Three prototype Kawasaki Ki-60's ...

[Mark Allen M]

... nice shot of the three and an unknown airplane to me.
Here's what Wiki has to say about it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_Ki-60


Three prototypes of Kawasaki Ki-60 army fighters

[Mark Allen M]

This photo almost looks like a model diorama. Now I'm not sure.

[oz rb fan]

i'm pretty sure it's real......its been in a few books covering the KI61.....the KI60 was a competing heavy fighter,but the pilots didnt like it so the KI61 got the contract.

http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft ... aft_id=951
the main pic on the top of this is a cropped version.

[Sopwith]

So I guess that the bands on the rear fuselages denote prototype 1, with the one stripe and prototype 2, with two stripes and so on. Looks a straightforward system, unless I've got it all wrong.

[Mark Allen M]

Yes, according to some modelers it's the real deal. Interesting design as the Ki-60 looks a bit fatter than the Ki-61.

[C VEICH]

I have long thought that this was a very beautiful aircraft. A bit more "bulldoggish" than the Ki-61 but still a very slick aircraft. In the pictures of the three together the one on the left appears to have a longer span wing than the center aircraft. Never noticed that before. One more to add to the model building "to do" list!

[Randy Wilson]

According to Francillon in Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War, the second and third prototypes had slightly larger wings and cleaner engine cowlings. The aircraft in the center of the image is the first prototype with the smaller wings. The Ki-60 was designed as a "heavy interceptor". A cropped version of that photo is on page 110 of my copy.

Randy