Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa "Oscar"

01Pilots initially disliked the aircraft because it lacked the agility of the biplanes they were used to. The addition of "butterfly" combat flaps transformed its low-speed handling and turned the Ki-43 into a superb dogfighter.

02Dominated the opening Japanese Army offensives in Malaya, Burma, and the Philippines. Flying Tiger P-40s and later Commonwealth Hurricanes struggled against the Ki-43 until they learned to avoid turning fights with it.

03Manufactured in large numbers and flown to the war's end, the Hayabusa never received firepower upgrades comparable to those given to the Zero; it remained under-armed against increasingly well-armoured Allied fighters and bombers.