The Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Flying Swallow) was a World War II fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. It was superior to the Zero and was the only mass-produced Japanese fighter of the war to use a liquid-cooled inline "V" engine. Because of its unusual appearance for a Japanese fighter, the American code name for the plane was "Tony," because of its likeness to Italian fighters.
Hien in Days of Infamy[]
Although the Hien was the most advanced fighter that the Japanese had, Lt. Saburo Shindo complained about the plane's high maintenance costs and lack of skilled mechanics. Most of all, he complained that there weren't enough to go around, while the United States was mass producing the Hellcat at an alarming rate.
During the second battle for Hawaii, Joe Crosetti encountered a Hien while supporting the US Marines fighting on Oahu. At first, he thought the fighter was a German Me-109, because of its shape, however, he never got a chance to see the Hien's combat prowess, as it was set upon by half a dozen Hellcats and shot down.
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