Description

Description

In December 1937, the same month that the Nakajima Ki-27 fighter was officially adopted, the Army instructed Nakajima alone to prototype the next-generation fighter aircraft (Ki-43).

The first prototype was completed in December of the following year. Test flights revealed that while its maximum speed was about 30 km/h faster than the Type 97 fighter, its maneuverability was inferior, making it unsuitable as the next-generation fighter aircraft.

Subsequently, various modifications were made , including changes to the wing area and engine replacements , and by September 1940, 13 aircraft (3 prototypes and 10 additional prototypes) were completed. However, they could not convince the military, which was obsessed with dogfighting.

However, at that time, the General Staff believed that a long-range fighter aircraft was necessary to support the convoys in the invasion of Singapore . The Ki-43, which was on the verge of being deemed unsuitable , found a way to serve as a long-range fighter.

In April 1941, a modified version was tested and achieved the required range. Furthermore,
its superior vertical dogfighting capabilities led to its official adoption as the Type 1 Fighter in May 1941. Between June and August of that year, approximately 30 Type I aircraft were received by the 59th Air Regiment. The Hayabusa Type I was primarily deployed in the Burma region
and greatly contributed to the rapid advances in the early stages of the war.

The Type 1 Fighter Model II featured a modified engine (Ha-115), a refined airframe design, and improved performance in various aspects. When the Model II was deployed in combat, it performed well against aircraft such as the Buffalo, Hurricane, and P-40, but struggled against later aircraft like the Spitfire and P-38. However, it was the easiest to handle among the Army's fighter planes at the time and had a high operational rate, so mass production continued until the end of the war.

Specifications