Japan Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Oscar) 日本陸軍一式戦闘機隼

To see more photos of this aircraft please visit: http://www.modelloursworkshop.com/2012/02/japan-nakajima-ki-43-hayabusa-oscar.html http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.189806857791962.33616.121691467936835&type=3 Tanksboy Hobby Land オオタキ 大滝製作所模型 - OTAKI Scale Model The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (隼, "Peregrine Falcon") was a single-engine land-based tactical fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II. The army designation was "Army Type 1 Fighter" (一式戦闘機); the Allied reporting name was "Oscar", but it was often called the "Army Zero" by American pilots for its resemblance to the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, which was flown by the Japanese Navy. Like the Zero A6M, the radial-engined Ki-43 was light and easy to fly, and became legendary for its combat performance in East Asia in the early years of the war. It could outmaneuver any opponent, but did not have armor or self-sealing tanks, and its armament was poor until the last version, which was produced as late as 1944.[3] Allied pilots often reported that the nimble Ki-43s were difficult targets, but burned easily or broke apart with few hits In spite of its drawbacks, the Ki-43 shot down more Allied aircraft than any other Japanese fighter and almost all the JAAF'S aces achieved most of their kills in it Total production amounted to 5,919 aircrafts Many of these were used during the last months of the war for kamikaze missions against the American fleet 日本陸軍第二次世界大戰中最重要的戰鬥機。雖然一般來說它是30年代開放式座艙、固定起落架輕型戰鬥機到40年代封閉座艙、可收放起落架重型戰鬥機之間的過渡機型，但卻從太平洋戰爭開始到1945年8月一直生產。在戰爭第一年中，該機比敵方的戰鬥機性能要優越得多，許多日本陸軍的王牌飛行員都使用該機。由於該機和著名的"零"式戰鬥機外形相似，經常被誤認為是"零"式。 1943年9月，美軍在新幾內亞的萊城的原日軍機場上發現了幾架因事故、戰傷而廢棄的Ki-43，立即進行了修復，並和美國戰鬥機進行模擬空戰。《隼》對操縱的靈敏反應和良好的低空、低速性能給美軍試飛員深刻的印象，得出不能和《隼》在低空、低速的條件下纏鬥，否則無異自殺的結論；也發現《隼》裝甲薄弱，在空中被擊中後容易解體的和平飛速度不及盟軍飛機的弱點。最終認為《隼》不及P-38閃電、P-47雷電、噴火、甚至P-40的後期型號。