[Rowddy]

btw i forgot to thank you for these awsome skins Billfish. So Thanks m8

[Poltava]

GREAT! Thanks, thanks, thanks!

I've always liked the Ki-43, finding it a fun aircraft to fly (and challenging to fight in), and this really revives my interest!

The skins without Sentai markings will be VERY useful, both as general static aircraft, and as generic Hayabusas, to be flown pretty much anywhere!

Also: thanks for the info. Very interesting. JAAF camo is a somewhat murky subject, and you cleared it up a bit. And don't give to much notice to the rivet, blotch and chip counters...

Top notch!

[asheshouse]

Great work.

[fubear]

Thanks great work 8)

[Poltava]

Is it possible to come with another request? :oops:

I want to make a Hayabuse campaign as well for the Philippines map, and I want to portray the combat of Sentai 30 & 31 (the 13th Hikodan) in late 1944, when they fought mainly over Negros, hard pressed by carrier-borne F6F's.

Could you make a skin of either Sentai 30 or 31, for the Ki-43 II or II Kai? Using one of the the generic, unmarked ones as a base. Just one will do very nicely!

I will use your generic Hayabusa skins as well (these are flying over Negros as we speak... Se the screenie below!)



But if you don't have the time, that's quite OK, I understand that, and I will try and manage one myself! (I am not a skilled skinner.)

[Billfish]

If you can find me a "photograph"....Not a skin, profile or tell tale (artwork)....Yet an actual photograph showing the tail markings of either or both of those units ON A KI-43.....Then I will stop all work on the Ki-61 and instantly generate you a set of skins.

Now that sounds harsh yet is not.....In a round about way I'm saying I do not have nor anyone I know of a photograph of a Ki-43 in the 30th/31st hikousentai. The tail markings discussed are debatable all showing the light bomber markings used.....Now maybe they were, yet maybe they were not.....However I simply do not know what it was nor do many of the experts (though some will state "X" without any proof).

To find such a photo would be a great thing....Well worth putting aside other work to make them for you!

K2

[Poltava]

I see your point. No, I have never seen any photo, just artwork of that "interpolating" kind: "they used this fin marking while a light bomber unit, so therefore they must have used it on their Hayabusas as well".

It's no big deal. I'll use the generic Ki-43 skins - which, as I said before, are very versatile! And if some solid evidence will surface later, the campaign can be revised.

Keep up your great work!

[Billfish]

***UPDATE!***

Thanks to Jim Lansdale of www.j-aircraft.com , and Justin Tylan of www.pacificwrecks.com , the 13th Hikousentai will be updated with a rather surprising marking (which you can read about the search here: http://www.j-aircraft.org/smf/index.php?topic=7927.0

Though the 13th's Ki-45 marking is well known one of the more attractive of the IJAFC, it seems as though the 13th utilized another marking which has not been found to date on Ki-45's for their Ki-43's. Now you're going to look at this and state "no way, that's from a Ki-44 of the 47th Hikousentai, even the shadowing boarder very specific........Welp nope, it's proven via 3 different Ki-43 from Kamiri base in New Guinea....Below is the 13th's Ki-43 marking while there.

I'll be churning out some skins today.

K2

[Billfish]

The following Zip file contains an update of the just discovered by me 13th Hikousentai skins with appropriate markings and a replacement generic set of unmarked as to unit skins as Ki-43 often fought having little time to add such.

http://www.speedyshare.com/814687298.html

Simply extract the skins into your Ki-43-II & Ki-43-II-Kai folders letting them overwrite previous files. The generic skins follow the previous system of numbering. Utilizing a Sentai number of "0", Chuutai of "1", and 1-13 individual skins all toll with the new 13th skins this ups the total number to 126 skins in all.

The 13th Hikousentai though initially once in New Guinea being a Ki-45 unit like many others found its aircraft destroyed and to keep fighting utilized Ki-43 of other units (initially those of the 1st & 11th, and would not of repainted markings). Soon rotated to rear areas the 13th evolved once again. Though still utilizing Ki-45's although in lesser numbers and the exquisite emblem they were known for on them, realizing the Ki-45 simply could not compete in the air and urgency demanding they get into the fight, the 13th began officially utilizing Ki-43-II as well, and oddly a different unit marking then those used on the Ki-45's.

What makes the marking even odder is the fact it in many ways almost exactly matched the 47th's markings you may have seen on Ki-44's right down to adding a 3d shadowing border. In kind, from the so far few photographs discovered by the folks at J-Aircraft specifically Jim Lansdale, the marking itself did not seem that consistant in shape or size, and so the skins are reflected as such.

Notes About the Skins Representations:

1. The unit marking shape and size varied somewhat, this is reflected in all 12 skins.
2. AIrcraft numbers when used were very poorly applied (sloppy), this is reflected in 1 skin for each chuutai, 4 total.
3. It is unsure to what degree chuutai colors were utilized. Some experts (though stating a totally wrong marking) state only 1. Others pointing out somewhat correct markings have them applied to incorrect aircraft and so on. To that end 3 chuutai and a command flight set of colors have been included.
4. Camouflage was typical for New Guinea. Common blotches used on Ki-43, yet also palm-fron patterns often over the blotches as repaints. That general style has been maintained in that the 13th unlike many other units had the luxury of time to repaint the poorly done camouflage as the elements took their toll.
5. Markings in this set like the others are semi-fresh. Most aircraft did not have the time for them to degrade, and unlike most other units the 13th had time to maintain them.

Enjoy!

K2

[WhiteCat]

Thanks Billfish!!! now I think my New Guinea map arrives just in time!

[WhiteCat]

Thanks Billfish!!! now I think my New Guinea map arrives just in time!

[CSG Lipfert]

SpeedyShare is reporting many of the files have been deleted

[Billfish]

The links in the above posts have gone bad due to the dying on the vine rule of rapidshare (if not downloaded for 7 days is deleted)........Therefor, you may now download the entire set of 126 different skins from Mission4Today at http://mission4today.com/index.php?name ... ls&id=5128

These files cover ALL Ki-43 units that served in New Guinea and New Britain. In the future I intend on re-issing this skin pack with updated 1st, 11th, & 24th skins, however will leave them as stands for now (simply wanting to use a different template for the 1st & 11th plus alter/increase their varied camouflage schemes.....and improve upon the 24ths camouflage).

You should find no less then 12 skins minimum per Hikousentai allowing you to fill entire flights.......Additionally there is a set of non-unit marked skins which is how many flew immediately pressed into action.....So essentially one could have a correct marking flight of 25+ "unique" aircraft.

Enjoy....

K2

[Billfish]

Is it possible to come with another request? :oops:

I want to make a Hayabuse campaign as well for the Philippines map, and I want to portray the combat of Sentai 30 & 31 (the 13th Hikodan) in late 1944, when they fought mainly over Negros, hard pressed by carrier-borne F6F's.

Could you make a skin of either Sentai 30 or 31, for the Ki-43 II or II Kai? Using one of the the generic, unmarked ones as a base. Just one will do very nicely!

So Poltava, found anything on them yet?.......Might be worth your while to ask over at www.j-aircraft.com

K2

[Billfish]

Whoops forgot to add the 13th Hikousentai update screen shots :indiff:



K2