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| Best of all Japanese fighters available
in quantity during the last year of the
war, the Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (gale)
not only possessed a reasonable performance
but (unusual among
Japanese aircraft) carried a powerful
armament capable of knocking down
the heavily armed and armoured
American bombers. Not flown in prototype
form until April 1943, the Ki-84
met with immediate approval by
Japanese army air force pilots, but was
subjected to lengthy service trials
which undoubtedly delayed its introduction
to combat operations. Production
got under way at Nakajima's Ota
plant in April 1944, pre-production aircraft
having equipped the 22nd Sentai
in China the previous month. Immediately
afterwards 10 sentais of the
Ki-84-I, codenamed 'Frank' by the
Allies, were deployed in the Philippines
to confront the advancing American
forces. In an effort to accelerate
production of the excellent new
fighter, Nakajima opened up a new
line at its Otsonomiya plant, and as
Boeing B-29 raids began to take their
toll of Japanese cities a new 'bomber
destroyer', the Ki-84-Ic, was produced
with an armament of two nosemounted
20mm cannon and two wing-mounted
30mm cannon. Some measure
of the importance attached to the
Ki-84 may be judged by the fact that in
the last 17 months of war 3,382 aircraft
were completed, this despite the
tremendous havoc wrought by the B-
29 raids and the fact that, owing to such
damage at Musashi, Nakajima's engine
plant had to be transferred elsewhere.
| MODEL | Ki-84 |
| CREW | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 x Nakajima Ha-45, 1416kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 3890 kg | 8576 lb |
| Empty weight | 2660 kg | 5864 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 11.24 m | 37 ft 11 in |
| Length | 9.92 m | 33 ft 7 in |
| Height | 3.39 m | 11 ft 1 in |
| Wing area | 21 m2 | 226.04 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 631 km/h | 392 mph |
| Ceiling | 10500 m | 34450 ft |
| Range w/max.fuel | 2168 km | 1347 miles |
| ARMAMENT | 2 x 20mm cannons, 2 x 12.7mm machine-guns, 2 x 250-kg bombs |
 | A three-view drawing (752 x 1111) |
| Aaron, e-mail, 19.09.2010 17:46 In a confidential report listing titled COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE AND CHARACTERISTICS REPRESENTITIVE ENEMY AND ALLIED AIRCRAFT the FRANK 1, Nakajima is listed as follows:
Engine: Nakajima Ha.45: 1970hp /S.L. 1695hp /21,000ft. Armament: 4x20mm. Range: 1795mls /156mph /359gallons of fuel.
Performance at the test weight of 7940lbs.: Climb: 3780fpm /S.L. 3290fpm /21,000ft. 10,000ft /2.7min. 20,000ft /5.8min. Service Ceiling: 39,000ft. Maximum Speed: 348mph /S.L. 422mph /21,000ft.
Due to all the problems it encountered in production, but taking into account the ingenuity of some chief mechanics in the field, IMHO it was likely the Ki.84 the Allied pilot would meet in combat would be capable of 325-350mph /S.L. and 384-425mph /20,000ft. Just an opinion though. I have read that the performance of the Ki.84 varied greatly in the field durring 1945. reply | | Aaron, e-mail, 17.09.2010 07:42 The Ki.84 is the most contraversal Japanese fighter to evolve from WW2. It definitely had the potential to be a world beating contender if it hadn't been for its constant failure of exhaust stacks due to poor materials, inefficient welding and problems with the hydraulics.
According to Wright Field Report No. F-1IM-1119B-ND released in January 1947, a Ki.84-1 with the Ha.45 Model 21 engine, Serial No. 302, performance was found to be as follows: Speed: 350mph /S.L. 389 /10,000ft. 412 /20,000ft. 426 /23,000ft. 400 /30,000ft. 370 /35,000ft. This was listed under Normal Fighter, Military Power.
Climb Normal Fighter: 3790fpm /S.L. and 3195fpm /20,900ft under Military Power. 3615fpm /17,900ft under W.E.P. Service Ceiling: 38,800ft. No test weight or engine power settings given.
On another official PERFORMANCE AND CHARACTORISTIC sheet 156A-2 the following performance is listed: Engine at T.O. and WEP: 1970hp /S.L. 2040hp /3000ft. 1850hp /17,900ft. The following performance is at 7,940lbs.: Speed: 369mph /S.L.
427mph /20,000ft. Climb: 4275fpm /S.L. 3615fpm /17,900ft. Maximum Range: 1,815mls /173mph /1500ft. /359gallons of fuel.
