Erickson Aircraft: Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa/Oscar (photo diary)

The single-seat Japanese interceptor/fighter Nakajima Ki-43 first flew in 1939 was named Hayabusa (隼) for the Peregrine Falcon, a bird of prey known as a graceful, speedy hunter. Once the Americans entered the war, it was given the Allied code name Oscar. The Nakajima Ki-43 was easy to fly and could outmaneuver its opponents. Production of the Hayabusa continued until 1945 and a total of 5,919 were built. Only a handful remain today, including one in the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon.

According to the Museum:

“At the start of the Pacific War, Allied pilots in combat with the Ki-43 found it to be a highly maneuverable and dangerous aircraft. Equipped with unique Japanese ‘butterfly’ combat flaps that controlled sensitivity and provided greater life, it was given a much tighter turning circle.”

Note: these photographs were taken on September 14, 2023.

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