Ki-61-Ib (USA)

▃Ki-61-Ib

360://https://old-wiki.warthunder.com/images/4/49/Cockpit_ki_61_1a_otsu_usa.jpg

▃Ki-61-Ib

USA

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.7	3.7	3.3

Class:

PREMIUM

Fighter

Purchase:850

This page is about the Japanese fighter Ki-61-Ib (USA). For other uses, see Ki-61 (Family).

Description

The ▃Ki-61-Ib Hien is a premium rank II American fighter with a battle rating of 3.7 (AB/RB) and 3.3 (SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27. It costs 700 Golden Eagles . This aircraft is an American-captured version of the Ki-61-I otsu found in the Japanese tech tree.

Unlike its more manoeuvrable and agile counterpart, the A6M Reisen, the Ki-61 is more of what one would call an "energy fighter". Compared to the "Zero" it is faster, has a higher climb rate and handles better at higher speeds. This captured version of the Hien has exactly the same stats and armament as the Japanese version. Armed with four 12.7 mm Ho-103 machine guns and plenty of ammunition, the Ki-61-Ib is a more than capable fighter. As a continuation of the Japanese army tree, the Ki-61 is the successor of the earlier Ki-43 Hayabusa. The Hien is faster, has a higher rate of climb, and features a better armament. Utilize these three aspects when facing planes like the Ki-43. In realistic battles, one of the major advantages the Ki-61-Ib has is its climb rate. The stat card may be misleading, but this plane can reach altitudes no enemies will be close to (unless of course, the enemy is another Hien). This allows the Hien to choose when and where it wants to fight. Instead of simply "turning and burning" the Ki-61 is very good at energy fighting, or Boom & Zoom. Once at a high altitude the Hien pilot may choose to dive lower to attack an enemy. If the enemy is not destroyed on the first pass, it is recommended to climb sharply and gain altitude. By doing this, the Hien sets itself up for another attack while not being in the range of the enemy's guns.

General info

Flight Performance

Characteristics
Condition	Max Speed (km/h at 5,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	567	552	10,000	21.1	21.7	7.9	7.9	420
Upgraded	609	587		19.9	20.3	14.9	11

Details

Features
Combat flap	Take-off flap	Landing flap	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
760	330	500	~16	~12

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 360	< 350	< 460	> 270

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
3,450 m	1,100 hp	1,232 hp

Survivability and 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. Describe the armour, if there is any, also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Ki-61-Ib (USA) is armed with:

• 2 x 12.7 mm Ho-103 machine gun, nose-mounted (400 rpg = 800 total)
• 2 x 12.7 mm Ho-103 machine gun, wing-mounted (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

Usage in battles

Realistic battles

The Ki-61's instrument panel.

The Ki-61-Ib utilized four 12.7 mm Ho-103 Japanese machine guns. Generally, they are unreliable and it often takes hundreds of rounds to destroy an enemy plane. This is due to the lack of primer in the rounds themselves. 12.7 mm rounds fired by the M2 Browning may seem to do more damage because they have more primer which dictates how fast the round will exit the barrel. Due to this, it is necessary to get up close to enemies. Aim for the engine, pilot, or fuel tanks if the location is known. Remember to lead with these machine guns, as the rounds are not high velocity.

The Hien is best utilized as a multi-purpose fighter. Although proficient at energy fighting, the Ki-61 is also generally average at standard manoeuvres. It may lose turn fights with some enemy aircraft like the A6M2, but nonetheless it can still be used in multiple roles. The Hien is your standard "jack of all trades". It's not incredibly good at anything it does but it is even across the board. This allows the Hien pilot to choose what role he or she wants to play in the battle. One could play the reserved, high flying energy fighter, or the aggressive low flying dogfighter. The Ki-61 allows these choices.

Its armament is not so flexible, as the American captured version is unable to equip bombs or ground targets ammunition. Its weapons, four Ho-103 12.7 mm machine guns, are considered by many to be unreliable and unwieldy. However, with accuracy and shot placement, the large ammunition pool can work to your advantage.