These test figures are under ideal situations and using USA high grade fuel. However, quoting Richard Dunn:
" I have a copy of a translation of a captured document of unknown reliability which indicates two maximum speeds for the Ki.84-1 (light) and Ki.84-1 (improved versions). The two speeds apparently relate to the Ha 45 rating of 2000hp at 4,020ft and 1800hp. at 19,680ft: Ki.84-1 (light): 412mph and 430mph respectively. Ki.84-1 (improved): 409mph and 427mph respectively. The light version is listed at 7885lbs. and the improved is listed at 8507lbs. reply | | Ron, e-mail, 01.08.2010 02:17 It's interesting to read the first impression that U.S. pilots had of the Ki 84 'Frank'. That powerful long nose with 4 props, overhauling them to point-blank range like a thoroughbred! No toothless Oscar here. Unmistakably a Nakajima though. Survivors of those first encounters doubtless had their share of clean underwear changes afterward. It's no wonder the svelte 2,000 hp Hayate became the biggest worry to Allied airmen fighting Japan. Some later packed 30-mm cannon to compliment their 20-mm guns. At a fighting weight under 8,000 lbs, it was the most feared fighter, pound for pound. At the same time, it was long legged and tough by Japanese standards. The fastest they had and tight-turning too. Superlative design all-around, potentially. reply | | GARY, e-mail, 07.05.2010 17:56 THE A6M "ZERO" WAS JAPAN'S BESTT KNOWN MILITARY AIRCRAFT,AND FLEW WELL FOR MOST OF WW2,BUT,THE KI-84 "FRANK" WAS A MUCH BETTER AIRCRAFT THAN THE "ZERO".THE JAPANESE PILOTS WHO FLEW THE KI-84 GAVE OUR B-29 CREWS FLYING OVER TOKYO,JAPAN A SLIGHT SCARE,A SLIGHT SCARE BUT A SCARE,NEVER THE LESS. reply | |
| | jeddizon, e-mail, 03.03.2010 16:45 Dam good plane!The frank was left at Clarkfield in the Philippines in 1945, where I live nearby and was captured,tested by the Technical Air Intelligence Unit.Brought to the USA where it endedup with collector Ed Maloney. reply | | paul scott, e-mail, 10.09.2009 23:37 Nice little Japanese fighter. The Japanese turned out some good ones, probably ironically too many to mention, but as good as the allied fighters nonetheless - pilots weren't wonderful against the USA's ones they mostly encountered. reply | | Frank Hitoshi, 07.02.2009 19:40 Everybody know the sad story of the Hayate of this photo?
After testing by US air force, the Hayate was owned by one collector. After that, the owner presented it to FUJI HEAVY INDUSTRY which used to be 'NAKAJIMA AIR PLANE". That time, the Hayate was full flying condition. However, one day FUJI H.I. gave up to maintain it and sold the Hayate to one museum. It was the start of this sad story. The new owner set it outside where rain came. The Hayate had become not to fly by being exhibited under this condition. After that, the new owner sold the Hayate to next owner. Then, the main bone of legs was cut for moving it to new museum. It means that the plane become the never flying. The sad Hayate has been exhibiting in Chiran museum in Kagoshima Japan now.
www.d1.dion.ne.jp /~r_dom /haya_index.htm reply | | Dora09, e-mail, 09.01.2009 22:41 Agreed! I've always loved Nakajima fighters the best, in particular love Nakajima's wing design from ki27 to ki84. It is a thing of beauty really. The wing on the ki43 is one of the most attractive designs in aircraft history... IMO. reply | | Mick Dunne, e-mail, 23.11.2008 07:54 I agree with you Mike...the Japanese A /C designers were as good as any in the world! The Ki48 was a gem...great engine too (2,000hp out of a short stroke engine only slightly bigger than the Nakajima Sakae!!!) Only let down by dismal production standards at the 'wrong' end of the war! reply | | Mike Kaier, e-mail, 18.09.2008 16:28 It's fascinating to see information about late-war Japanese aircraft; with all the setbacks they had during the war, as late as 1944 they were building competative aircraft like the KI-84; the Germans really had nothing on the Japanese. reply | | Ronald, e-mail, 18.09.2008 07:40 Ever since the Frank and Mustang first met in China the dogfights that ensued were reputed to be among the most ferocious of WW2!
The Ki 84 potentially had everything a balanced air superiority fighter needed except reliability. It was fast, far ranging, light on it's feet, fast climbing, armored and hard hitting, and in strong numbers. Only lacking high altitude performance to the degree of the USAAF or RAF. However it had the agility to turn inside all of them. It's like a Bf 109K or Yak-3 but with long range. Terminal dive was good at 495 mph. Initial climb was in the 4,000ft /min class and level speed was better than any mass produced fighter from Japan at 427 mph (with high octane fuel). But as the war was ending, factory quality was fading - even muzzle velocity of it's fast (850 rpm unsynchronized!) world beating 20mm cannons decreased. reply | | Mick Dunne, e-mail, 29.12.2007 05:35 Yes! Rebuilt by Bud Mahurin in the USA and restored to full flying condition, it was 'repatriated' to Japan and is owned by a collector there who maintains it as a 'flyer'. Incidentally, this same aircraft, when filled up with some decent fuel and the engine 'plumbing' attended to, the plane reached 420 mph and easily outperformed the P51 and P47 in in climb and maneuverability! Imagine what the little sucker could have done with a decent propellor! reply | | simon, e-mail, 28.09.2007 23:03 are there any original aircraft of this type left today? reply |
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