Ki-84 ko (China)

Description

The ␗Ki-84 ko Hayate, known as 疾風 (Hayate; Gale) in the IJAAS, or its Allied report name "Frank", represents a captured Ki-84 ko acquired by the ROCAF in 1945. After the commission of the Hayate in the IJAAS in March 1944, Mainland China became the first battlefield where the Hayate was used by some fighter regiments of IJAAS; thanks to its high altitude performance, these aircraft were used to protect Japanese infrastructure in Mainland China from the bombing runs of the USAAF and Nationalist Air Force; meanwhile, they were also manufactured by the puppet state of Manchuria. After the surrender of Japan in August 1945, ROCAF received numbers of Hayates scattered around Mainland China to strengthen the reborn ROCAF before USAF aircraft could be delivered. Communist China also adopted Hayates in Northeastern China as ground attackers and trainer aircraft for pilots before the PLAAF was officially established in 1949.

Introduced in Update 1.93 "Shark Attack" as a GE premium, the Chinese Ki-84 ko has identical performance to its Japanese counterpart. Its well-designed airframe and sufficiently powerful engine allow it to be a good multipurpose fighter, quickly gaining an altitude advantage and utilising energy fighting tactics, with the option of falling back on its good turn-fighting capabilities when necessary. While the armaments are decent against other fighters, they can be rather lacking against more heavily armoured bombers or attackers.

General info

Flight performance

Equipped with a 2,000 hp engine, this aircraft's performance is on par with that of the legendary P-51 Mustang. However, unlike the Mustang, the Ki-84 has slightly better turning characteristics and climb rate thanks to its lighter weight. This being said, the Ki-84 also has good energy retention, so try to make your opponent bleed energy to have an edge. The Ki-84 was also one of the first mass-produced Japanese aircraft to come equipped with armoured glass, armour plates and self-sealing fuel tanks, but the armour is still lacklustre compared to its Russian and American counterparts. However, as always, not everything is perfect. The aircraft controls stiffen significantly at speeds above 630 km/h, making even slight adjustments to heading impossible. Thus, at higher speeds, its elevator suffers.

This aircraft should be played as it appears: a lightweight Japanese version of the Mustang, retaining good engine performance, decent climb-rate, high diving performance, but relatively lacklustre armament.

Details

Survivability and armour

• 6 mm steel behind pilot's head
• 13 mm steel behind pilot
• 70 mm bulletproof glass in front of pilot
• Self-sealing fuel tanks (1 under pilot's feet, 1 in each wingroot)

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Ki-84 ko (China) is armed with:

• 2 x 20 mm Ho-5 cannons, wing-mounted (150 rpg = 300 total)
• 2 x 12.7 mm Ho-103 machine guns, nose-mounted (350 rpg = 700 total)

Wing-mounted cannons require the pilot to align the target of the rounds by the gun targeting distance. The weak weaponry and limited ammunition narrow the window of opportunity for hits on critical components. Shorter engagement distances of sub 300 metres and attacking more fragile targets such as fighters instead of bombers and heavy fighters is recommended.

Suspended armament

The Ki-84 ko (China) can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 2 x 50 kg Army Type 94 GPHE bombs (100 kg total)
• 2 x 250 kg Army Type 92 GPHE bombs (500 kg total)

The Ki-84 being an energy fighter is not suited to carrying large loadout configurations, though auxiliary ordnance can be equipped to support basic ground attack capabilities. Up to 500 kg of bombs allow the destruction of light armoured vehicles and battlefield emplacements.

Usage in battles

The strong rate of climb of this fighter allows for a significant altitude advantage to be made in the beginning of battles. As this fighter is usually paired with the Soviets against the Japanese, make sure to utilise this advantage as your Soviet teammates and many of the Japanese fighters that you will encounter will be unable to climb as high as you. However, if German aircraft are present in the opposing team be cautious of climbing too high as they will be able to easily gain an altitude advantage over you.

