Kawasaki Ki-61 - fotod ja videod

2007 Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (jaapani keeles 飛燕, 'lendav pääsukes') on Jaapani Teise maailmasõja hävituslennuk, mida kasutab Jaapani armee õhuteenistus. Jaapani armee nimetus oli "Army Type 3 Fighter" (三式戦闘機). Liitlaste luure uskus esialgu, et Ki-61-d olid Messerschmitt Bf 109-d ja hiljem Itaalia Macchi C.202, mis viis liitlaste aruandlusnimeni "Tony", mille määras Ameerika Ühendriikide sõjaministeerium. See oli ainus massiliselt toodetud Jaapani sõjavõitleja, kes kasutas vedelikjahutusega inline V mootorit. Toodeti üle 3000 Ki-61. Esialgsed prototüübid nägid Yokohama kohal tegevust Doolittle'i reidi ajal 18. aprillil 1942 ja jätkasid lahingumissioonide lendamist kogu sõja vältel.

Allikas: Kawasaki Ki-61 vikis

The Kawasaki Ki-61 was a Japanese fighter aircraft that served in World War II. It was the only Japanese fighter to use a liquid-cooled inline engine, which was a licensed copy of the German Daimler-Benz DB 601. The Ki-61 was designed by Takeo Doi and Shin Owada, who were inspired by the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the Heinkel He 100. The Ki-61 had a sleek and streamlined fuselage, with a semi-monocoque structure and a supercharger air intake on the left side. The Ki-61 was armed with four 12.7 mm Ho-103 machine guns or two machine guns and two 20 mm Mauser MG 151 cannons. It could also carry two 250 kg bombs externally.
The Ki-61 was nicknamed “Hien” (flying swallow) by the Japanese and “Tony” by the Allies, who initially mistook it for an Italian Macchi C.202. The Ki-61 was a versatile and agile fighter that performed well at low to medium altitudes. It was used mainly for air superiority missions, but also for interception, escort, ground attack and kamikaze roles. The Ki-61 was produced in several variants, with over 3,000 units built. It saw action in various fronts, such as China, Burma, New Guinea and Japan. It was one of the most successful and widely used Japanese fighters of the war.