ArmaHobby AR70066 1/72 Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate - 'Aces'

The Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate ( Japanese windstorm ) is a Japanese single-engine single-seat fighter with a half-shell, all-metal structure in a low wing structure. The prototype flight took place in April 1943, and from 1944 the machine entered the line. The Ki-84 was the most important Japanese fighter at the end of the war, with excellent flight characteristics, top speed and maneuverability. He was able to engage in an equal fight with the Allied machines without any problems. Also, unlike the much better known Zero, it had good armor, strong shooting weapons and self-sealing fuel tanks, which made it a very dangerous opponent. The main mass-produced version is the Ki-84-I with several versions, powered by a Nakajima Ha-45 engine of various models, the most widely used of which was the 23 (1900HP). Ki-84 of this series served min. in China, Okinawa, and defended the Japanese islands against Allied air strikes. It is worth noting that in the declining period of the war efforts were made to replace scarce aluminum with wood or steel, but such versions of the Ki-84 were never produced on a large scale. All versions of the Ki-84 were produced 3,514 copies. Technical data: length: 9.93m, wingspan: 11.23m, height: 3.38m, maximum speed: 687km / h, rate of climb: 19.3m / s, maximum range: 2150km, maximum ceiling 10500m, armament: permanent -2 12.7mm Ho-103 machine guns and 2 20mm Ho-5 cannons, suspended - up to 500 kg of bombs.

The Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate ( "Strong Wind" ) was the most advanced mass-produced fighter of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. It combined high speed, excellent maneuverability, powerful armament, and excellent performance at low and medium altitudes. When it arrived on the front lines in the autumn of 1944, it was one of the few Japanese aircraft capable of effectively engaging the latest American fighters.

Despite Japan's steadily deteriorating situation, many Hayate pilots achieved impressive combat results.

Paint Schemes
Ki-84 Ko Hayate – 1st Chutai, 50th Sentai
Yojiro Ofusa – 19 victories
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, then French Indochina, April 1945.

The aircraft of one of the most effective pilots of the 50th Sentai. A distinctive element of the markings is a striking red and white flash running along the rear fuselage and tailplane.

Ki-84 Ko Hayate – 2nd Chutai, 85th Sentai
Major Yukiyoshi Wakamatsu – 18 or more victories
Guangzhou, China, December 1944.

The aircraft of the commander of the 85th Sentai, one of the leading pilots to fly the Hayate. The aircraft is distinguished by wide red stripes on the fuselage and stabilizer, and the distinctive "若" marking on the vertical tail.