When encountering Japanese Zeroes (i.e. the A6M5) do not attempt to "turn-fight" them. Instead, maintain your energy with a typical boom and zoom technique as they will be unable to match your altitudes. The N1K2 series and the Bf 109 series have greater rates of climb, but handle slightly worse at lower speeds, hence it is suggested that you should attempt to burn both your opponent's and your own energy using climbing corkscrew manoeuvres to bring both of you into your optimal fighting altitude (~4,000 m) at your best operating speed (< 400 km/h). Here you are more manoeuvrable and have a better chance at taking out these fast aircraft.

Due to your fairly weak weaponry, it is not advised to chase after heavily armoured bombers and instead focus on fighting enemy fighters. A potential approach is to support allied aircraft by maintaining a high altitude above them, preventing enemy aircraft from diving on top of your allies as you can control the airspace directly above them.

Simulator Battles

In Simulator, the Ki-84 is overall a decent plane to fly. It enjoys lovely visibility towards the rear, sides, above, and over the nose, giving the pilot great situational awareness. It has nice handling, good climb rate, great speed and acceleration. Armament-wise, the guns have enough fire rate to put quite a few projectiles into the target in one pass. However the Ki-84's disadvantages are the limited damage, rudder efficiency at high speeds, the rather poor roll rate, and the compass at the front-right of the gunsight that can obstruct your view. This aircraft can be used in BnZ fighting, turn fighting, intercepting (to some extent) and some ground pounding.

Before taking off, bring at least 30 minutes of fuel for longer patrol time. Set the convergence to around 250 m since your weapons have low velocity, therefore needing more precise aim at longer range. While your Ki-84 roars down the runway, you will notice that it shifts severely to the left, thus you must put rudder input to the right to taxi straight. As with other Ki series aircraft, only elevator trim is available, so when the stick is at its deadzone, the Ki-84 will roll and yaw to the left side. Therefore you always need to pull the stick a little to the right which can get a bit annoying. Usually, trim for around -1% when cruising around 470 km/h, around -5% when diving around 600 km/h, and when fighting at around 400 km/h no negative trim is needed. When carrying the 2x 250kg bombload, no negative trim is needed as well. Landing characteristics are forgiving: cut throttle to make sure you are not above 350 km/h before touchdown. Deploy combat then takeoff flaps to further decelerate in preparation for extending landing gears. Extend at around 260 km/h, control your descend rate throughout. Right before touchdown, deploy landing flaps. The gears are quite sturdy. You can break until the plane reaches full stop and not worry about propeller strike.

For dogfighting, it is always safer to enter with an altitude advantage. Most dogfights in Sim happen around or below 3,000 m so the Ki-84 can easily climb up to that altitude. Once at an advantageous height, boom & zoom the enemies. The Ki-84 can easily accelerate to more than 550 km/h in a dive which is decently fast but requires more precise manoeuvres to get the correct lead, since the faster you go the smaller the shooting window is. Important note: when fighting above 550 km/h, you want to be more precise in the roll and pitch axis, since at this speed the rudder locks up severely, preventing you from making aim adjustments which negatively impacts the lead. You must pretend that your rudder doesn't exist and fully rely on the ailerons and elevators to lead. A successful pass will not usually cripple the enemy given the projectiles' lacklustre damage, so multiple attacks are needed to destroy one plane. Aside from BnZ, the Ki-84 is also excellent at turn fighting - with the appropriate opponent, of course. Except a few dedicated turn fighters, the Ki-84 can out-turn and get on most opponents' tail with combat/takeoff flaps deployed, and can sustain its turning ability throughout the fight. The Ki-84's stable handling allows you to pull some tight manoeuvres, so don't worry too much about flat spins. If you become a prey, try some defensive manoeuvres like barrel rolls or disengage by diving steeply towards a nearby friendly airfield. Note that the Ki-84's roll rate is very average so avoid manoeuvres like scissors.

