Mitsubishi Ki-46-III, 5450
History
At the end of WWII, aircraft number 5439 was surrendered to British forces at Tebrau airstrip in Malaya in September 1945. To ensure the aircraft couldn't be used for escape, it was heavily restricted in fuel and escorted by a Royal Air Force Spitfire. Once in British hands, the aircraft was passed to the Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit - South East Asia (ATAIU-SEA), an organization tasked with analyzing captured Axis aircraft.
5439 was then flown to RAF Seletar in Singapore, where it was dismantled and crated for shipment to the United Kingdom. It arrived at the port of Portsmouth on 24 August 1946, and was moved to RAF Sealand and later to RAF St. Athan, where it remained in storage for decades.
In June 1989, Ki-46-III 5439 was relocated to RAF Cosford, now known as the RAF Museum Midlands. Between 1992 and 1994, it underwent a comprehensive restoration—funded in part by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The work returned the aircraft to display condition, complete with accurate Japanese markings and interior detail. It was exhibited at Cosford for nearly three decades, drawing attention as one of the rarest aircraft in the museum's collection.
In October 2022, the aircraft was moved to the RAF Museum London in Colindale, where it is now displayed in Hangar 5 alongside other World War II-era aircraft.