This week we feature the 1/32 Hasegawa 1/32 Ki-43-II Oscar (Hayabusa)
The Nakajima Aircraft company of Japan produced the Ki-43 (Code named OSCAR during WW2), based upon a 1937 Army request for a replacement for the Type 97 Army Fighter. This accurate model of the Oscar can be built as an early or late version of the Ki-43 II. The main difference is the method of engine cooling, which altered the shape of the cowl. The early Ki-43 II used the coiled oil line in front of the cylinders, whereas the later II used a larger “Beehive” oil cooler under the cowl, eliminating the circular oil lines at the front of the engine. The Hayabusa was an easy aircraft to fly and maintain. It was very maneuverable, so much so, that it remained in production throughout WW2. A total of 10,430 Ki43 Hayabusa fighters, of all types were produced, second only to the famous Zero fighter of the Japanese Navy.
