Difference between revisions of "Ki-43-III otsu"

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Revision as of 07:30, 28 August 2024

This page is about the Japanese fighter Ki-43-III otsu. For other versions, see Ki-43 (Family).

Ki-43-III otsu

Ki-61-I otsu

Ki-61-I tei

Ki-43-III otsu

AB	RB	SB
4.3	4.0	4.7

Class:

Fighter

Research:18 000

Purchase:47 000

Show in game

Description

The Ki-43-III otsu Hayabusa is a rank III Japanese fighter with a battle rating of 4.3 (AB), 4.0 (RB), and 4.7 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.45 "Steel Generals".

The Ki-43-III otsu is as a rank three aircraft in the Japanese Army Air Service line. Like its rank two brethren, it is an extremely manoeuvrable and lightweight aircraft. It has exceptional climb and roll rate making it a fairly hard target to hit in the hands of a skilled player. The trade-off, however, is its extremely fragile nature - a good hit even from a plane equipped with rifle-calibre guns could do some serious damage if one doesn't push the plane to its limits in any of the game modes. On the other hand, the rather modest pair of fuselage-mounted 12.7 mm Ho-103s of the Ki-43-II have been replaced with a pair of the hard-hitting Ho-5 20 mm cannons, which for its battle-rating gives the Hayabusa the power it needs to take down anything it opposes. Like many of the Japanese fighters, dogfighting is the key to staying alive. By using the combat flaps and throttle in a optimal manner, this aircraft can get behind nearly every opponent it meets in a low to mid altitude dogfight. With a modest ammo load of 300 rounds, trigger discipline is important here. It is best to get up close (200-500 m is optimal) and then let off several short bursts, firing until the enemy is critically damaged or the plane is destroyed.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 6 800 m574 km/h

Turn time16 s

Max altitude11 000 m

EngineNakajima Ha-115-II

TypeRadial

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight3 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 6,800 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
Characteristics	AB	RB	Max altitude (metres)	AB	RB	AB	RB	Take-off run (metres)
Stock	546	528	11000	16.2	17.2	11.3	11.3	200
Upgraded	610	574	11000	15.8	16.0	24.1	16.6	200

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
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
661	330	387	371	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

Gear330 km/h

12 mm Steel plate behind pilot

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB875 → 1 099

RB1 979 → 2 485

SB3 092 → 3 883

Total cost of modifications19 700

32 100

Talisman cost980

Crew training13 000

Experts47 000

Aces400

Research Aces280 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

50 / 130 / 270 %

136 / 136 / 136 %

Modifications

Flight performance

Survivability

Weaponry

Fuselage repair Research: 1 300 Cost: 2 100 130	Radiator Research: 1 300 Cost: 2 100 130
Compressor Research: 1 100 Cost: 1 800 110
Wings repair Research: 1 700 Cost: 2 800 170	Engine Research: 1 700 Cost: 2 800 170
Engine injection Research: 2 100 Cost: 3 400 210

Airframe

Research:

1 100

Cost:

1 800

110

Cover

Research:

2 100

Cost:

3 400

210

	7 in (mod20) Research: 1 300 Cost: 2 100 130
ho5_belt_pack Research: 1 100 Cost: 1 800 110	10 in (mod24) Research: 1 100 Cost: 1 800 110
	12 in (mod30) Research: 1 700 Cost: 2 800 170
ho5_new_gun Research: 2 100 Cost: 3 400 210

The stock 20 mm cannon belts are weak, consisting of 1/3 "practice" shells. Research the "Offensive 20 mm belts" as quickly as possible. Otherwise there is not a lot necessary to upgrade, mainly performance modules. The engine and compressor modules do wonders. Payload unlocks should be considered last. The Ki-43 is a fighter, and not a ground attacker like the B7A2.

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 12 x 20 mm Ho-5 cannon

Ammunition300 rounds

Fire rate948 shots/min

Main article: Ho-5 (20 mm)

The Ki-43-III otsu is armed with:

2 x 20 mm Ho-5 cannons, nose-mounted (150 rpg = 300 total)

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)

The Ki-43-III otsu can be outfitted with 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)

Usage in battles

Like the Zeros, the Ki-43 is exceptionally light and manoeuvrable. Unlike the Zeros, the Ki-43 has a ridiculous roll rate making it the closest one can get to playing an arcade-esque plane in RB.

