Name this MWiF Counter - 07

[Greyshaft]

Which Japanese-built MWiF counter was often mistaken for a German or Italian aircraft and why?

[Froonp]

I guess it is the Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien codenamed Tony by the Allies, because it had an inline liquid-cooled engine looking like the Daimler-Benz engine equipping the Me109s in Europe.

Here's one Ki-61-II-Otsu Hien (Tony) from 244 Sentai 2 Chutai.

[Greyshaft]

Heck I expected it to last longer than 30 minutes [:@]

must find harder questions[&:]

[Froonp]

This one was easy, I knew it since I was a little boy [;)]

[Greyshaft]

The Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien was designed around the licenced German Daimler-Benz DB 601A liquid-cooled, inverted-vee engine which powered the Me-109 and Me-110 fighters of the Luftwaffe and consequently it was the only Japanese fighter to have a liquid-cooled engine. It entered combat during April 1943 in the fighting around New Guinea. Armament was two cowling-mounted 12.7mm machine guns and two wing-mounted 7.7mm machine guns although this was increased in later versions by standardising on 12.7mm machine guns and even adding 20mm wing-mounted cannon. It was extremely successful against Allied fighters mainly due to its difference from the other Japanese fighters eg. It was the only Japanese fighter which could outdive Allied fighters so Allied pilots rarely expected that maneauver. Field maintenance of the in-line engines was a problem and the January 1945 destruction of Kawasaki's Akashi engine plant bought production of the Ki-61 to a close although the airframes were to be reborn in the Ki-100.