Out of the many fine fighters available to the Japanese Army in the closing months of World War 2, none were of greater import than the arrival of the Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (meaning "gale" and known as "Frank" to the Allies. The single engine fighter was a respected performer capable matching up against the Allied North American Mustangs while fielding enough firepower to take down the high-flying and well-defended Boeing B-29 Superfortresses. Though Japan had developed various capable platforms towards the end of the war, the Ki-84 Hayate was really one of the only designs to ever see production quantities of note, for some 3,500 examples were produced up until the final days of the war - this production covering just about a year and a half.
Like all late-stage Japanese fighter designs, the Hayate was designed with superior views from the cockpit, a powerful and proven engine, slender and aerodynamic fuselage and armament consisting of a mix of machine gun and cannon. The heart of the system was a Nakajima-brand Ha-45 type radial piston engine capable of delivering some 1,800 horsepower. The engine allowed for a top speed of nearly 400 miles per hour, a service ceiling of close to 35,000 feet and an operational range of just over 1,000 miles. Additionally, the airframe and powerplant proved the Ki-84 to be quite maneuverable in a dogfight even when sparring against the best American counterparts. Base armament of early models included a 2 x 12.7mm machine gun array in the upper forward fuselage part of the nose and 2 x 20mm cannons buried in the wings. Later models - in particular the Ki-84-III "bomber destroyer" - would sport an even more impressive 2 x 20mm cannon setup in the fuselage nose and 2 x 30mm cannons in the wings. Bombs could also be carried under wing and would be of the 551lb variety.
Ultimately, the avoidance of the Allied bombing campaign became impossible and as such, production and resources were in short supply. The number of Hayates in service performed admirably yet those in service were in such constant use that the series suffered reliability issues as a whole. Despite this, the Nakajima Ki-84 was of a stellar design and, given more in the way of numbers and time, might have made more of an impact in defense of Japan. The Ki-84 was in service until the last few days of the conflict.
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.
Length
32.5 ft (9.92 m)
Width/Span
36.9 ft (11.24 m)
Height
11.1 ft (3.39 m)
Empty Wgt
5,864 lb (2,660 kg)
MTOW
8,576 lb (3,890 kg)
Wgt Diff
+2,712 lb (+1,230 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the Nakajima Ki-84-Ia Hayate (Frank) production variant)
STANDARD:
2 x 12.7mm Ho-103 machine guns in fuselage nose
2 x 20mm Ho-5 cannons in wings
OPTIONAL:
2 x 551lb bombs under wings
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 2
Ki-84-I - Base Series Designation
Ki-84-Ia - Fitted with Nakajima Ha-45 radial piston engine of 1,800hp; 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in nose and 2 x 20mm cannons in wings.
Ki-84-Ib
Ki-84-Ic - Converted Dedicated "Bomber Destroyer" Variant; fitted with 2 x 20mm nose cannon (in place of the standard 12.7mm machine guns) and 2 x 30mm wing cannons.
Ki-84-II
Ki-116 - Final Production Series Model; based on the Ki-84-Ia model.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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