Plans for Oscars announced

With the approaching flight of the first of four Nakajima Ki43 Hayabursa (Allied code name Oscar), details about the remaining aircraft are being finalized. The first aircraft will be delivered to the Tillamook Naval Air Station Museum in Oregon with a projected delivery in early 2003. One of the remaining Oscars will be displayed at the Museum of Flight located at Boeing Field in Seattle. Also announced was the intention that an Oscar will be shown and flown at various airshows, aidplaying the aircraft's capabilities. The final aircraft is still available for purchase.

The use of a Hayabusa to participate in airshows is in response to the worldwide interest in this project. While the interest in Japan is understandable, great interest also lies in this aircraft in Australia, New Zealand, and Great Britian. Enthusiast from all these countries have followed this project and it is hoped that eventually the Ki43 can be taken to these countries to show the public a

The decision to display the Hayabusa at Seattle's Museum of Flight stems from the desire to display aircraft representing botrh sides of the WWII Pacific Theater. Currently, the museum does not have any Japanese aircraft on display and the Hayabusa will be a great aid in telling the history of the conflict.

The first combat use of the Oscar was against the British in Burma, Maylay, and Singapore. Outclassing the RAF's Brewster Buffaloes, the Hayabusa's capabilities were too much for the British flying Hawker Hurricanes. Soon afterwards, Ki43s were flown against the famous American Volunteer Group. The sudden appearance of this maneuverable aricraft was a surprise to General Chenault and the AVG. The Ki43 was the principal fighter of the Japanese Army during the entire war and was in production from the start to the very end of the hostilities.

The Hayabusa was used in all areas against the Allies, from the South Pacific to the far north. During the closing months of the war, the Ki43 was even used in kamikaze missions. While these particular aircraft were recovered from the Kurile Islands where the 54th Sentai abandoned the planes at the end of the war, the unit history has these aircraft deployed to the South Pacific, the Negros Island, the Philippines, Saigon, Singapore, ahnd Hong Kong.

Arizona aircraft collector Doug Champlin recovered these four aircraft in the early 1990s from the northern-most island of the Kurile Islands chain. In late 1997, the recovered aircraft were shipped to Herbert Tishcler's Texas Airplane Factory in Fort Worth to commence the rebuilding process of the remains into four flying aircraft. As in some restorations, progress has been slower than originally planned but the project is nearing the first flight milestone.

According to Herbert Tischler, a factor for this was that the Ki43's part count is much greater than originally thought: "To save weight, Nakajima took a bunch of smaller pieces to make bigger parts. A prime example of this is the use of three spars versus the traditional twin spar design. The intent was to save weight, by transferring structural loads over shorter distances. But from a parts count, there is another spar to manufacture, and a third more ribs to make and assemble. And rather than mass producing a stamped rib with flanges on all four sides. Nakajuma instead had flanges only on top and bottom. The ribs were attached to the spars and webs using simple angles and clips to attach the ribs to spars allowed for a custom for as needed."

The last Ki43 is still available for purchase. If interested, please contact Texas Airplane Factory at 817-626-9834 or fax 817-626-7354.

Copyright Challenge Publications Inc. Dec 2002
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