the French used them basically because they were available. They mostly flew recon/liason in Indochina. Some mechanics got recruited to help maintain them. These mechanics and former Ki-43 pilots in the area were apparently amused by France's struggle with the unfamiliar plane.
Decided to try to finish another model I started a year ago. I had gotten discouraged by lack of reference photos and information to accurately build the cockpit layout of the Ki-43-ii otsu that this kit represents. There is only one known photo of the Ki-43-ii cockpit and the layout differed...
One thing that has always puzzled me is why no wing guns were ever mounted on the Ki-43. It's not like the IJAAF didn't know how - both the Ki-44 and Ki-61 had wing armament from the beginning and they were in production within a year to a year and a half of the Ki-43 going into service. I...
This is my latest piece: Japanese Army Ki-43 II "Oscar" of the 54th Sentai / 2nd Chutai, Kurile Islands - August 1945.
It's displayed in a new standardized display - which I hope is appealing, w/ the aircraft 'fragment' plopped in the triangular area.
It's sort of a package; these...