Talk:Mitsubishi Ki-83/@comment-107.184.201.220-20170405225014

The Ki 83 fighter had a tested speed of 338 mph in Japan and 473 mph in the USA. The turbos were high maintenance and unreliable. The Basic 2200 hp MK9A engines had vibration but were still better at altitude than the much less reliable 2000 hp NK9K in widespread use. This would've been a great choice to mount the new 37mm Ho-204 cannon in the nose. If given the priority it deserved, this would be quite the drag on slayer. It would be able to fire upon B-29s out of range of their defensive guns: Perhaps around 1100m vs 914m range! This 37mm cannon had a 400 r/m RoF; 710m/s M/V; 475g HEI shell with perhaps 8.2% RDX. Ammo supply was 55+ r/g. It was used in the Ki 102 but the Ki 83 would be far superior. Even in the Ki 46-III KAI it would've been great except they put it in the steep dorsal angle position instead of the nose, so it was less than effective. What were they thinking? 70 degrees no less!

The Ki 83 came with 2x30mm Ho-155 and 2x20mm Ho-5 cannons which were great for dogfights. But the Ho-5 was reduced to 600m range late in the war, and the Ho-155 range was 900m. Not stand-off range like the Ho-204. They would have to trade fire, which would light up these interceptors, unless they didn't fill up their leading edge fuel tanks. At 130Kg the Ho-204 was heavy but only one was needed. For a 37mm cannon, 400 r/m was unheard of. It was like having 3x37mm 140 r/m U.S. Colt M4 cannons. And besides, the M4 had very short range! The Russian NS-37 has enough range, but still is beat-out easily by the Ho-204 RoF: 250 r/m vs 400! The NS-37 weighed 170Kg in the nose version, so it was much heavier (so was the ammo). In 1944 the Ho-204 was best in class. Of course this was due to the lighter shell. But this was still fatal to any aircraft.