Talk:Ki-43/@comment-107.184.201.220-20170301003750

The 5001st chutai was interesting. A pro Japanese ace was shot down and captured after shooting down 2 P-40s with a 20mm cannon armed Ki 43-II. 15 of these modified cannon Oscars were in this special attack unit.

The pilot said there were 200 r/g, Maybe he meant total for the twin 20s. These were not Ho-5s.

He spoke of many different speed numbers for his Oscar.

311, 373, 404, and 435 mph. How do we assign those speeds to the Ki 43-II? Are they WEP?

US pilots would not dive a captured standard flyable Ki 43-II faster than 372 mph.

Since he was a prisoner, how honest could he be? Go figure.

Add to this the fact that McGuire was shot down with a 20mm cannon armed Ki 43 or Ki 84 a day before the 5001st chutai landed in the Philippines where the P-38L was downed. Close enough?

This Oscar had considerable range.

It could turn a full 360 with around a 300' radius in les than 11 seconds!

It could do aerobatics down to 50 mph and on up to 300 mph. The clipped wing Oscar-II had strengthened wings for better dive speeds.

I'd slap recoiless 40mm Ho-301 cannons in the wings and see what happens. That would be akin to 20 wing -mounted air to air rockets! But inside the wings. These planes could get close shots at angles like nothing else could.