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Wild_Bill_Kelso
Senior Master Sergeant
- 3,231
- Mar 18, 2022
The Difference is that while the RE. Falco II went into combat over Malta in May of 1942 in admittedly small numbers, the 'production' Ki-44s were in Japan and were not used on combat operations. Yes there were a group Ki-44-Is that saw action in China/Malaya but that was 9/11 preproduction aircraft on combat user trials. Accounts say 9 with 2 prototypes brought up to the newer standard. No planes were produced in Sept through Dec while the "trials" were carried out and then a batch of 40 aircraft were ordered while work went forward on the Ki-44 II with the new 2 speed engine. After the Doolittle raid the Ki-44 unit was called back to Japan for home defense and there it and the the new units stayed for most of 1942. the last Ki-44 I left the production line in Oct 1942.
This is one of the aspects of the Pacific war that differs from Europe. It often took weeks (or months for the British and Americans) to deploy new types of aircraft (or other equipment) into combat areas. In Europe they still needed to train crews on new types but it was only one or two tanks of fuel to get a new airplane (or new unit) from the factory or training area to combat zone. The Ki-44 II was used in China in one Sentai and then two Sentai were converted during 1943 to defend the oil refineries in Sumatra. They just were not a factor in 1942.
Ok fair enough, Ki -44 is only in China in 1942.
It might be, it is just that the speed and climb to 5,000 meters were so close.Roll rate and turning circle and other things can affect combat, however nobody has ever claimed the MC. 200 was not maneuverable.
And for all but the last month or so of 1942 the Ki-43 I was the version being used with just a few Ki-43 IIs trickling in.
Ki-43-I still seemed to be pretty dang effective...
And now we are also having to consider the opposition. Like pilot quality/training/experience. The MC. 200 was close to the Hurricane I in performance and is supposed to have been able to able to out maneuver, out climb and out climb the Hurricane although perhaps by not as much as the Ki 43?
Well, yeah that's where we have a problem. There is no Ceylon raid or Singapore type battles for the MC 200 vs. the Hurricane. They did fight a lot, but the Hurricane pilots actually came out on top most of the time, very much in contrast to how they did against Ki-43 or A6M. I think we should really look at this. If you honestly think the MC. 200 compares, is even close to a Ki-43, I think you are missing something. Or who knows, maybe I am. I'd like to break it open and look. I'll start a thread.
Both planes used the ammo in the guns, you could actually fire the Italian ammo in the Japanese guns. Both guns did not synchronize well. But the Italian aircraft carried 370rpg instead of 250rpg.
Edit. They built over 5 times as many Ki-43s as they did MC.200s so just in sheer numbers the MC. 200 wasn't going to have as much impact. Because of the shortage of engines for the MC. 202s production of the MC. 200 continued for a while simultaneously so it's span of time in combat is also from the summer of 1940 through the summer/fall of 1943. A long time to spread 1150 aircraft over.
I think if you look at MC.200 in combat, say roughly even odds of MC.200 vs. Hurricane, Tomahawk or Kittyhawk (which happened several times in North Africa), you'll see a definite pattern. MC.200 are not winning most of these engagements.
Ki-43 on the other hand, especially against the Hurricane, are almost always winning. By steep margins.