When performing the "destroy enemy surveillance aircraft/attackers/bombers" task, it is crucial to constantly evade the turrets. If it is a bomber/attacker with decent defensive firepower or robust protection, then you might want to disengage after some attempts if you don't want to die. Pay special attention to any plane equipped with M2 Browning MG, they can critically damage the Ki-84 especially on the engine, fuel tanks, and pilot which can always lead to a later crash. Before attacking try to get an altitude advantage and perform deflection shots. To maximise the damage it is better to aim for their wings and engines, as the fuselage usually soaks up quite some bullets. Only fire when the bomber passes in front of your guns. This short window is not enough to cripple a twin-engine aircraft given the slow velocity, light projectiles and low one-second burst mass. However sometimes it only takes one bullet to set the target aflame. DO NOT follow behind a bomber's 6 unless you are sure that its tail gunners are unconscious. Chasing behind a bomber makes yourself pretty much stationary for the tail gunners, and you will be showered with bullets.

For ground pounding, the best loadout is the 2 x 250 kg bombs. With an extra 500 kg of weight attached outside, the Ki-84 handles much clumsier during take offs, especially on the roll axis. Longer distance is needed before lifting off. It is quite easy to drop bombs accurately with a Ki-84 because this aircraft is able to quickly accelerate above 550 km/h in a dive, the bombs will travel an almost straight line towards the target, therefore you can aim the gunsight directly at the target and expect the bombs to land very close. After bombs away, immediately pull up. The 2 MGs perform well in killing trucks, AA guns and artilleries as they have plenty of ammo, but avoid wasting cannon shells. However, constantly watch your surrounding, especially your high 6 for any incoming enemies.

Enemies worth noting:

• Me 264: The Me 264 is armed with large calibre MG and cannons all over it, therefore tailing a 264 is basically suicide unless all of their gunners are knocked out. You can treat the 264 almost like a B-29 or B-17 as they are very similar in both design and defensive capabilities. It is best to head-on the 264 if you can as you can easily knock out the pilots due to its glazed nose while also taking minimal damage. However the bomber lacks a ventral turret on its belly, making it easy to deal damage from below, but be wary of the downwards facing rear 20 mm cannon near the tail. The safest way to attack is from a higher altitude, dive at an oblique angle and focus fire on the wings and nose. Never engage if you have no altitude advantage. Looking somewhat similar to a B-17, an Me 264 has huge back-swept wings with 2 engines on each, and a H-tail which differentiates it from a B-17/B-29.
• Yak-3: this is a capable dogfighter or BnZ fighter that can be a huge threat. Although its firepower is not deadly, it can still critically damage a Ki-84. It is able to fly or dive at similar speeds, and can even engage a turn fight with a Ki-84 that is using takeoff flaps. The Yak-3 has a straight dorsal line housing an inline engine, a bubble canopy with a huge cooling intake sticking out the belly, and its symbolic, triangular wings.
• A6M, Spitfire, etc: If you see these turn fighters on your tail try outrunning them by diving at around -40 degrees. The Ki-84 still remains responsive handling at 600 km/h, but its speed retention is not the best, meaning it will start to lose speed quickly and the enemy might catch up. If you are near a friendly airfield, great. If not, then hope for the best and run towards the friendly side. A Spitfire also has an uncurved dorsal outline and large, elliptical wings. A Zero has a radial engine that's usually painted black, rounded wingtips and stabiliser tips followed by a pointy tail.
• Ju 288 C: this is a very common bomber in air RB. Their tactics generally fall into two styles: shallow dive bombing and conventional climbing. For the ones that shallow dive towards a bomb base at the start of the match, think twice before engaging. The Ju 288 is fast, being able to reach >500 km/h in a shallow dive which makes it quite hard for an attacker to BnZ it, as it will be slow to catch up to it, giving it long enough time to shoot back. The Ki-84 locks up past 550 km/h, plus the mediocre damage, it is best to leave it for heavy-punching teammates. As for the Ju 288 that climb, do not engage if you have no altitude advantage. It has numerous guns with great downward coverage, posing a big threat to the fragile Ki-84.

