Dreaming about CloD surviving for 10 years...

[kestrel79]

Originally Posted by Thee_oddball

find some thing new everyday....

What plane is that? Looks like a cross between a 109 and a Mig-3.

[ElAurens]

Originally Posted by kestrel79

What plane is that? Looks like a cross between a 109 and a Mig-3.

Kawasaki high speed development aircraft. Ki 78.

And yes I know that the Kawasaki firm hired a designer from Heinkel that greatly influenced the design of the Ki 61. But that has nothing to do with my liking the aircraft.

At least the designers at Kawasaki understood the future of combat aircraft better than did the command structures of the IJAAF and IJN.

[Thee_oddball]

Originally Posted by kestrel79

What plane is that? Looks like a cross between a 109 and a Mig-3.

that is a plane that drew some insiration from the HE100D of which japan bought 3 to study

The Japanese were also looking for new designs, notably those using inline engines where they had little experience. They purchased the three D-0s for 1.2 million RM, as well as a license for production and a set of jigs for another 1.6 million RM. The three D-0s arrived in Japan in May 1940 and were re-assembled at Kasumigaura. They were then delivered to the Japanese Naval Air Force where they were renamed AXHei, for "Experimental Heinkel Fighter".[2] When referring to the German design the aircraft is called both the He 100 and He 113, with at least one set of plans bearing the later name.

In tests, the Navy was so impressed that they planned to put the aircraft into production as soon as possible as their land-based interceptor; unlike every other armed forces organization in the world, the Army and Navy both fielded complete land-based air forces. Hitachi won the contract for the aircraft and started construction of a factory in Chiba for its production. With the war in full swing in Europe, however, the jigs and plans never arrived.[2] Why this wasn't sorted out is something of a mystery, and it appears there isn't enough information in the common sources to say for sure what happened

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_He_100

the zero was bad enough...glad our pilots never had to engage any HE100D's