IJA Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate

The Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate/Frank fighter plane was introduced to the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) Air Service in 1943, and it was one of the few planes that could intercept the American B-29 bomber.  It became less effective toward the end of World War II, as many of the best IJA pilots had been killed and the Japanese aircraft industry was weakened by constant air raids.  By 1945, Hayate fighers demonstrated several problems such as engine failures, landing gear collapses, and peeling paint, meaning few of them would have looked as good as this model on display at Shizuoka Hobby Square.