Zero is the most famous Japanese naval fighter in the world.
This Hien, code name “Tony” is army fighter.
（Hien means swallow）
Japanese navy and army each had air power.
Navy focused “distance and lightweight”, because navy battle on sea and take off from ship .
On the other hand, army focused ” speed and climbing”. And more tough than navy.
Major Japanese army fighter is “Type 1 Hayabusa, code name Oscor “.（Hayabusa means “falcon”)
Hien was developed 1941 and produced 1943 by Kawasaki in Kakamihara Gifu. Designer is Takeo-Doi.
Almost Japanese plane has air-cooled engine. But Hien has liquid-cooled engine, so his form is smart as if Bf 109 Germany fighter.
Liquid-cooled engine is compact than air-cooled, so plane can get smart form and reduce air resistance.
This engine is licensed product from Daimler.
This model “Ⅱ” speed is 610km in 6,000m. This type has nose:20mm guns ×2, wing 12.7mm guns ×2.
Hien’s most active is vs B-29. Hien is few plane that could active 8,000~10,000m high thanks for liquie-engine（B-29 can flight this high).
But B-29 was hard, so some of troops did ramming attacked （Not Kamikaze, many pilot can returned).
This Hien is one of the type2, made as test (and may be fight). After WW2, it exhibited in Yokota American base long time. It is miracle because almost Japanese plane were abandoned after war. So this real Hien is valuable.
After that, it went around Japan, this Hien retuned his home Kakamigahara.
The air and space museum has many historical plane in Japan !!
I want you to visit this museum !!
This museum introduces planes in English too 🙂
This link is official site !
Gifu-Kakamigahara air and space museum（http://www.sorahaku.net/）
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