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Originally Posted by cheddar cheese I only put the ones in that made a real impact - The P-47 and Ki-84 were good planes but the Ki-84 was not as good as the Shiden and the P-47 wasnt really used in the PTO as much or with as much effect as it was in the ETO (I think) |
Why do you think the "Frank" was not as good as the "George"? Below is a comparison of the first combat model of the Frank with the 2nd generation George (low wing, improved engine, etc...):
Nakajima Ki-84-1a "Frank" -
Maximum Speed: 392 mph at 20,080 feet (6,120 meters)
Cruising Speed: 277 mph (no altitude figure available)
Service Cieling: 34,450 feet (10,500 meters)
Climb: 5 mins 54 seconds to 16,400 feet (5000 meters)
Range: 1347 miles
Armament: 2 x 12.7 mm Ho-103 machine guns in the nose and 2 x Ho-5 20mm cannon in the wings.
Bombload: 2 x 550 lbs bombs
Production Numbers: 3514 total (1670 delivered in 1944, probably all Ki-84-1a's and maybe a few -1b's)
Kawanishi N1K2 "George" -
Maximum Speed: 369 mph @ 18,373 feet (5,600 meters)
Cruising Speed: 230 mph @ 6,562 feet (2,000 meters)
Service Cieling: 35,300 feet (10,760 meters)
Climb: 7 mins 22 secs to 19685 feet (6,000 meters)
Range: 1069 miles
Armament: 4 x Type 99-II mod 3 20mm cannon in the wings
Bombload: 2 x 550 lbs bombs (a special model could carry 4 x 550 lbs bombs, but its performance was lower).
Production numbers: ~410 (note: 1435 N1K's were built, about 1000 were the earlier N1K1 variant, with mid fuselage wing and inferior performance).
As you can see, the first combat model of the Ki-84 "Frank" is superior to the second generation N1K2 "George" in every catagory except service cieling, and even there it's not that much inferior. Both planes suffered mechanical problems, the Frank probably less so than the George. The George's Type 99-II-3 20mm cannon hit a bit harder, but the RoF is significantly lower than that of the Ho-5, making the 2 x 20mm of the Frank have about the volume of fire of 3 of the George's 20mm.
Improvments in the Ki-84 "Frank" resulted in the -1b model armed with 4 x Ho-5 20mm cannon (2 in the nose, 2 in the wings) and improved performance (top speed ~409 mph). This was followed by the Ki-84-II model, which utilized more wood in the construction (Japan was suffering shortages of alluminum and steel by this point) which had a top speed of 416 mph. In each rendition (I and II generations) there were the C versions which sported the Ho-155 30mm cannon - it is unknown if this version ever actually saw combat or not. The "Frank" also sported some of the best armor of any Japanese fighter, including a 13mm plate protecting the pilot, which is about the thickest plate I've seen on any WWII fighter.
To say the Frank did not have an impact is totally false. This was the most feared Japanese fighter for the Allied pilots at Okinawa and those fighting over Korea. There was a saying at the Okinawa USAAF field for when they spotted a fast moving fighter at high altituded (20k+), "Forget it, it's a Frank" because the P-51 could not be scrambled for a successful intercept, if they were not already up and patrolling, there was no point in launching them.
Finally, the production numbers show that the Frank was far more significant than the George. The George was the best IJN fighter of WWII, the Frank was the best IJA fighter of WWII, but the Frank had more impact.
If you're going to have a poll about "The best WWII PTO fighter", and you are going to include any Japanese planes as choices, the Ki-84 "Frank" has to be included!
=S=
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