[Billfish]

In honor of the soon to be released New Guinea Map,
The 78th*Sentai is pleased to present
The Falcons of New Guinea

Type 1 Fighter, Hayabusa, Ki-43, Peregrine Falcon, Oscar....Call it what you will, yet to those that knew it either flying for or against the Japanese it always having added to it words like Venerable, Work-horse, Reliable, Agile, Dangerous as a mandatory prefix adjective.....and be it from its first baptism into combat on December 8th, 1941 to the very last day of the war, the under powered and under gunned Hayabusa was always an aircraft to be take very seriously.

Known to climb like a scalded monkey, be able to pivot flat 180 degrees, out turn any allied aircraft it encountered and even dive from 20,000' its wings and fuselage crumpling and twisting yet still be able to be flown home safely, it seemed at first like this new weapon of aerial combat was the equal of the equally feared Navy Zero. Continually improved upon even without request by Nakajima the development of to this day a prime example of continuous improvement, the Oscar simply evolved and grew stronger each evolution, yet was never to catch up to the new tactics and weapons the allies produced Nakajima's policy of "Obsolescence at Delivery" though meaning to never rest on ones laurels a fitting one.

Though lacking in many regards what was not were the pilots that flew them. Long experienced combat veterns, much more so then the venerated Luftwaffe so justifiably feared. Armed with only two 12.7 or .50 caliber weapons, a machine "cannon" due to the rounds, it never the less made short work of allied aircraft it noted as a killer of virtually every type of fighter to heavy bomber that could be thrown at it. It only takes a skilled marksman 1 round to make his kill....and the Ki-43 carried 500-600.

No matter the region, if the Imperial Japanese Army Flying Corps or Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun Koukuutai was there, so was the Hayabusa, and New Guinea and New Britain was no exception. Easily handled by experienced Oscar veterns and novice alike the aircraft so forgiving, even dedicated Ki-61 and Ki-45 units made use of them when their own aircraft types were lacking like the 68th and 78th Hikousentai, and the 13th which though always keeping 1 or 2 Ki-45 eventually converted to a Ki-43 unit.......The history vast and there to be discovered, yet what say we get onto the skins?


The Falcons of New Guinea, presented to the IL2 community by the 78th*Sentai

Contained within the 5 Zip files to reduce download size you will find the following (114 skins in all!):
24 - 1st & 11th Hikousentai skins. These should be placed in your Ki-43-Ib & Ki-43-Ic folders to be accurate. Besides obvious 1st and 11th actions from the Solomons to New Britain, they should also be utilized as commandeered aircraft by the 13th Ki-45 unit initially, 68th & 78th Ki-61 units in early August 43 to at best September.

25 - 13th & 24th Hikousentai skins. For accuracy place the 24th skins just in the Ki-43-II folder, the 13th in the Ki-43-II and Ki-43-II-Kai folder. The 24th skins should be utilized by both them and the 68th & 78th Hikousentai Hien units when their numbers of Ki-61's were lacking from August 43 to at best December. The 13th skins however should be used for the 13th, yet also all other units in that they are un-unit marked skins so generic as of this post no one having a confirmed Ki-43 marking for them........Many units even those Ki-43 oriented once combat began had the time for elaborate camouflage schemes let alone markings so the aircraft were flown out of uniform. This group of skins represents that.

27 - 33rd & 59th Hikousentai skins. These should be placed in your Ki-43-II & Ki-43-II-Kai folders. These skins besides being used by their units would of also been by the 68th & 78th Hikousentai Ki-61 units when flying Oscars.

26 - 63rd & 77th Hikousentai skins. These should be placed in your Ki-43-II & Ki-43-II-Kai folders. These skins besides being used by their units would of also been by the 68th & 78th Hikousentai Ki-61 units when flying Oscars.

12 - 248th Hikousentai skins. These should be placed in your Ki-43-II & Ki-43-II-Kai folders. These skins besides being used by their units would of also been by the 68th & 78th Hikousentai Ki-61 units when flying Oscars.

