Kawasaki Ki-204 ''Hien-kai''

The famous Ki-61 "Hien" fighter (Allied codename: "Tony") was the perfect candidate for experimenting with jet propulsion. With the help of Messerschmitt engineers Kawasaki modified one Ki-61 into the sole Ki-204 "Hien-kai" to offer a Japanese equivalent of the Me 262 "Schwalbe" (interestingly both "Hien" and "Schwalbe" translate as "swallow"). The wings and tail were enlarged and modified, and Me 262 engines shipped and reassembled in Japan were fitted. The war ended before this remarkable aircraft could prove its value. It could not even be retrieved by the Allies as the facility that housed it was bombed.

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© Stéphane Beaumort / AviaDesign 2013. This image depicts an imaginary model.
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