizontally

History

In early 1937 the Army recognized the need for a new single seat fighter. Instead of going through the normal process of requesting manufacturers to submit designs, the Army contracted with Nakajima directly to produce a replacement for their Ki-27 (Army Type 97) fighter. The requirements laid out to Nakajima for this new fighter was for it to have a top speed of 311 mph, to be able to reach 16,405 ft within five minutes, to have a minimum range of 500 miles, it was to be armed with two 7.7 mm machine guns, and to not lose any of the manoeuvrability of the Ki-27. The first prototype of what was to become the Ki-43 was completed in December 1938 with 2 more following soon after in 1939, however upon testing it was found that these airplanes did not live up the Army's expectations. The complaints from test pilots included that the plane was not manoeuvrable enough, hard to control, and had visibility issues.

Following the evaluation of the initial 3 prototypes, Nakajima would develop 10 testing aircraft with various modifications in order to address the armies concerns. The changes tested included giving the fighter the HA-105 engine, replacing the 7.7 mm machine guns with 12.7 mm machine guns, upgrading the outer skin to a treated duralumin, narrower fuselage, redesigned tail surfaces, modifications to the wing design, and the introduction of butterfly flaps. The last improvement in particular helped the plane to overcome its lack of manoeuvrability that the Army had issue with. After these designed prototypes were tested the Army settled on what they saw was the optimum configuration and requested that it be equipped with the Nakajima Ha-25 engine. The plane entered production as the Ki-43-Ia (Army Type 1 Fighter Model 1A) with the first example completing production in April 1941. This model was soon replaced with the Ki-43-Ib (Army Type 1 Fighter Model 1B) which replaced one of the 7.7 mm machine guns with a 12.7 mm machine gun which was also soon replaced by the Ki-43-Ic (Army Type 1 Fighter Model 1C) which was equipped with two 12.7 mm machine gun.

After some time in the field, the Ki-43 was to receive a major upgrade based on feedback from pilots, which included replacing the Ha-25 engine with the more powerful Ha-115 engine, a two stage supercharger, pilot armour, self-sealing fuel tanks and many more minor improvements. The first prototype of what was to become the Ki-43-II (Army Type 1 Fighter Model 2) was completed in February 1942. The Ki-43 would become the most numerous of all the Japanese Army's fighters. While operating in Malaysia and Burma the plane received the codename "Jim" and in the Pacific Theatre it received the allied codename "Oscar". The codename "Oscar" was eventually selected as the official code name for the airplane by the Allies.


Archive of the in-game description

The single-seater Japanese Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Peregrine Falcon) fighter was designed to replace the Ki-27 in the Japanese Imperial Army's Air Force.

The Ki-27 design was so successful that, without resorting to the competition that usually occurred among aircraft manufacturers, the Air Force authorized Nakajima to create an improved model. The main requirement for the new fighter was a high top speed of at least 500 km/h but with the same manoeuvrability as the Ki-27.

The first three prototypes were prepared and tested in 1939, but their manoeuvrability was inadequate. Therefore 10 pre-production aircraft with different configurations were considered. Two of them used the new "butterfly" combat flaps, which largely decided the issue. With the flaps, the plane became much more manoeuvrable.

In autumn of 1942, the Ki-42-IIA entered production. The main differences between the Ki-42-IIA and previous models were its more powerful Ha-115 motor, its 1130 hp output, and its three-bladed propeller (the previous model had a two-bladed propeller). The wings were reinforced to hold 250-kg bombs, and the lighter machine guns were replaced with large-calibre ones. In addition, the wing fuel tanks were self-sealing, and pilot protection was enhanced with 13 mm of armour (previous models, to lighten the aircraft, did not include protection for the pilot or fuel tanks).

All in all, 5919 Ki-43 fighters were produced, most of which were of the Ki-43-IIA design.


Media

Skins
Videos
The Shooting Range #27 - Pages of History section at 03:22 discusses the Ki-43.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the aircraft;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links


Nakajima Aircraft Company (中島飛行機株式会社 )
Fighters  Ki-27 otsu · Ki-27 otsu Tachiarai
  Ki-43-I · Ki-43-II · Ki-43-III otsu
  Ki-44-I · Ki-44-I 34 · Ki-44-II otsu · Ki-44-II hei
  Ki-84 ko · Ki-84 otsu · Ki-84 hei
  Ki-87
Hydroplanes  A6M2-N*
Interceptors  J1N1 · J5N1
Bombers  B5N2
  B6N1 Model 11 · B6N2 Model 12 · B6N2a Model 12Ko
  G5N1 · G8N1
  Ki-49-I · Ki-49-IIa · Ki-49-IIb · Ki-49-IIb/L
Recon  E8N2
Jet Fighters  Kikka
Captured  ␗Ki-27 otsu · ▃Ki-43-II · ␗Ki-43-III ko · ␗Ki-44-II hei · ␗Ki-84 ko
  *Refit of the Mitsubishi A6M2 mod. 11
See also  Fuji Heavy Industries (1957-2017)

Japan fighters
Navy 
Carrier-based fighter 
A5M  A5M4 · Hagiri's A5M4
A6M  A6M2 mod. 11 · A6M2 · A6M3 · A6M3 mod. 22 · A6M3 mod. 22Ko · A6M5 · A6M5 Ko · A6M5 otsu · A6M5 Hei · A6M6c
A7He  A7He1*
A7M  A7M1 (NK9H) · A7M2
Land-based Fighter 
J2M  J2M2 · J2M3 · J2M4 Kai · J2M5 · J2M5 (30 mm)
J6K  J6K1
J7W  J7W1
N1K-J  N1K1-Ja · N1K2-J · N1K2-Ja
Fighter seaplane 
N1K  N1K1
A6M-N  A6M2-N
Army 
Ki-10  Ki-10-I · Ki-10-I C · Ki-10-II · Ki-10-II C
Ki-27  Ki-27 otsu · Ki-27 otsu Tachiarai
Ki-43  Ki-43-I · Ki-43-II · Ki-43-III otsu
Ki-44  Ki-44-I · Ki-44-I 34 · Ki-44-II otsu · Ki-44-II hei
Ki-61  Ki-61-I ko · Ki-61-I otsu · Ki-61-I hei · Tada's Ki-61-I hei · Ki-61-I tei · Ki-61-II Otsu Kai
Ki-84  Ki-84 ko · Ki-84 otsu · Ki-84 hei
Ki-87  Ki-87
Ki-94  Ki-94-II
Ki-100  Ki-100 · Ki-100-II
Other countries  ▅F4U-1A · ▅P-51C-11-NT · ▅Bf 109 E-7 · ▅Fw 190 A-5
  *Imported designation of the He 112 (A6M was in development - A7M would take A7 designation after the cancelation of the A7He)

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