If caught in a sticky situation, the Hien pilot may choose to do several things. Depending on your altitude, executing rolling scissors or an overshoot may be a valid tactic. Try to make the enemy pilot feel pressured to disengage. Depending on the enemy's aircraft, use your speed to your advantage and try to get away. The surest tactic would be communicating with teammates to ensure your assailant's death. Once tailed, the Hien pilot can "set up" an enemy by nosing up about 70 degrees so the entirety of the enemy plane is shown. At this stage, ideally, your teammate is arriving to save the day.

Simulator battles

In sim, the Ki-61 can be used in BnZ fighting, turn fighting, intercepting (to some extent) and some ground pounding. The Ki-61 is overall a pretty friendly plane to fly. It is quite fast, handles nicely at all speeds, has decent visibility especially over the nose, climbs great and has lots of ammo. However its disadvantages are the weak protection and poor damage of the 4 MG.

Before taking off, bring at least 30 minutes of fuel for longer patrol time. Set the convergence to around 250m since your MG have low velocity therefore dealing less damage at longer range.

If you are not using MEC, use around 95% throttle when cruising below 3000m since the engine will slowly heat up at full throttle. But full throttle is fine at higher altitudes.

Only elevator trim is available, so when the stick is at its deadzone, the Ki-61 will roll and yaw to the left side. Therefore you always need to pull the stick to the right which can get a bit annoying. Usually, a trim of around -7% is enough. But when carrying the 2x 250kg bombload, no negative trim is needed.

For dogfighting, it is always safer to enter with an altitude advantage. Most dogfights in sim happen below 3,000m so the Ki-61 can easily climb up to that altitude. As mentioned in the description, its climb rate is actually great, don't get misled by the stat card. Once at an advantageous height, boom & zoom the enemies. The Ki-61 can easily accelerate to more than 550 kph in a dive which is decently fast but requires more precise maneuvers to get the correct lead, since the faster you go the smaller the shooting window is. A successful pass will not usually cripple the enemy given you weak firepower, so multiple attacks are needed to destroy one plane. Aside from BnZ, the Ki-61 is also excellent at turn fighting - with the appropriate opponent, of course. Except a few dedicated turn fighters, the Ki-61 can out-turn and get on most opponents' tail with combat flaps deployed. Note: do not turn with Spitfires or Zeros, you will never out-turn them. If you see a plane with a streamlined inline engine and large, elliptical wings (Spitfire) or something with rounded wingtips and stablisers tips, a radial engine and a pointy tail (A6M), try some defensive maneuvers like barrel rolls or disengage by diving towards a nearby friendly airfield. Note that the Ki-61's roll rate is very average so avoid maneuvers like scissors.

When intercepting planes, it is crucial to know what the target is. If it is a bomber/attacker with decent defensive firepower, great turret coverage, or robust protection, then you might want to disengage after some attempts if you don't want to die. From the hard-hitting M2 Browning to the fast-firing MG 15, any gun can critically damage the Ki-61 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 it is better to aim for their wings and engines, as the fuselage usually soaks up quite some bullets. Only fire when the bomber 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. DO NOT follow behind a bomber's 6 unless you are sure that its tail gunners are unconscious. Chasing behind a bomber makes yourself pretty much stationary for the tail gunners, and you will be showered with bullets.

For ground pounding, the best loadout is the 2 x 250 kg bombs. With an extra 500 kg of weight attached outside, the Ki-61 handles much clumsier during take offs, especially on the roll axis. Longer distance is needed before lifting off. Dive at a shallow angle to approach the target, try to get as close as possible but avoid crashing into the ground. When the target fills up about 1/3 in the gunsight and the gunsight slices just above the target, drop the bombs and immediately pull up. The 4 MGs perform well in killing trucks, AA guns and artilleries as they have plenty of ammo. However, constantly watch your surrounding, especially your high 6 for any incoming enemies.

