F6F vs Ki61

Discussion in 'Warbirds International' started by bizerk, Sep 6, 2013.

  1. bizerk

    bizerk Well-Known Member

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  2. gandhi

    gandhi Well-Known Member

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    F6F-5:

    Power/weight: 260 W/kg
    Wing loading: 184 kg/m^2

    Ki-61-Ib:

    Power/weight: 297 W/kg
    Wing loading: 148 kg/m^2

    An E-M diagram overlay would be solid red for the F6F, with the possible exception being the fleeing regime (low-g acceleration). For these and some other reasons, the Ki is better if it gets into the air on a one-for-one basis. Given the state of the war by the time the Hellcat showed up: I'd rather fly the Grumman. More than maths go into making something the "best."

    Edit: nice tune
     
  3. hezey

    hezey Well-Known Member

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    Yeah Grumman was not called Ironworks for nothing.
    And the US flyers were very well trained and well aware [usually] of the danger of trying to outmanoeuvre Nipponese planes.
    KI-61 was a good plane If they were built without failing joints, failing riveting, failing engines and poorly trained pilots and all that sorts of stuff.
    USA was fated to whip Japan. Japan was fated to loose. Yeah, all sorts of things went into a plane being better than another.
    Nipponese pilots called the type of fighting USA performed 'Baseball Tactic.'
    Thatch weave etc.
    Chenault had already told the yanks what they needed to know. And do. And they must have been listening to the commonwealth's advisers too, we had been fighting for three years before the USA got up a head of steam. All the crappy flyers in the commonwealth were already dead, oh and CATP. Look it up.
     
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2013
  4. -ALW-

    -ALW- Well-Known Member

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    I know in past, the Ki61 wasn't much of an opposing craft to combat till the past couple years with new modeling making it a beast and the F6F a lame duck.