Why is the ki-84 called Frank?

Why is the ki-84 called Frank?

“Gale”) is a single-seat fighter flown by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service in the last two years of World War II. The Allied reporting name was “Frank”; the Japanese Army designation was Army Type 4 Fighter (四式戦闘機, yon-shiki-sentō-ki). Nevertheless, a well-maintained Ki-84 was Japan’s fastest fighter.

What was the fastest Japanese fighter of World War II?

Nakajima Ki-84
Nakajima Ki-84 “Hayate” The Nakajima Ki-84, code-named Frank by the Allies or Hayate (Gale) to the Japanese, was the fastest single-engine fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II.

What was the most maneuverable WW2 fighter?

The most maneuverable fighter aircraft in WW2 was the most obsolete one – the biplane Fairey Swordfish, which was the plane that drowned more ships than any other plane. Very slow but could fly allmost at sea water level and her maneuverability saved her sometimes from AA guns of the attacked ships & enemy fighters .

How far could the zero travel with a single tank of fuel?

1,600 miles
With the extra fuel from a droppable tank carried on the belly, a Zero could fly over 1,600 miles, more than 300 miles farther than the F4F-4 carrying two drop tanks. As the war continued, weight increases due to armor and self-sealing fuel tanks reduced the Zero’s impressive flight range.

What plane got the most kills in ww2?

While serving in Germany’s Luftwaffe in World War II, Erich Hartmann flew more than 1,400 missions in the Messerschmitt Bf 109, enabling him to score an astonishing 352 kills.

What was the best German plane in ww2?

1. Messerschmitt Bf 109. By far the most successful German plane of the war, the Me 109 made up the plurality of German fighter planes throughout much of the war.

Why was the Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate so important?

Out of the many fine fighters available to the Japanese Army in the closing months of World War 2, none were of greater import than the arrival of the Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (meaning “gale” and known as “Frank” to the Allies.

How many Hayate fighters did Nakajima build?

In May of 1944, Nakajima opened up a second Hayate manufacturing line at its Utsonomiya plant. This facility had built 727 fighters by July of 1945, less than half the number scheduled during this period. Construction of the Hayate was also assigned to the Mansyu Hikoki Seizo K. K.

What kind of engine does a Hayate KI 84 have?

Derived from the Nakajima Homare engines common to many Japanese aircraft, the Hayate used the Homare 21 direct-injection version of the engine, using water injection to aid the supercharger in giving the Ki-84 a rated 1,491 kW (2,000 hp) at takeoff.

What is the history of the Ki-84?

Design of the Ki-84 commenced in early 1942 to meet an Imperial Japanese Army Air Service requirement for a replacement to Nakajima’s own, earlier Ki-43 fighter, then just entering service. The specification recognized the need to combine the maneuverability of the Ki-43 with performance to match the best western fighters, and heavy firepower.