Enemies worth noting:

• Me 264: This giant is one of the few bombers who get air spawns in Sim, so it usually flies higher than you think. On top of this, the Me 264 is armed with large calibre MG and cannons all over it, therefore tailing a 264 is basically suicide unless all of their gunners are knocked out. You can treat the 264 almost like a B-29 or B-17 as they are very similar in both design and defensive capabilities. It is best to head-on the 264 if you can as you can easily knock out the pilots due to its glazed nose while also taking minimal damage. However the bomber lacks a ventral turret on its belly, making it easy to deal damage from below, but be weary of the downwards facing rear 20 mm cannon near the tail. The safest way to attack is from a higher altitude, dive at an oblique angle and focus fire on the wings and nose. Never engage if you have no altitude advantage.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Separate	Not ontrollable	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 12 mm
II		Compressor	Airframe
III	Wings repair	Engine		New 12 mm MGs
IV		Engine injection	Cover
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Generally performs well in all categories
• Outstanding climb rate
• A large amount of ammunition
• Some armour protection

Cons:

• Unreliable guns
• Locks up at high speeds
• No frontal armour
• Average roll rate which worsens as speed increases
• Cannot equip bombs
• 0.3 higher Battle Rating (Realistic Battle) than Chinese and Japanese version

History

In December 1943, the US Marine Corps landed at Cape Gloucester on the island of New Britain. After capturing the temporary Japanese airfield, the Marine Corps discovered a hidden Ki-61 Model 1Ko fighter (serial number 263) from the 68th Sentai produced in April 1943.

The aircraft had been abandoned by the Japanese due to a number of engine malfunctions which were not repairable in the field. The aircraft was meticulously inspected by officers of the US Army's Technical Intelligence and sent to Australia, where it was restored to airworthy condition and had USAAF markings applied to it. This is the aircraft we currently see in-game.

In-game description

"Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien Army Type 3 Model 1Ko (NATO reporting name: Tony) single-engine army fighter

An all-metal monoplane with an enclosed cockpit and a retractable landing gear system, including tail wheel. It was created by the design bureau of Kawasaki Company, under the direction of Takeo Doi.

The aircraft had as its power unit a German-licensed Daimler-Benz DB 601Aa twelve-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine manufactured by Kawasaki Company under the designation of Ha-40.

A Ki-61 prototype got off the ground for the first time in December 1941. Full-scale production started in the summer of 1942. The aircraft was accepted for service with the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force as the Type 3 Hien (""Swallow"") fighter in the spring of 1943. The Hien's combat deployment began in June 1943, on New Guinea.

The Ki-61 became one of few Japanese production planes equipped with liquid-cooled engines. The Hien stood out so much in its appearance and high flight characteristics among Japanese fighters of that period of the war that the Americans at first refused to identify it as a Japanese design.

After receiving the first reports about the new Japanese fighter with a liquid-cooled engine, the American intelligence service considered it a licensed replica of the German Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighter, so Mike was chosen as its NATO reporting name. However, after a more detailed study of pilot reports, intelligence analysts concluded that the new fighter was more similar to the Italian MC.202 Folgore. Thus, the Americans chose an Italian NATO reporting name, Tony, for the new Japanese fighter.

In December 1943, the US Marine Corps landed at Cape Gloucester on the island of New Britain. After capturing the temporary Japanese airfield, the Marine Corps discovered a hidden Ki-61 Model 1Ko fighter (serial number 263) from the 68th Sentai produced in April 1943.

The aircraft had been abandoned by the Japanese due to a number of engine malfunctions which were not repairable in the field. The aircraft was meticulously inspected by officers of the US Army's Technical Intelligence and sent to Australia, where it was restored to airworthy condition and had USAAF markings applied to it. Later, the Hien was thoroughly tested in the Technical Air Intelligence Center at NAS Anacostia.

It was noted in the report on the test results that the aircraft was exceptionally easy to pilot and that it behaved well practically in all modes of flight and during all manoeuvres, so it represented quite a formidable weapon in the hands of a sufficiently qualified pilot."

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

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

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on aircraft;
• other literature.