Special Notes as to the skins themselves:
1. DO NOT CHANGE SKIN NAMES OR THEY WILL NOT WORK AS INTENDED! Though these skins can be used by live pilots, they are intended to enhance and make realistic visuals from AI aircraft be they static or active. It is my understanding if selected for AI or static objects, if the host utilizes them in a mission then you should see them too.
2. If you wish to personalize a skin, copy it, and rename it leaving intact the original.
3. At least 12 skins per unit of each of the known Chuutai's or command flights are included so full flights of different looking yet same unit aircraft can be assembled.
4. Skin names follow a standard system: Ex.: "AI-Ki43-11-3-4.bmp" AI to group them, Ki-43 to designate them to aircraft, 11 the Sentai number, 3 the Chuutai number, 4 the skin number of the chuutai group. "C" in place of Chuutai equals the command or executive staff flight.
5. All skins are in the high resolution 1024x1024 or 1Mb file size format. If there is enough demand due to PC loads, a 512x512 / 256Kb format set may be generated. To do so yourself, open each skin in photoshop and "sharpen" or enhance it first. Then reduce its physical size to 512x512 pixels.
6. Naturally as this project progressed my skinning skills improved and the tricks to make them....The pack is supplied as is with an evolution of skill evident (1st, 11th, 24th earliest). Those units will be re-done when time permits AFTER our next project....Can you say Kunai Grass Swallows of New Guinea?

Special Notes as to Markings, Camouflage, Intent, Etc.:
1. The markings shown are correct and confirmed via photographs for the units listed. Do NOT be fooled by the numerous incorrect publications and more so profiles which have perpetuated errors for 60 years.
2. You will note not all Sentai have command flights. Though most did, possibly all their common marking color either cobalt blue or robin's egg blue, if a photograph or USAAC official telltale was not found showing it, they were not included at this time.
3. EVERY Ki-43 was unique in its markings and camouflage. Many had very elaborate markings and stripes, contrary to popular belief individuality was allowed to be as expressed as those in the 5th Air Force sometimes even more so. However, for the "most part" the skins presented are general and common. If you can produce a photograph, not a telltale of a unique aircraft, we may try to make it for you as it increases our knowledge as well.....In the end however, as it stands every skin is different!
4. More so then markings camouflage was absolutly different from plane to plane even within the same unit. From sparse and barely covering, to solid greens, to those simulating thousand stitch belts, to those slapped on sloppy at best evry aircraft was unique........So too are the skins included. Except for 1st, 11th, & early 59th skins, every skin in each pack has its own unique camouflage used on no other in any of the packs.
5. Though the markings are precise, to exactly copy each aircraft's camouflage would be a rediculous and impossible task. To that end though each skin has different camouflage, some very radically different within a unit in the end they are representative of that units normal result not exact blotch for blotch exact.
6. Markings are shown fresh. Most aircraft never survived long enough for markings to wear. Though faded slightly in some cases, extreme wear would be unrealistic most photos showing battered and weather worn aircraft that had sat for some time.
7. Camouflage wear like above would of been rare with most aircraft. "Rubbed" off of walkways, slight wear of leading areas and about cockpit, yet past that extreme chipping simply would of been rare the aircraft never surviving that long examples of long after out of combat. This does not mean they do not look chipped, yet in most cases it simply tiny splotches vs. lost paint.

If you know of a New Guinea Hayabusa you'd like generated contact us with a photograph...NOT a profile or artwork.

Credits:
1st & 11th Hikousentai skins generated using "Tankeriv's" Template.
24th, 33rd, 59th, 63rd, 77th, 248th skins generated using "MacWan's" Template.
Thanks to both in their generousity in sharing them to which these skins could not of happened without. I liked features of each not willing to lose them for the others. Each having their special qualities a merge of the two would not of generated.

Both Templates have been modified by myself for some corrections though minimal. Niether were enhanced as much as they could be as to the hundreds of tiny markings that graced Ki-43's.

Lastly, All skins by K2 / Billfish / Ktu*78th*Sentai

I hope they serve you all well over virtual New Guinea.

K2