Unfortunately, this comes at a cost. The Ki-43 sees primarily American planes which are far faster in both level flight and dive while having significantly better armament. Evading fire becomes difficult when facing planes such as the P-47N-15 which has 8 x M2 Browning .50 cals which are extremely deadly and have a ridiculous volume of fire.

As such, the Ki-43 is almost entirely dependent on siphoning kills from unwary pilots, pilot errors, manoeuvre kills, and pilot frustration which makes it quite a difficult plane to play. However, if played right, and abusing its insane roll rate and turn time, you can take down multiple enemies with your cannon and force others to crash out of frustration and over-eagerness. 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, but an accurate burst can blow off some control surfaces / damage the engine. And sometimes it only takes one bullet to set the target aflame, if you are lucky. Short bursts also maximize your limited ammo capacity; with 150 rounds per gun, you only have 9.5 seconds of firing time.

Tactics

When using the Ki-43-III otsu, do remember this plane can easily out manoeuvre anything it may face. Do not try to go head on with enemy planes as even a single round can damage your plane. Instead, position for a head on, but pull off about 1.2 km out, go under the enemy aircraft, and loop around for a shot. You may need to repeat this manoeuvre several times to secure a firing position.

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.

Specific enemies worth noting

Most Allied opponents at the battle rating can outrun the Ki-43 with ease. Most concerning are planes such as the P-47D/N or F4U Corsair, as both planes are over 80 km/h (50 mph) faster on the deck and also possess exceptional .50 cal armament. Use the Ki-43's manoeuvrability to dodge shots and try to slowly drain the energy of your opponent and force mistakes.

When facing the Ki-43-III otsu do remember that it is very manoeuvrable and that it can easily out turn what it faces therefore try to apply Boom & Zoom tactics against a Ki-43-III otsu.

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. However, now you have a better chance of critically damaging them within a short firing window which is always an advantage. 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.
A6M Zero: can be flown by the Chinese or the American, may also be seen during mixed battle. The Zero has better maneuverability in any way other than rolling than Ki-43 III, some pilot may find difficulties when facing a Zero as it can out-turn their plane if not engaged properly. Instead use your engine performance to engage in a sustained scissor with the Zero, this maneuver will put the Zero at a disadvantage because of it inadequate roll rate compared to your Ki-43-III. Always try to do one circle fight after merging with the Zero, avoid at any cost going on a rate fight with it as your sustained turn time is worse than the Zero. Make sure to engage Zero in a 1v1 situation as any mistake you made will be detrimental and can be exploited by competent Zero player, you can't really run away fast and getting swarmed up doesn't help either.
XP-50: Possibly the best airplane on Ki-43-III battle rating bracket. Avoid going head-on with this plane at all costs as it possesses a formidable armament that can easily set ablaze Japanese aircraft. The performance of XP-50 out-class the Ki-43-III at high altitude, do not be baited by a high climbing XP-50, it has turbocharged engine thus an excellent high-altitude performance, avoid dogfighting with XP-50 at altitude above 5000 meters as it out-turn and out-energy your Ki-43 III. Instead wait for it to go low where the performance of XP-50 drops significantly, you can safely engage it at altitude below 3000 meters but be aware of its superior engine performance and the gun it poses, keep strictly to dogfight and do not get baited when it starts to climb again
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 from oblique angles (e.g. sides, top & bottom) or just disengage.

