matchwood
Posts: 71
Joined: 9/9/2004 Status: offline
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Hi all, I see this issue is touched on in some other posts but I wanted to point out that I think the Frank has been penalised in manuver. The japanese were on the defensive in 45, but in terms of air superiority it was a combination of factors, not just aircraft stats. The game stats for allied fighters with high speed and manuver mean that I'm not seeing historical results when experienced IJA pilots in Ki-84a's meet allied fighters - its a turkey shoot with Japan losing. From historical accounts, Franks flying with good pilots from decent airfields were a good match for Allied fighters but from the game you wouldn't know it. "The Nakajima Type 4 Fighter, given the designation Ki.84 and the name Hayate (“Gale”) by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, was the most formidable Japanese fighter of the Second World War, possessing none of the shortcomings of previous IJAAF fighters. It was sturdy, well-armored, possessed of effective and powerful armament, and was later found to be capable of out-climbing and out-maneuvering both the P-51H Mustang and P-47N Thunderbolt, themselves the final line of development of its most formidable opponents. Known as the “Frank” to its Allied opponents, the airplane completely outperformed the F6F Hellcat and could give an F4U Corsair a run for its money. http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/axis/cleaver/cleaver3284.htm The FRANK later appeared in the battle for Okinawa, serving with the 101st, 102nd, and 103rd Hiko Sentais. Two new Sentais, the 111th and the 200th were activated with Hayates. The Hayates were used for long-range penetration missions, fighter sweeps, strafing, interception and dive-bombing missions with considerable success. The Ki-84 proved faster than the P-51D Mustang and the P-47D Thunderbolt at all but the highest altitudes. At medium altitudes, the FRANK was so fast that it was essentially immune from interception. The climb rate was exceptionally good, 16,400 feet being attained in 5 minutes 54 seconds, which was superior to that of any opposing Allied fighters. http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pettypi/elevon/baugher_other/ki-84.html Despite these problems the Hayate was essentially a superb fighter - a captured Ki-84-1a was to outclimb and outmanoeuvre a P-47 Thunderbolt, and a P-51. http://www.angelfire.com/fm/compass/Hayate.htm
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