Nakajima Ki-84

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Ki-84
Image:Ki-84.jpg
Type	Fighter
Manufacturer	Nakajima
Maiden flight	March 1943
Retired	1945, Japan
Primary user	Japanese Imperial Army
Number built	3,449

The Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (疾風, "Gale") was a single-seat fighter used by the Japanese Imperial Army in World War II. It was the last in Nakajima's line of classic fighters and considered one of the best-performing craft from any country. The Allied codename was "Frank"; the Army designation was "Type 4 Fighter" (四式戦闘機).

The Ki-84 first flew in March 1943. While the design was solid, a shortage of fuel and construction materials, poor production quality, and lack of skilled pilots kept it from reaching its potential. After the war a captured example was tested by the U.S. Army using high-octane fuel and achieved a speed of 690 km/h. A total of 3,449 were produced.

[edit] Ki-84 paint scheme

The Ki-84 basic colours are:

dark green - top and fuselage sides, upper surfaces of main wings and horizontal stabilizer
light grey or sky blue - lower surfaces
orange yellow - identification colour on the inside half of the wings

Toward the end of war, some planes had dark green painting "Special Attack Painting" and some had no overall painting with silver duraluminiun metallic surface exposed except on the top of nose which was painted black to reduce reflection from the sun.

It was general rule that Japanese planes in overseas territories should have a narrow white line called the "border break through line" or "field identification mark" Planes belonging to interception forces in Japan proper had a white line or square so that ground Air defense units could distinguish them from enemy planes.

The inside of the fuselage and the wheel cover wells were painted in transparent blue preservative (some say these dark opaque bluish grey also) directly on the duraluminium metal. The propeller spinner was paint with any different colours depending of your units were belonged the aircraft.

After World War II it was used by the Chinese Communist Air Force until the 1950s.

[edit] Versions

Ki-84 (prototype)
Ki-84 (evaluation model)
Ki-84 (pre-production model)
Ki-84 Ia Hayate fighter Type 4 of Army (Mark Ia)
Ki-84 Ib (Mark Ib) -four cannons Ho-5 of 20 mm
Ki-84 Ic (Mark Ic) -Version against Bombers, with two cannons Ho-5 of 20 mm and Ho-105 of 30 mm in wings
Ki-84 Ia (Manshu Type) -Manufactured in Manchukuo for Mansyu by Nakajima License.
Ki-84 II (Army designation Ki-84 Ia, Ib, Ic) -similar to models mentioned above
Ki-84 N/P/R -high altitude versions
Ki-106 -Prototypes in total wood construction
Ki-113 -Prototype similar at Ki-84 Ib in Steel
Ki-116 -evaluation model, equipped with Mitsubishi 62(Ha-33), 1,500 hp (1,120 kW)
Ki-117 -Redesigning of Ki-84 N.

[edit] Specifications (Ki-84-Ia)

General characteristics<h3>
Crew: One
Length: 9.93 m (32 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 11.23 m (36 ft 10 in)
Height: 3.38 m (11 ft 1 in)
Wing area: 21 m² (226 ft²)
Empty weight: 2,665 kg (5,875 lb)
Loaded weight: 3,616 kg (7,972 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 3,898 kg (8,594 lb)
Powerplant: 1× Nakajima Ha-45-21 18-cylinder radial engine, 1,485 kW (1,990 hp)
<h3>Performance<h3>
Never exceed speed: 800 km/h (496 mph)
Maximum speed: 627 km/h (392 mph)
Range: 2,155 km (1,339 miles)
Service ceiling: 10,500 m (34,450 ft)
Rate of climb: 19.25 m/s (3,790 ft/min)
Wing loading: 172 kg/m² (35 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 0.41 kW/kg (0.25 hp/lb)
<h3>Armament<h3>
2x 12.7 mm Type 1 machine guns in fuselage
2x 20 mm Ho-5 cannon in wings
2x 250 kg (550 lb) bombs

The Ho-5 cannon in the wings had 150 rpg. Projectiles weighed 112 g AP, and 79 g HE (HE=12%). The 20X94 cartridge had muzzle velocity of 820 m/s formerly, but was reduced to 700 m/s for AP and 730 m/s for HE due to alloy shortages in the guns. It still had a range of 900 m. Rate of fire was 850 rpm each.

The twin Type 1 (Ho-103) 12.7 mm machine guns were based on a Browning design and therefore if it lost perhaps 27% of its 900 rpm firing rate each when synchronized with the prop, it would be 657 rpm. Each carried 350 rounds of ammo in the cowl. The AP bullets were 35.4 g and the HE were 33 g (HE=2.3%) - Italian, together with 38 g HE - Japanese made. The 12.7x81 cartridge gave a muzzle velocity of 760 m/s for the AP, and 770-796 m/s for the HE and an effective firing range of 750 m. It was an unreliable gun earlier in the war.

Sensitive rudder made it a poor gun platform at first.

[edit] Production

Total production: 3,514 examples
- 3,288 by Nakajima
- 94 by Mansyu

[edit] Sources

Review AIRVIEW
Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate 1/48 Scale Model Aircraft, KIT NO 6413 (Instruction paper); TAMIYA MOKEI PLASTIC MODEL CO.50-1,OSHIKA, SHIZUOKA-CITY, JAPAN