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"Peregrine Falcon"
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Type: Single-seat interceptor and (IIa onwards) fighter-bomber Origin: Nakajima Allied Code Name: Oscar First Flight: January 1939 Service Delivery: March 1941 Final Delivery: N/A Number Produced: 5,751 Powerplant: Ki-43 I: Model: Nakajima Ha-25 Sakae Type: 14-Cyl. Twin-Row Radial Number: One Horsepower: 975 hp Ki-43 II: Model: Nakajima Ha-115 Sakae Type: 14-Cyl. Twin-Row Radial Number: One Horsepower: 1,105 hp Ki-43 III: Model: Nakajima Ha-112 Kasei Type: 14-Cyl. Twin-Row Radial Number: One Horsepower: 1,250 hp Fuel: Capacity: N/A Type: N/A Dimensions: Wing span (Ki-43 I): 37 ft. 10½ in. Wing span (Ki-43 IIa): 37 ft. 6¼ in. (11.437m) Wing span (Ki-43 IIb): 35 ft. 6¾ in. (10.83m) Length (Ki-43 I): 28 ft. 11¾ in. (8.82m) Length (Ki-43 II, III): 29 ft. 3¼ in. (8.92m) Height: 10 ft. 8¾ in. (3.273m) Wing Area (Ki-43 IIb): 230.36 sq. ft. (21.40m²) Weights: Empty (Ki 44 I): 4,354 lbs. (1975 kg) Loaded (Ki 44 I): 5,824 lbs. (2642 kg) Loaded (Ki 44 II): 5,825 lbs. (2655 kg) Loaded (Ki 44 III): 6,283 lbs. (2850 kg) |
Performance: Maximum Speed (Ki 43 I): 308 mph Maximum Speed (Ki 43 II): 320 mph (515 km/h) Maximum Speed (Ki 43 III): 363 mph (585 km/h) Initial climb (Ki 43 II): 3,250 ft./min (990 m/min) Service Ceiling (Ki 43 I): 38,500 ft. Service Ceiling (Ki 43 II, III): 36,800 ft. (11,215 m) Range (I): 746 Miles (1200 km) Range, Internal Fuel (II, III): 1,060 Miles (1700 km) Range, 2-45 gal. Drop Tanks (II, III): 1,864 Miles (3000 km) Armament: Ki 43 Ia: Two 7.7mm Type 80 above engines Ki 43 Ib: One 12.7mm machine gun above engine One 7.7mm machine gun above engine Ki 43 Ic: Two 12.7mm machine guns above engine Ki 43 II: Two 12.7mm machine guns above engine Ammunition: 250 rounds per gun Ki 43 IIIa: Two 12.7mm machine guns above engine Ammunition: 250 rounds per gun Ki 43 IIIb: Two 20mm Ho-5 cannon above engine Bomb Load: Ki 44 II & III series: Wing racks for two 551 lb (250 kg) bombs |
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Comments: The Ki-43 was the single most numerous fighter operated by the Imperial Japanese Army. Comparable to the A6M Zero-Sen, the Ki-43 was highly manueverable but fragile and tended to disintegrate when hit by .50 rounds. Later versions had some armor and self-sealing fuel tanks but all models suffered from a lightweight armament (though the IIIb tried to rectify this). The Ki-43 was popular with pilots and was the mount of a majority of the Japanese army aces. Unfortunately it was kept in production long after it was obsolete. |
Sources:
The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft
, 1997, Barnes & Nobles Books, ISBN: 0 7607 0592 5WARBIRDS RESOURCE GROUP > IJARC > FIGHTERS > PREVIOUS PAGE