Manual Engine Control

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Strong rate of climb compared to other fighters such as the Ki-61 series and the A7M2
• Effective top speed and energy retention allowing for the effective use of "boom and zoom" tactics
• Great acceleration allowing speed to be regained quickly after duels
• Reasonable performance at high altitude
• Maintains a high degree of manoeuvrability at lower speeds
• Jack of all trades: nimble yet quick while having a good degree of energy retention, allows this fighter to hold its own against any fighter that it may encounter
• Thanks to its lack of canopy frames, a clear all-round canopy view especially over the nose gives it a huge advantage in simulator.
• Center of mass is behind main landing gears, allowing it to break continuously until it stops. Does not need to worry about propeller strike
• Engine cools down fairly quickly when overheated

Cons:

• Not as manoeuvrable as the Japanese fighters that you will be facing at this tier, and struggles to contest the high altitudes of the Bf 109 series due to their superior rates of climb
• The "jack of all trades, master of none" character of this aircraft makes it difficult to play as pilots will need to adapt their play-style to counter specific aircraft that they are facing, subsequently requiring a fair degree of knowledge over the strengths and weaknesses of each aircraft that they will encounter
• The weapons feel fairly lacklustre, with the 20 mm cannons having a relatively low quantity of ammunition (at least compared to the 12.7 mm machine guns)
• Severe lock-up of the rudder above 500 km/h renders dive bombing or high speed boom and zoom less effective
• Elevator locks up at high speeds preventing optimal usage of its great energy retention
• A reasonably slow roll-rate causing this fighter to be vulnerable against Japanese fighters or the Fw 190's which are the typical opponents
• Fairly susceptible to damage with fires being particularly devastating to this light aircraft

History

Production

Some of the Ki-84 Hayate was licensed producted in Fengtian (now Shenyang), China by Manshū Aircraft Company (in Japanese: 満州飛行機製造株式会社／まんしゅうひこうきせいぞうかぶしきがいしゃ Manshū Hikōki Seizō Kabushiki Gaisha) during the war. This company also producted Ki-27, Ki-43, Ki-44, Ki-45, Ki-61 and many other aircraft for IJAAS.

Captured aircraft

After the Second World War, Ki-84s stationed in Nanking, Beijing and Hankow by the IJAAS were requisitioned by the Kuomintang's China Air Force. The markings and unit insignia were painted over or crudely removed, stripping away the camouflage and leaving the metal structure visible. The Kuomintang white star on blue circle roundel was applied to the aircraft, and these aircraft were ready for use in the Chinese Civil War spanning 1945 to 1949. Use of the aircraft in combat is supported with little recognition and considering Chang Kai-Shek's forces were receiving deliveries from the United States, it is believed that these aircraft were maintained as reserve aircraft, should supplies from the US have difficulties arriving.^[1]

Alternately, Ki-84s were also requisitioned by the opposite faction of the Chinese Civil War, the People's Liberation Army Air Force. These were seized from Manchuria and Northern China. Symbols representative of the PLAAF were applied to these aircraft and would establish these roundels as those which would represent the People's Republic of China's Air Forces in future. Unlike the Kuomintang, these aircraft saw combat, though limited to ground attack missions. To better adopt Ki-84s into the PLAAF, the early period of the civil war saw Japanese pilots flying as demonstrators, instructing Chinese pilots and training mechanics on maintenance. This use would ultimately be limited by the lack of a producible parts supply and by the early 1950s, they were no longer a sustainable aircraft for the PLAAF thus disappearing from service.^[1]

The Ki-84 was also captured by the United States immediately after the war, being thoroughly tested to draw comparisons against the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang.^[1]

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Ki-84 ko (China) from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• reference to the series of the aircraft;

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance

References