Typhoon Mk Ib/L: this is a very capable opponent, it is quite fast, climbs well, has reasonable manoeuvrability, and has 4 x 20 mm cannons 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
Mixer	Pitch	Oil	Water	Type	Supercharger	Turbocharger
Not controllable	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

Excellent rate of climb
Decent level & dive speed at its place
Extremely manoeuvrable
Quick roll rate
Good armament
Decent ammo capacity
Low stall speed
Useful flaps in a turnfight
Good all-round cockpit visibility in simulator
Forgiving landing characteristics

Cons:

Lightly armoured
Can catch fire easily due to the lack of armoured fuel tanks
Can feel a bit like a paper airplane handling-wise
Extremely slow, at 507 km/h on the deck
Poor high-alt performance
Energy retention and dive speed is abysmal
Wing rips can happen very easily if one performs high speed manoeuvres (~11 G)
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 last major modification of the Ki-43 was done in 1944, combining the minor modifications of the IIa and IIb with the more powerful Nakajima Ha-115-II engine. These minor modifications over the Ki-43-II included a reduced wing-span (improving the plane's low and medium speed performance), increased pilot armour, improved oil cooler, and modified carburetor intake. This new Ki-43-IIIa (Army Type 1 Fighter Model 3A) entered production in October 1944 with approximately 1,000 being completed before the war ended. 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.

Media

Skins

Skins and camouflages for the Ki-43-III otsu from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #7 - Metal Beasts section at 00:40 discusses the Ki-43-III otsu.

External links

Official data sheet - more details about the performance

*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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Difference between revisions of "Ki-43-III otsu"

