Japanese fighters near end of war

Was doing some reading, and I was quite surprised to find out that the
Japanese came out with some really fine fighters quite late. Or more to the
point, how many models there were. A lot of people (myself included) get
sucked in by the Zero mystique, and then when you find out _its_
deficiencies you sort of stop assuming that much better stuff came out
later.

Among others I am thinking of the Ki-100 (for that matter the Ki-61 Tony
that it was based on), the Ki-84 Frank, and the N1K-J George. Among others.
By all accounts (that meaning everything I've read so far) these planes were
the match of, or better than, Mustangs, Corsairs and Hellcats, provided that
(1) they didn't break down and (2) that the pilots were equal.

I find it interesting in the sense that the Japanese had the theoretical
ability to counter US planes of the day, or even beat them. What they didn't
have was good manufacturing processes...imagine if they had had that? And of
course, at the time they did not have the pool of pilots.

But as a hypothetical, imagine the IJN having reorganized pilot training
early on (as was proposed by some) to turn out many many more decent pilots
than the system was set up for. Imagine that Japanese ingenuity had been
devoted a bit more to solving aircraft engine problems. And imagine some
decent assembly lines. It could have been a real mess for the Americans in
the Pacific.

Of course, the Japanese experience is mirrored by the German. Too much
finesse, and not enough Detroit and Tankograd (Chelyabinsk).

AHS


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