|
With the Allied codename of "Tony", the Ki-61 Hien ("Swallow") was the only fighter with a liquid-cooled engine that the Japanese Army put into the field during World War II. Its non-radial-engined nose made it appear so foreign to the Allies that at first they thought it was German- or Italian-made. Production and engine problems plagued it for its entire career, but in the hands of a skilled pilot it had the performance to be a real threat. During the last stages of the war the Ki-61 was one of the few interceptors that could reach the same altitude as the American B-29 Superfortresses. This scene shows Japanese Corporal Nakano in his Ki-61; after exhausting his ammunition on the American bombers in their mission over Japan, Nakano rammed the tail of the huge American plane in an attempt to bring it down.
Note: like all Valiant Clan prints, the bottom of the print displays the aircraft name and a description of the action portrayed. (See the P-51B Mustang as an example.) The above scan does not show the text, and is merely meant to give you an idea of the image content.