Just a comment to post 154. No offense intended.
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To what question is that the reply?
I believe you have a point there !I know am biased but the Ki-61 really looks like it belongs in USAAF markings.
Clumsy attempt at a reverse engineered Mustang.I know am biased but the Ki-61 really looks like it belongs in USAAF markings.
Well it sure missed the mark ref the BF109. I think its Italian look resulted in its allied code name of Tony, although when first encountered in combat they were reported as Messerschmitts.Wasn't it supposed to be a clumsy attempt at a BF-109? Or was it supposed to be a clumsy attempt to copy an Italian plane?
Clumsy attempt at a reverse engineered Mustang.
That's correct. Design work on the Ki60, predecessor of the Ki61, began in late 1939, the P51A (Allison) Mustang in April, 1940. The P51A flew first, however, in October, 1940, while the (unsatisfactory) Ki60 got airborne in April, 1941, and design of the improved Ki61 began around the time of Pearl Harbor. The Ki61 saw combat first, however, as one of the flight test planes attempted to engage one of Doolittle's raiders on April 18, 1942. Actual combat introduction was in Jan 1943 in New Guinea, a full year ahead of the (Merlin) P51B in the ETO. RAF Allison Mustang 1s were making low level sweeps and photorecon missions over France and the low countries long before that. Their speed and range down in the weeds was a tremendous asset to the RAF, whose short range fighters had limited penetration radius over the continent.Might be the other way around. I have a vague recollection that the initial concept design predates the Mustang series.