Revision as of 07:30, 28 August 2024

Contents

Description

General info

Flight performance

Details

Survivability and armour

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Offensive armament

Suspended armament

Usage in battles

Tactics

Specific enemies worth noting

Manual Engine Control

Pros and cons

History

Media

See also

External links

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Specs-Card|code=ki_43_3_otsu}}
 {{About
 | about = Japanese fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
 | usage = other versions
 | link = Ki-43 (Family)
+}}
+{{Specs-Card
+|code=ki_43_3_otsu
+|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
 }}
 == 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.'' -->
-[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
-{{break}}
 The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Japanese fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]].
-The Ki-43-III otsu starts off as a rank three aircraft in the Japanese Army Air Force line. Like its tier two brethren, it is an extremely manoeuvrable and lightweight aircraft. It has exceptional climb and roll rate making it a fairly hard target to hit in the hands of a skilled player. The trade-off, however, is its extremely fragile nature - a good hit even from a plane equipped with rifle-calibre guns could do some serious damage if one doesn't push the plane to its limits in any of the game modes. On the other hand, the rather modest pair of fuselage-mounted 12.7 mm Ho-103s of the [[Ki-43-II]] have been replaced with a pair of the hard-hitting Ho-5 20 mm cannons, which for its battle-rating gives the Hayabusa the power it needs to take down anything it opposes. Like many of the Japanese fighters, dog-fighting is the key to staying alive. By using the combat flaps and throttle in a optimal manner, this aircraft can get behind nearly every opponent it meets in a low to mid altitude dog-fight. With a modest ammo load of 300 rounds, trigger discipline is important here. It is best to get up close (200-500 m is optimal) and then let off several short bursts, firing until the enemy is critically damaged or the plane is destroyed.
+The Ki-43-III otsu is as a rank three aircraft in the Japanese Army Air Service line. Like its rank two brethren, it is an extremely manoeuvrable and lightweight aircraft. It has exceptional climb and roll rate making it a fairly hard target to hit in the hands of a skilled player. The trade-off, however, is its extremely fragile nature - a good hit even from a plane equipped with rifle-calibre guns could do some serious damage if one doesn't push the plane to its limits in any of the game modes. On the other hand, the rather modest pair of fuselage-mounted 12.7 mm Ho-103s of the [[Ki-43-II]] have been replaced with a pair of the hard-hitting Ho-5 20 mm cannons, which for its battle-rating gives the Hayabusa the power it needs to take down anything it opposes. Like many of the Japanese fighters, dogfighting is the key to staying alive. By using the combat flaps and throttle in a optimal manner, this aircraft can get behind nearly every opponent it meets in a low to mid altitude dogfight. With a modest ammo load of 300 rounds, trigger discipline is important here. It is best to get up close (200-500 m is optimal) and then let off several short bursts, firing until the enemy is critically damaged or the plane is destroyed.
 == General info ==
 === 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.'' -->
-{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
-|-
+! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
-! colspan="8" | Characteristics
+! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 6,800 m)
-|-
+! rowspan="2" | Max altitude<br>(metres)
-! colspan="8" | ''Stock''
-|-
-! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 5,900 m)
-! rowspan="2" | Max altitude<br>(meters)
 ! colspan="2" | Turn time<br>(seconds)
-! colspan="2" | Rate of climb<br>(meters/second)
+! colspan="2" | Rate of climb<br>(metres/second)
-! rowspan="2" | Take-off run<br>(meters)
+! rowspan="2" | Take-off run<br>(metres)
 |-
 ! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
 |-
-| 564 || 546 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 15.2 || 16.2 || 13.9 || 13.9 || 200
+! Stock
+| 546 || 528 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 16.2 || 17.2 || 11.3 || 11.3 || rowspan="2" | 200
 |-
-! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
+! Upgraded
-|-
+| 610 || 574 || 15.8 || 16.0 || 24.1 || 16.6
-! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 5,900 m)
-! rowspan="2" | Max altitude<br>(meters)
-! colspan="2" | Turn time<br>(seconds)
-! colspan="2" | Rate of climb<br>(meters/second)
-! rowspan="2" | Take-off run<br>(meters)
-|-
-! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
-|-
-| 626 || 590 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 14.8 || 15.0 || 26.7 || 19.2 || 200
 |-
 |}
 ==== Details ====
-{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 |-
 ! colspan="5" | Features
@@ Line 59: / Line 49: @@
 |}
-{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 |-
-! colspan="5" | Limits
+! colspan="7" | Limits
 |-
-! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed<br>(km/h)
+! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
-! rowspan="2" | Gear limit<br>(km/h)
+! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
-! rowspan="2" | Combat flaps<br>(km/h)
+! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
 ! colspan="2" | Max Static G
 |-
-! + !! -
+! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
 |-
-| {{Specs|destruction|constructions}} || {{Specs|destruction|chassis}} || 400 || ~10 || ~7
+| 661 <!-- {{Specs|destruction|body}} --> || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 387 || 371 || 250 || ~10 || ~8
