What is a Ki-61?
The Ki-61 was designed by Takeo Doi and his deputy Shin Owada in response to a late 1939 tender by the Koku Hombu for two fighters, each to be built around the Daimler-Benz DB 601Aa. Production aircraft would use a Kawasaki licensed DB 601, known as the Ha-40, which was to be manufactured at its Akashi plant.
What kind of plane is Tony the Ki-61?
Front veiw of an Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Allied code name “Tony”) with a camouflage paint scheme at an unidentified airfield. Kawasaki Ki-61 (Hien) in Kakamigahara Aerospace Science Museum.
What happened to the Ki-61 Hien?
April 1945 for air defense over Palembang in cooperation with 7th Sentai (Flight Drilling Unit).Disbanded two weeks before end of war at Palembang on 1 Aug. 1945″ Source: “Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien in Japanese Army Air Force service” by Richard M. Bueschel Are you agree? You can find some additional artwork about this unit at this webpage:
How many Ki-61s were used in WW2?
Ki-61s were also used in kamikaze missions launched toward the end of the war. In 1945, the Ki-61s were finally retired, with 12 variants and over 3,000 units produced. A captured Japanese Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien fighter (Allied code name “Tony”) at Clark Field, Luzon (Philippines), in 1945.
Is this a Ki-61 with 18 as tail unit emblem?
In this webpage appears a nice artwork of a Ki-61 with a stylized 18 as tail unit emblem that puzzle me. “Ki-61-I-Tei flown by 1st.Lt. Naoto Fukunaga, 18 Sentai, Java, Dec.44.
Why was the Ki-61 called Tony?
The final, and better known code name adopted was “Tony”, because the Ki-61 looked like an Italian aircraft. The new Ki-61 Hien fighters entered service with a special training unit, the 23rd Chutai, and entered combat for the first time in early 1943, during the New Guinea campaign.