Halinski Ki-43

[modelperry]

Started a new project tonight. Needed a break from the scraper project. Three pages of parts for this one.

Part 1 consists of the back of the cowl and engine assembly. This is simplified and is going together very nicely so far.

Greg

[Olo]

Interesting topic... good luck with you build...

[MacSongLi]

Greg,


It's always nice to see another Imperial Japanese aircraft. Great project.


Gary

[Don Boose]

I'm very glad to see you building a Japanese Army fighter, Greg.

From the yellow arrow tail markings and the oblique yellow fuselage stripe, it appears to be the airplane of the squadron commander (chūtaichō) of the third squadron (chūtai) of the 64th Flying Regiment (hikō sentai) in Burma in 1943.

I will follow closely.

Don

[MacSongLi]

Originally Posted by Don Boose

I'm very glad to see you building a Japanese Army fighter, Greg.

From the yellow arrow tail markings and the oblique yellow fuselage stripe, it appears to be the airplane of the squadron commander (chūtaichō) of the third squadron (chūtai) of the 64th Flying Regiment (hikō sentai) in Burma in 1943.

I will follow closely.

Don

Don,


Would that possibly be Tateo Kato's aircraft?


Thanks,
Gary

[modelperry]

According to the description in the book, this is the aircraft of Yohei Hinoki that was flown in Autumn 1943 and is from the 3 Chutai 64 Sentai.

greg

[Don Boose]

Greg - Thanks. Lieutenant Hinoki Yohei commanded 3/64 Chūtai from May to December 1943 when the unit was based at Mingaladon and Sungei Patani, Burma (according to Ikuhiko Hata, Yasuho Izawa, and Christopher Shores, Japanese Army Air Force Fighter Units and Their Aces 1931-1945, London: Grub Street, 2002, pp. 157, 159).

Gary - Captain Katō Tateo commanded the 1st Squadron of the 2nd Flying Battalion (Hikō Daitai) in Manchuria from July 1937 to May 1938. In August 1938, the 2nd Flying Battalion and the 9th Independent Flying Company (Dokoritsu Hikō Chūtai) were merged to form the 64th Flying Regiment. Now-Major (posthumously Lieutenant Colonel) Katō commanded the 64th from April 1941 to May 1942. The 64th received Ki-43s in September 1941 while the unit was based in China. Katō commanded the unit during the fighting in Sumatra, Malaya, and Burma until he was killed (as you know) on 22 May 1942 in action against Bristol Blenheims of No. 60 Squadron RAF over the Bay of Bengal. In 1944, a film was made about his life: Kato Hayabusa Sento-tai (Kato's Peregrine Falcon Squadron): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036980/

Sources:

Hata, et al, Japanese Army Air Force Fighter Units, pp. 156-159.

Hiroshi Ichimura, Ki-43 “Oscar” Aces of World War 2, Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 85, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publications, 2009, pp. 6-22.

Christopher Shores and Brian Cull with Yasuho Izawa, Bloody Shambles, Vol. 2, The Defence of Sumatra to the Fall of Burma, London, UK: Grub Street, 1993, pp. 378-381

Don

[MacSongLi]

Thank you Greg for the information.

Thank you Don for correcting me, and for the information.

That movie is available on YouTube, and I have watched it.
Here it is with English subtitles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdD6DezelBs

There is also an interview with Yohei Hinoki from 1981 where he talks about the Ki-43:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-eBmnpCO18

Thanks again, and looking forward to your build Greg.
Gary

[JCK]

Have fun! Looking forward to see you model finished!

[modelperry]

The engine and cowl assembly is done. Lots of detail is now obscured by the radiator (?). Oh well. Fit is very good so far.

Greg