Description
The Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki was a single-seat fighter-interceptor developed by the Nakajima Aircraft Company and operated by the Imperial Japanese Army from 1942 to 1945 during World War II. Its official designation is Army Type 2 Single-Seat Fighter and its Allied reporting name was Tojo.
The design and development of the Ki-44 differed greatly from that other Japanese fighters of the time, incorporating speed and rate-of-climb in preference to maneuverability. This was a result of a need for a heavy fighter aircraft that followed a more offensive doctrine and the Ki-44 is often classified as an Air Defence Fighter. Its development ran almost in parallel to its predecessor, the lighter and nimble Nakajima Ki-43, and yet the two aircraft differed. The Ki-44 had a higher landing speed and was less maneuverable. These were concerns for pilots who would compare it to the Ki-43 or Ki-27 which were far more agile and responsive.
Nonetheless, the Ki-44 was the fastest climbing Japanese fighter at the time. While there was performance restrictions at high altitude, it was a useful B-29 Superfortress interceptor and is commonly associated with Home Island defence operations. It was superior to the Ki-43 in that it was capable of matching Allied aircraft in climbs and dives, giving pilots more flexibility in combat and greater pilot confidence than the Ki-43; the basic armament of four 12.7mm machine guns or two 12.7mm guns and two 20 mm cannons (or, in a few aircraft, two Ho-301 40mm cannons of limited range) was far more powerful than the older Ki-43's two 12.7mm machine guns.
Production of the Ki-44 would terminate in late 1944 in favour of the more advanced Nakajima Ki-84, and when the war ended, only three Sentai units were still equipped with them.[6] Despite more than 1,200 aircraft built, none have survived the war.
The design and development of the Ki-44 differed greatly from that other Japanese fighters of the time, incorporating speed and rate-of-climb in preference to maneuverability. This was a result of a need for a heavy fighter aircraft that followed a more offensive doctrine and the Ki-44 is often classified as an Air Defence Fighter. Its development ran almost in parallel to its predecessor, the lighter and nimble Nakajima Ki-43, and yet the two aircraft differed. The Ki-44 had a higher landing speed and was less maneuverable. These were concerns for pilots who would compare it to the Ki-43 or Ki-27 which were far more agile and responsive.
Nonetheless, the Ki-44 was the fastest climbing Japanese fighter at the time. While there was performance restrictions at high altitude, it was a useful B-29 Superfortress interceptor and is commonly associated with Home Island defence operations. It was superior to the Ki-43 in that it was capable of matching Allied aircraft in climbs and dives, giving pilots more flexibility in combat and greater pilot confidence than the Ki-43; the basic armament of four 12.7mm machine guns or two 12.7mm guns and two 20 mm cannons (or, in a few aircraft, two Ho-301 40mm cannons of limited range) was far more powerful than the older Ki-43's two 12.7mm machine guns.
Production of the Ki-44 would terminate in late 1944 in favour of the more advanced Nakajima Ki-84, and when the war ended, only three Sentai units were still equipped with them.[6] Despite more than 1,200 aircraft built, none have survived the war.
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