 |-
 |}
@@ Line 76: / Line 66: @@
 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 |-
-! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
+! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
 |-
-! Ailerons<br>(km/h)
+! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
-! Rudder<br>(km/h)
-! Elevators<br>(km/h)
-! Radiator<br>(km/h)
 |-
 | < 370 || < 350 || < 450 || > 296
-|-
-|}
-{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
-|-
-! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
-|-
-! colspan="3" | Setting 1
-|-
-! Optimal altitude
-! 100% Engine power
-! WEP Engine power
-|-
-| 1,800 m || 1,280 hp || 1,520 hp
-|-
-! colspan="3" | Setting 2
-|-
-! Optimal altitude
-! 100% Engine power
-! WEP Engine power
-|-
-| 5,300 m || 1,185 hp || 1,407 hp
 |-
 |}
 === 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.'' -->
 * 12 mm Steel plate behind pilot
+=== Modifications and economy ===
+{{Specs-Economy}}
+The stock 20 mm cannon belts are weak, consisting of 1/3 "practice" shells. Research the "Offensive 20 mm belts" as quickly as possible. Otherwise there is not a lot necessary to upgrade, mainly performance modules. The engine and compressor modules do wonders. Payload unlocks should be considered last. The Ki-43 is a fighter, and not a ground attacker like the [[B7A2]].
 == Armaments ==
+{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
 === 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.'' -->
-{{main|Ho-5 army (20 mm)}}
+{{main|Ho-5 (20 mm)}}
 The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:
-* 2 x 20 mm Ho-5 army cannons, nose-mounted (150 rpg = 300 total)
+* 2 x 20 mm Ho-5 cannons, nose-mounted (150 rpg = 300 total)
 === 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.'' -->
 {{main|Army Type 94 GPHE (50 kg)|Army Type 94 GPHE (100 kg)|Army Type 92 GPHE (250 kg)}}
@@ Line 135: / Line 109: @@
 == Usage in battles ==
-<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in an 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).'' -->
 Like the Zeros, the Ki-43 is exceptionally light and manoeuvrable. Unlike the Zeros, the Ki-43 has a ridiculous roll rate making it the closest one can get to playing an arcade-esque plane in RB.
-Unfortunately, this comes at a cost. At 4.0 BR the Ki-43 sees primarily American planes which are far faster in both level flight and dive while having significantly better armament. Evading fire becomes difficult when facing planes such as the P-47N-15 which has 8 x M2 Browning .50 cals which are extremely deadly and have a ridiculous volume of fire.
+Unfortunately, this comes at a cost. The Ki-43 sees primarily American planes which are far faster in both level flight and dive while having significantly better armament. Evading fire becomes difficult when facing planes such as the [[P-47N-15]] which has 8 x M2 Browning .50 cals which are extremely deadly and have a ridiculous volume of fire.
+As such, the Ki-43 is almost entirely dependent on siphoning kills from unwary pilots, pilot errors, manoeuvre kills, and pilot frustration which makes it quite a difficult plane to play. However, if played right, and abusing its insane roll rate and turn time, you can take down multiple enemies with your cannon and force others to crash out of frustration and over-eagerness. 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.
-As such, the Ki-43 is almost entirely dependent on siphoning kills from unwary pilots, pilot errors, maneuver kills, and pilot frustration which makes it quite a difficult plane to play. However, if played right, and abusing it's insane roll rate and turn time, you can take down multiple enemies with your cannon and force others to crash out of frustration and over-eagerness.
+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, but an accurate burst can blow off some control surfaces / damage the engine. And sometimes it only takes one bullet to set the target aflame, if you are lucky. Short bursts also maximize your limited ammo capacity; with 150 rounds per gun, you only have 9.5 seconds of firing time.
 ====Tactics====
 <!--Specific methods of play in different situations, label the methods with pros and cons (if possible) based on vehicle's performances (i.e. Me 262 playing as a fighter or anti-bomber)-->
-When using the Ki-43-III otsu, do remember this plane can easily out manoeuvre anything it may face. Do not try to go head on with enemy planes as even a single round can damage your plane. Instead, position for a head on, but pull off about 1.2 km out, go under the enemy aircraft, and loop around for a shot. You may need to repeat this maneuver several times to secure a firing position.
+When using the Ki-43-III otsu, do remember this plane can easily out manoeuvre anything it may face. Do not try to go head on with enemy planes as even a single round can damage your plane. Instead, position for a head on, but pull off about 1.2 km out, go under the enemy aircraft, and loop around for a shot. You may need to repeat this manoeuvre several times to secure a firing position.
+* 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.
 ====Specific enemies worth noting====
 <!--Some concerning vehicles to worry about if playing this plane. (i.e. Japanese fighters will out turn you)-->
-Most Allied opponents at 4.0 BR can outrun the Ki-43 with ease. Most concerning are planes such as the P-47D/N or F4U Corsair, as both planes are over 80 km/h (50 mph) faster on the deck and also possess exceptional .50 cal armament. Use the Ki-43's manoeuvrability to dodge shots and try to slowly drain the energy of your opponent and force mistakes.
