Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate

A plastic model of the Japanese Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate single-seat fighter plane made in 1:32 scale. The model was built from the Hasegawa kit.

Hayate (Eng: Gale) was one of the best multi-role fighter planes involved in the Second World War. It exceeded American machines in climb speed and was therefore difficult to intercept. Besides, it was very maneuverable and well armored. The armored glass in the front of the cabin was 70 mm (2¾ in) thick, and 13 mm (½ in) armor plates covered the cockpit from the bottom and rear. Another advantage of the Hayate was its ability to bomb from a dive flight.

Tests of the fighter planes took place in the second half of 1943, and serial production began in April 1944. The exhaust system was changed in the series-produced planes. Now each cylinder had an individual exhaust directed to the rear. This gave additional recoil force, which increased the maximum speed by 15 km/h (9.3 mph).

The plane was armed with two 12.7 mm (½ in) rifles firing through a propeller and two 20 mm (0.79 in) cannons in the wings. Each rifle had 250 rounds of ammunition and the gun 150. In some versions, rifles were replaced with guns. Two bombs, each weighing 250 kg (551 lb), or two 200-liter (UK - 44 gal, USA - 52.8 gal) fuel tanks could be hung under the wings.

Production ran until September 1945. Due to the lack of aluminum, some of the structural elements were replaced with wood. Such machines were designated Ki-84-II Hayate Kai. In total, around 3,500 Hayate aircraft were produced along with the prototypes.

Specifications:

• Length: 9.93 m (32.58 ft),
• Wingspan: 11.23 m (36.84 ft),
• Height: 3.38 m (11.09 ft),
• Wing area: 21 m² (226 ft²),
• Empty weight: 2665 kg (5875 lb),
• Takeoff weight: 3898 kg (8594 lb),
• Powerplant: 18-cylinder two-row radial engine,
• Engine power depending on the model: 1800-1900 HP (1324 kW-1397 kW),
• Service ceiling: 10,500 m (34,450 ft),
• Range: 2155 km (1339 mi),
• Max speed: 630 km/h (1014 mph),
• Rate of climb: 833 m/min (2733 fpm).

Sources:

• https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakajima_Ki-84

12 Dec 2015