+Most Allied opponents at the battle rating can outrun the Ki-43 with ease. Most concerning are planes such as the P-47D/N or F4U Corsair, as both planes are over 80 km/h (50 mph) faster on the deck and also possess exceptional .50 cal armament. Use the Ki-43's manoeuvrability to dodge shots and try to slowly drain the energy of your opponent and force mistakes.
 When facing the Ki-43-III otsu do remember that it is very manoeuvrable and that it can easily out turn what it faces therefore try to apply Boom & Zoom tactics against a Ki-43-III otsu.
+* 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. However, now you have a better chance of critically damaging them within a short firing window which is always an advantage. 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.
+* A6M Zero: can be flown by the Chinese or the American, may also be seen during mixed battle. The Zero has better maneuverability in any way other than rolling than Ki-43 III, some pilot may find difficulties when facing a Zero as it can out-turn their plane if not engaged properly. Instead use your engine performance to engage in a sustained scissor with the Zero, this maneuver will put the Zero at a disadvantage because of it inadequate roll rate compared to your Ki-43-III. Always try to do one circle fight after merging with the Zero, avoid at any cost going on a rate fight with it as your sustained turn time is worse than the Zero. Make sure to engage Zero in a 1v1 situation as any mistake you made will be detrimental and can be exploited by competent Zero player, you can't really run away fast and getting swarmed up doesn't help either.
+* XP-50: Possibly the best airplane on Ki-43-III battle rating bracket. Avoid going head-on with this plane at all costs as it possesses a formidable armament that can easily set ablaze Japanese aircraft. The performance of XP-50 out-class the Ki-43-III at high altitude, do not be baited by a high climbing XP-50, it has turbocharged engine thus an excellent high-altitude performance, avoid dogfighting with XP-50 at altitude above 5000 meters as it out-turn and out-energy your Ki-43 III. Instead wait for it to go low where the performance of XP-50 drops significantly, you can safely engage it at altitude below 3000 meters but be aware of its superior engine performance and the gun it poses, keep strictly to dogfight and do not get baited when it starts to climb again
+* 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 from oblique angles (e.g. sides, top & bottom) or just disengage.
+* Typhoon Mk Ib/L: this is a very capable opponent, it is quite fast, climbs well, has reasonable manoeuvrability, and has 4 x 20 mm cannons 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 ===
@@ Line 168: / Line 156: @@
 |-
 |}
-=== Modules ===
-{| class="wikitable"
-! Tier
-! colspan="2" | Flight performance
-! Survivability
-! colspan="2" | Weaponry
-|-
-| I
-| Fuselage repair
-| Radiator
-|
-|
-| 7 in (mod20)
-|-
-| II
-|
-| Compressor
-| Airframe
-| Offensive 20 mm
-| 10 in (mod24)
-|-
-| III
-| Wings repair
-| Engine
-|
-|
-| 12 in (mod30)
-|-
-| IV
-|
-| Engine injection
-| Cover
-| New 20 mm cannons
-|
-|-
-|}
-* The stock 20 mm cannon belts are a pain. Research the "Offensive 20 mm belts" fast. Otherwise there is not a lot necessary to upgrade, mainly performance modules. The engine and compressor modules do wonders. Payload unlocks should be considered last. The Ki-43 is a fighter and not a ground attacker like the [[B7A2]].
 === Pros and cons ===
@@ Line 214: / Line 163: @@
 * Excellent rate of climb
+* Decent level & dive speed at its place
 * Extremely manoeuvrable
 * Quick roll rate
 * Good armament
 * Decent ammo capacity
-* Easy to fly
 * Low stall speed
+* Useful flaps in a turnfight
+* Good all-round cockpit visibility in simulator
+* Forgiving landing characteristics
 '''Cons:'''
@@ Line 230: / Line 182: @@
 * Energy retention and dive speed is abysmal
 * Wing rips can happen very easily if one performs high speed manoeuvres (~11 G)
+* 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 ==
-<!-- ''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).'' -->
+<!-- ''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).'' -->
-The Ki-43 was fairing poorly against allied aircraft by 1944. A new version was constructed at an attempt for better performance. The Ki-43-III is very similar to the [[Ki-43-II]] except for its engine, which was replaced with the far more powerful Mitsubishi Ha-112-32/42 engine. The aircraft was also fitted with a pair of 20 mm cannons. The last variant of the Ki-43, (the Ki-43-IIIc) was intended to protect mainland japan from B-29s. The war ended before the aircraft could ever be produced.
+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 last major modification of the Ki-43 was done in 1944, combining the minor modifications of the IIa and IIb with the more powerful Nakajima Ha-115-II engine. These minor modifications over the Ki-43-II included a reduced wing-span (improving the plane's low and medium speed performance), increased pilot armour, improved oil cooler, and modified carburetor intake. This new Ki-43-IIIa (Army Type 1 Fighter Model 3A) entered production in October 1944 with approximately 1,000 being completed before the war ended. 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.
 == 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_3_otsu Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
+;Videos
 {{Youtube-gallery|V2grV9sYBfE|'''The Shooting Range #7''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:40 discusses the Ki-43-III otsu.}}
@@ Line 246: / Line 209: @@
 == 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/285067-nakajima-ki-43-iii-otsu/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]
-* ''encyclopedia page on the aircraft;''
-* ''other literature.''
 {{AirManufacturer Nakajima}}
 {{Japan fighters}}